Charles Heidsieck Rosé Reserve N.V.

Orange/pink colour. Very rich and toasty with just a hint of cherry alongside rich toast and brioche notes. Ripe and quite fresh at the same time, with just a hint of tannic grip. Notes of small red fruits and a hint of cinnamon/gingerbread. Brilliant wine.

The Charles Heidsieck “Rosé Réserve” non-vintage Brut is composed of the same blend of one-third each of chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier, but with six percent of the pinot noir being still red wine from the fine village of Riceys in the Aube. The current release is from the base year of 2008 and was disgorged in 2015, after six years aging sur latte and finished with a dosage of eleven grams per liter. The wine delivers lovely aromatic complexity in its constellation of wild strawberries, tangerine, brioche, chalky soil tones, fresh almond and a touch of dried rose petals in the upper register. On the palate the wine is bright, full-bodied, focused and still quite youthfully racy, with a lovely core of fruit, superb mineral drive, elegant mousse and outstanding balance and grip on the long and racy finish. This seems far drier than its eleven grams of dosage might suggest, as this bottling has a superb chassis of 2008’s racy acidity. It is already very tasty, but it will age superbly well and I would bury it in the cellar for five or six years and really let it relax a bit structurally and start to sing unashamedly! Drink between 2018-2045.