On an August Monday, when much of London was still in summer holiday mode, a small but devoted group of Champagne lovers and collectors assembled at 67 Pall Mall. The occasion? A rare exploration of Charles Heidsieck’s most treasured vintages of the late 20th century.
The gathering was the brainchild of Nick Baker of The Finest Bubble. Each guest was invited to bring a bottle (or two, as it happened), creating a thrilling line-up. Michelle Munro, the ever-creative co-founder of 67 Pall Mall, added an extra flourish of theatre: a carefully crafted playlist featuring music from the vintages we would be tasting.
Our bottles spanned a dazzling run of vintages: 2000, 1996, 1995, 1990, 1988, 1985, and 1981. Many had been sourced directly from The Finest Bubble’s cellars, ensuring impeccable provenance. Others came from treasured private collections. Notably, David Hesketh MW and Michelle Munro contributed pristine examples of the 1985 vintage that were drinking magnificently.
From the golden maturity of the 1981s to the crystalline brightness of 2000, each bottle revealed a different facet of Charles Heidsieck’s inimitable style: generosity of fruit and the house’s trademark toasty depth. The joy of such tastings lies not just in the wines themselves, but in the bottle variation, the element of surprise, and the stories that emerge with each cork pulled. What struck me most, as we worked our way through this sequence of rarities, was just how consistently rewarding Charles Heidsieck’s wines are when aged. Few houses achieve such balance between richness and longevity. Even the more fragile bottles, showing the patina of age, offered fascination and pleasure.
To sit in such company, glass in hand, with conversation flowing as freely as the wines, felt like an extraordinary privilege.
Aperitif:
Charles Heidsieck Brut Réserve NV (Mis en cave 2020)
Some sixty villages make up this 2019 based blend with Ambonnay, Oger and Verneuil as some of the key villages. This great harvest year known for the purity and precision of its wines gives a great base for Brut Réserve. Rather youthful and tight for the time being, speaking of lesser effect of old reserve wines and but also good potential longevity. Both fresh and dried orchard fruit on the vanilla-dusted nose with a gentle spicy toastiness on the up. The palate is vibrant and fresh with emerging vinosity thanks to the mellowness provided by significant use of reserve wines and a splash of wines vinified in oak barrels. In magnums it comes with significant finessing magnum effect and even better mousse.
***
94->95
Charles Heidsieck Blanc de Millénaires 1996
In 2024, Charles Heidsieck finally brought the 1996 Blanc des Millénaires out of the shadows, a cuvée long eclipsed by the glorious and amply produced 1995. Resting sur lattes from 1997 to 2012, then sur pointe until its 2021 disgorgement, only 4,000 bottles remained for release. The three bottles I have tasted have shown a surprisingly evolved and oxidative profile, atypical for the house style. Sweet, candied citrus, bitter orange, acacia honey, beeswax and lanolin dominate the highly tertiary nose. The palate, while brisk and firmly structured by the hallmark acidity of the 1996 vintage, is contrasted by a drying note that clips the finish. Already at its apogee, this is a wine offering mature-Champagne charm for those who appreciate evolved complexity.
90->90
Charles Heidsieck Blanc de Millénaires 1995
I have tasted this wine well over a hundred times through the years, and it never ceases to surprise me with its remarkable persistence. Countless disgorgements exist, resulting in notable bottle variation, yet this particular bottle was as good as it gets. A deep golden hue signals its development, while the nose opens with sweetness and depth; heaps of vanilla-kissed fruit layered with glorious toastiness and an alluring touch of exotic spice. The palate is full of old-wine vinosity, flowing seamlessly with a caressingly calm texture and impressive length. Here, the wine shows no hint of decline, virtually suspended at its very peak.
97->97
Charles Heidsieck La Collection Crayères Blanc de Millénaires 1990
Many 1990s Champagnes have suffered from premature oxidation, but this is not the case with Blanc de Millénaires. This 2021-disgorged bottle shows its age in the deep golden hue, yet the nose opens in sweet glory. Richly honey-coated dried fruits mingle with truffle and sous bois complexity. The palate is round and opulently oily in texture, concentrated yet still carrying generous fruit. Beautifully textural and fully developed, this mature Champagne is drinking at a peak today.
96->96
Charles Heidsieck Blanc de Millénaires 1985
This original disgorgement bottle, impeccably cellared by David Hesketh MW, was in pristine condition. The nose brims with remarkable complexity: golden raisins, dried apricots, kumquat, milk chocolate, toffee, and, with time in the glass, an enticing syrupy richness. The palate is rounded and mouth-filling, with silky vinosity and a well-preserved, creamy mousse. There is a sense of timelessness here—no sign of decline. Simply stunning, and at its absolute peak.
97->97
Charles Heidsieck La Collection Crayères Vintage 2000
We tasted the 2012 disgorgement of the legendary Vintage 2000, a wine that has claimed virtually every accolade in the champagne world. The nose is immaculately fresh, brimming with lemon zest and fine, toasty depth. Nuances of sourdough, cocoa powder, and delicate meringue mingle with ripe peach compote. On the palate, a sumptuous creaminess unfolds with seamless harmony, its silken, cottony texture lifted by a graceful, airy freshness. The wine continues to impress with quiet confidence, showing remarkable longevity in a poised and understated style.
97->97
Charles Heidsieck Vintage 1996
This original disgorgement reveals far more evolution than the recently released bottle enjoyed alongside it in the same tasting. The bouquet leans fully into maturity, with layers of apricot conserve, wild mushrooms, golden raisins, and a touch of orchard jam. Notalbe oxidation. The palate carries the sweet vinosity of old vines, yet the finish turns delicately dry, a clear sign of its advanced stage. A wine offering immediate pleasure, best embraced without delay.
92->92
Charles Heidsieck La Collection Crayères Vintage 1996
In contrast to the original disgorgement, the Collection Crayères one from 2021 presents a notably youthful character. The bouquet is fresh and expressive, offering a clean, candied fruit profile with bright apricot purée, lightly roasted coffee, and subtle nutty undertones. On the palate, it is dense and concentrated, yet lifted by lively, precise acidity that gives the wine structure and tension. The mousse is energetic, carrying the flavors, culminating in a persistent, and well-defined finish. This bottle clearly showcases the vibrancy of the vintage, and the potential of the vintage showing still some more complexity to gain.
94->95
Charles Heidsieck L’Oenotheque Reserve Charlie NV (Mis en Cave 1990)
This particular Champagne Charlie, built on the 1989 vintage, saw its late release after disgorgement in 1998. A little disappointing, and I am bound to think it was this particular bottle, there is a minty and cardamom tone. Beneath the surface, a faint earthy nuance emerges over the weakening fruit, carrying a woody, spirit-like note that recalls marc. Better bottles should exist.
90->90
Charles Heidsieck La Collection Crayères Vintage 1990
This Collection Crayères release, disgorged in 1990, shows an evolved profile already at the nose. Jammy marmalade tones mingle with golden raisins and ripe nectarines and orange, with a subtle spirit-like hint pointing to its advanced stage of maturity. The palate comes across broad, oily and richly textured, carrying the wine with vinosity rather than freshness. Fully mature today and no longer in a phase of development, it offers immediate pleasure but should be enjoyed without delay.
92->92
Charles Heidsieck La Collection Crayères Vintage 1990 Magnum
Disgorged in 2021, this magnum shows itself in glorious form, bursting with youthful energy. The nose is radiant and expressive, combining creamy toastiness with charred accents, sweet dried fruits, confectionary tones and an enticing spiciness. On the palate, it is broad yet supple, soft in texture with a caressing richness that feels both complete and refined. Already utterly charming, but with a touch of reserve that suggests there is still some more positive evolution to come.
97->98
Charles Heidsieck La Collection Crayères Rosé 1988
Disgorged in 2021, the wine shows a deep, copper-tinged rosé hue. The nose is strikingly deep, with savoury nuances leading the way: Maraschino cherry, dried cranberries ,stewed apricot, leather and a touch of exotic spice. On the palate, the vinosity is accentuated by a subtle tannic edge, giving structure to the otherwise mellow fruit. However, it fades rather quickly in the glass, the fleeting freshness pointing to full maturity. A rosé at the end of its journey, with a bittersweet charm of gentle decay.
92->92
Champagne Charlie 1985
An original disgorgement from 1985, this bottle opens with a beautifully clean and deeply expressive nose. Layers of orange peel, baked apricot, marmalade and a gentle waxiness unfold with air, gaining further refinement in the glass. On the palate it shows remarkable concentration, compact yet vibrant, its freshness seamlessly intertwined with density. A wine of seemingly indestructible stamina, still standing tall in all its power and poise.
95->95
Charles Heidsieck La Collection Crayères Vintage 1981 Magnum
Disgorged already in 1987, this bottle greets with a generous nose with maturing layers of honey, candied orange peel, apricot and crème brûlée. A hint of mushroom betrays age yet remains harmonious within the whole. The palate is rounded and plush, finishing on a sweet, almost sugary note that enhances the hedonistic impression. This magnum showed on the more evolved side; others may well find bottles in fresher condition.
93->93