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PIPER-HEIDSIECK LAUNCHES A ROSÉ PRESTIGE CUVÉE
Piper-Heidsieck Rare Rosé 2007 was officially launched at a lavish bash in Paris in September that featured a banquet in the gardens of the Musée Albert-Khan.
Piper-Heidsieck Rare Rosé 2007
Made with 56% Chardonnay and 44% Pinot Noir and aged on its lees for eight years, the fizz boasts a fruit forward nose of strawberries, raspberries, and red currants, in addition to Oriental spices, lychee and tea aromas.
The Champagne includes “over 15%” of still red wine from Les Riceys in the Côte des Bar, which is perhaps what gives it its deep copper colour.
Speaking to the drinks business during the London launch of Rare Rosé 2007 last night, Piper-Heidsieck’s chef de cave Regis Camus said:
“I’ve been thinking about making a Rare rosé expression since 2002 but had to wait for the right vintage, which was 2007.
“Colour is very important with rosé and is hard to maintain over time – I wanted it to look like sunlight through stained glass.
“In actual fact, 2007 was a chaotic year for Champagne – not a lot of wine was made that year as the vintage was very up and down. It was audacious of me to decide to declare a vintage that year but we were very happy with what we made.”
Just 1,200 bottles of Rare Rosé 2007 have gone on sale at luxury retailers around the world. In the UK it is available at Harrods and Hedonism Wines with an rrp of £325.
Camus revealed to db that he already has more than one vintage in mind for future Rare Rosé releases and that the next standard Rare release after the current 2002 vintage would be 2006.
Wine Description
The Story
The noble origin of Rare Champagne dates back to a tribute to Marie-Antoinette and expresses its revolutionary spirit fight against the trivialisation of vintages.
Over the last forty years, Rare Champagne has only declared eleven vintages, the most demanding in Champagne, all in limited production.
“Since 1976, the House has only released 9 vintages of Rare: 1976, 1979,1985, 1988, 1990, 1998 en Magnum, 1999, 2002, 2004 and now 2008,” says Régis Camus, chef de caves and chief winemaker at Maison Piper-Heidsieck. “Piper-Heidsieck Rare 2002 was my first Rare vintage so I am particularly honoured to hear that it has been selected as the number one champagne in the world by FINE Champagne Magazine.”
Each Rare Millésime is born from the struggle with nature. For instance, Rare Millésime 1976 was created after an exceptional drought, Rare Millésime 1985 following a terrible black frost.
As the guardian of the Rare Champagne style, Régis Camus the most awarded Cellar Master of the century*, selects the vineyards according to their expression rather than their rank in the scale of Premiers and Grand Crus. This uncommon blending approach contributes to the complex, distinguished, and yet pure style of Rare Champagne.
In honour of the occasion, Pierre-Karl Fabergé, jeweller to the Czar Alexander III, designed a spectacular enamelled bottle. Unfortunately, it was impossible to reproduce this decor with the techniques of the time. A label with a faithful reproduction of the design was therefore placed on the bottles of this exclusive edition.
In the 18th century, Florens-Louis Heidsieck presented his very first prestige Cuvée, ‘worthy of a Queen’, to Marie-Antoinette, Queen of France, in a characteristically aristocratic bottle: the Pinte Majeure.
In those days, glass blowers made by hand the most precious bottles of Champagne, intended for the aristocracy. Thus, the asymmetrical shoulders of the bottle emphasize its singular personality.
Rare Champagne modernized the original shape and added a golden lacy crown that asserts the radiance of the wine.
Black and gold, it truly contains a charismatic gem. Black symbolizes the dominant Pinot Noir grapes while gold represents the luminous shine of Chardonnay.
Thanks to its long elegant neck, a unique whisper rises while serving.
Today, the soft curves of the design pay tribute to Marie-Antoinette, the first modern icon, famous for her ability to set new standards.
Vintage 2007
An unusually warm spring led to early flowering and initial optimism, which soon gave way to disappointment following one of the murkiest summers on record. Overall, 2007 was a difficult vintage saved by last-minute sunshine in late-August. Mildew and rot were the main culprits of the harvest, and the level of gluconic acid rocketed. The harvest began early, on August 24th, and was abundant in volume averaging 14,242 kg/ha. Pinot Meunier posed the biggest problems and Chardonnay clearly outperformed the rest. Many of the iconic prestige cuvée blanc de blancs were successfully produced, such as Taittinger Comtes de Champagne, Ruinart Dom Ruinart, Billecart-Salmon Cuvée Louis and Salon Le Mesnil. Some blended prestige cuvées such as Louis Roederer Cristal and Philipponnat Clos des Goisses were also made. Champagnes from 2007 are typically high in acidity and restrainedly classic in style, but lack the spine and strength of the greatest harvest years. Even if the vintage only receives three stars, its best Chardonnays are well worth seeking and storing.