x
  • Country ranking ?

    797
  • Producer ranking ?

    12
  • Decanting time

    No
  • When to drink

    2020-2035
  • Food Pairing

    Seafood, Salads & Consommes

The Tb points given to this wine are the world’s most valid and most up-to-date evaluation of the quality of the wine. Tastingbook points are formed by the Tastingbook algorithm which takes into account the wine ratings of the world's best-known professional wine critics, wine ratings by thousands of tastingbook’s professionals and users, the generally recognised vintage quality and reputation of the vineyard and winery. Wine needs at least five professional ratings to get the Tb score. Tastingbook.com is the world's largest wine information service which is an unbiased, non-commercial and free for everyone.

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The Story

Everyone knows about the genie inside the lamp. You rub the lamp, and the genie pops out. For the Champagne Charlie cuvée, we were faced with the reverse: we had to take inspiration from history, starting with the founder’s character, Charles-Camille Heidsieck (1822 - 1893), to create a champagne wine worthy of his character.

The Champagne Charlie legend is intertwined with the soul of a man who bequeathed so many new ideas to his House, and who knew what it was to be an entrepreneur, a gentleman and an innovator. Free-spirited and adventurous, his inspiration was enough to encourage his heirs today to recreate a cuvée in his name and, more particularly, in his nickname.

The Charles Heidsieck House and the spirit of Charlie invites you to savor times gone by while letting yourself be transported by a desire to form emotions, friendships and lasting dreams. Time has the power to amplify happiness.

Charles Heidsieck transmitted an important legacy: the art of blending. While his competitors focused on meticulously selecting crus, vines and varietals, he concentrated on establishing agreements with the most gifted winegrowers in Champagne, picking out wines from a large range of villages. He could turn every cuvée to good effect, leaving each to age at its own pace, depending on its character, until full maturity. One bottle of Charles Heidsieck wine can contain up to almost 60 different crus, each differing in cellaring times but generally longer than the average time.
 
In addition, our art of blending ensures that Charles Heidsieck wines boast good cellaring potential. The Champagne Charlie cuvée will be one of the most distinctive from an ageing point of view: a large part of the blend comes from réserve wines aged on lees for up to 25 years.

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Wine Information

This three year-old disgorgement was not our best bottle of Charlie 1985 as on other occasions it has reached as high as 96 points. This bottle showed its age with slight oxidation and drying fruit. One could still see it has once been a great wine. Very deep golden colour with slow, small-sized bubbles. Grilled almonds, honey, dried fruits and vanilla on the complex nose. The light mushroomy notes deduct from the appeal. Rich and vinous on the palate with the finish slightly drying out.

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Vintage 1985

Severe winter temperatures and spring frosts did great damage, leaving many in the region unhopeful of a good year. The destruction was excessive especially in the northern Montagne de Reims, in the hillside vineyards west of Reims and in the Aube. The early summer weather did not raise the hopes, but finally fine September weather came to the rescue and yields ended up being better than feared (albeit tiny, 6,827 kg/ha) when picking commenced on September 30th. Champagnes from 1985 are typically beautifully balanced and intense with great length and character that is still improving today. Dom Pérignon, Charles Heidsieck Champagne Charlie and Blanc des Millénaires, Krug Vintage and Perrier-Jouët Belle Époque excelled, to name a few.

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Latest Pro-tasting notes

19 tasting notes

Tasting note

ending

Short, Smooth and Extensive

flavors

Toasty, Mineral, Nutty, Spice and Honey

nose

Youthful

taste

Complex, Perfectly balanced, Medium-bodied, Harmonious and Dry

Written Notes

The 1985 is a blend of 55 percent chardonnay and 45 percent pinot noir. The originals seem to have spent eight to ten years on lees – and this was one of the originals. ’85 was a seriously cold vintage with temperatures as low as minus 27 for several days, with around 3,000 hectares of vines destroyed. However, the harvest was exceptional. Early finesse and elegance pointed to eventual complexity and opulence.

Certainly mature, but based on this bottle, there is no real need to leave them in the cellar any longer. The bead was on its last legs, but the wine was still very much alive. Very complex. Stone fruit and lanolin. Honeysuckle and a hint of vanilla, marmalade, and even a slight note of a creamy coffee character. Still had underlying acidity. Incredible length. Just a brilliant champagne and a pleasure and a privilege to drink. I have talked with others who have seen it in more recent times. It seems some had very similar bottles while a few had a slight mushroomy note creeping in – no sign of that here.

For a score, 98 if you are playing the Grinch; 99 if you’d rather be Santa.

  • 98p
For a long time, a bound and delicate Champagne. The wine finally found itself during 2003 and passed into the classic nutty, biscuity, and toasted phase that is so typical of Charles. Present also is a floral lightness and a beautiful, dancing sensation all the way through. The wine is a big pleasure today, and I can really recommend it.
  • 93p
This three year-old disgorgement was not our best bottle of Charlie 1985 as on other occasions it has reached as high as 96 points. This bottle showed its age with slight oxidation and drying fruit. One could still see it has once been a great wine. Very deep golden colour with slow, small-sized bubbles. Grilled almonds, honey, dried fruits and vanilla on the complex nose. The light mushroomy notes deduct from the appeal. Rich and vinous on the palate with the finish slightly drying out.
  • 93p
Pale golden, tiny bubbles. Apples, yeast, minerals, lime peel, brioche. Fresh acidity, elegant mousse with a slightly sweet touch, elegant and refined with lovely balance, long and fresh finish. Winy texture and feel.
  • 95p
Charles Heidsieck 1985 Champagne Charlie From a bottle deg. 2000 Bit reserved and tight nose at first that opens up with air and gives a suprisingly young impression with bright citrus fruit, yellow apples and minerals with a toasty edge. However with more are the toasty complexity grows and reveals a plethora of toasted flavours and warm fruits. Mediumbodied but palate coating and very smooth mousse that gives way for rich golden fruit, yellow apples, baked peaches and grilled lemon, all wrapped in roasted walnuts, danish pastry and sweet spices that build on the finish which is a bit short though with a limey mineral grip that suggests ageing potential. Drink now-2022 94p.
  • 94p
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Information

Origin

Reims, Champagne

Other wines from this producer

Blanc de Blancs

Blanc de Millenaires Vinothèque

Blanc des Millénaires

Brut Millésimé

Brut Réserve

Champagne Charlie Vinothèque

Coteaux Champenois Blanc Montgueux

La Collection Crayères Millésime Brut

Rosé Millésime

Rosé Réserve

Rosé vintage

Vintage

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