Sponsored feature
What’s it all about?
Florens-Louis Heidsieck created his first vintage in 1785 for Agathe Perthois, a particular love story that has been kept alive for more than two centuries, combining ambition with expertise, passion with character. Today the man charged with continuing to produce the ‘seductive’ Piper-Heidsieck house style, is cellarmaster Régis Camus. He does this by marrying the structure of a Pinot Noir with the fruitiness of Meunier and the elegance of Chardonnay. It’s arguably the most widely awarded champagne brand over the past few years, winning countless trophies, particularly for its vintage wines.
How does it taste?
Piper’s Cuvée Essentiel: a ‘new’ version of the regular non-vintage, with a lower dosage (it’s extra brut in style) is especially designed with restaurants in mind and gets a minimum of four years of aging on its lees. It’s impressive stuff. The label reveals the date it was cellared – Mis en Cave 2012 – and thus the harvest base for the wine (2011), since when it has developed aromas of almond and ripe yellow fruit and a silky mid-palate texture. Match the Champagne’s salty iodine note to new-season Colchester native oysters.
Where can you try it?
28°-50°, Boisdale, Lucknam Park, Bristol Harbour Hotel, Mint Room, The Roof Terrace at Sanctum Soho, Wright Brothers
Where can you buy it?
Amazon, thefinestbubble.com, Harrods, Hedonism, Selfridges, whiskyexchange.com
Why we love Piper-Heidsieck
It’s both excitingly modern – think of the stylish collaborations with Jean-Paul Gautier, Viktor and Rolf and Christian Louboutin – and steeped in tradition, with its luxury Cuvée Rare only produced in extra-ordinary years, for a wine that benefits from extensive ageing, gathering considerable complexity.
More details