Cyril brun, why create a new Blanc de Blanc?
The idea was to add a Blanc de Blancs to our range, but one that was sufficiently distant from the Cuvée des millénaires, without losing the Charles Heidsieck signature.We wanted to create a 5-legged sheep, in fact! To have the acidity, refreshment and minerality of a young Blanc de Blancs, almost thirst-quenching in the noble sense, and at the same time, with fatness, silkiness, texture and extremely fine bubbles.
How did you go about making it?
We chose crus that we know very well and that are part of the Cuvée des Millénaire, notably Oger and Vertus, because they are real signature elements, producing full-bodied Chardonnays with acidity, chewiness and a little fat.
We were also looking for some singularities, so we went to Villers-Marmery, which is a village on the eastern side of the Montagne de Reims crescent with very straight, chiselled wines, and on the opposite side, we went to Montgueux, the hillock west of Troyes where the Chardonnays are generous and exotic. The result is a full-bodied, generous wine with a chiselled, seductive edge that makes it a lovely Blanc de blancs aperitif.
Do you use reserve wine for this champagne?
Yes, we use 20% reserve wine. It's our wine in which we have the least reserve wine, since we wanted to focus on freshness and youth, even though we're on a 2014 base.
So it's more of an aperitif champagne than a gastronomic one?
Yes, but let's face it, if you serve it with a fine fish-based starter, such as scallop carpaccio, langoustines, raw oysters and a spoonful of caviar, it works very well.
You can find Charles Heidsieckchampagnes on Envie de champagne and the history of the House of Charles Heidsieck on a previous magazine article"Champagne Charles Heidsieck, the phoenix rising from the ashes".
