【Decanter 93 pts】

【James Suckling 93 pts】

【Wine Spectator 93 pts】

【Jeb Dunnuck 92 pts】

【Wine Advocate 92 pts】

【Wine Enthusiast 92 pts】

ZF549-Champagne Charles Heidsieck Brut Reserve 1851

$330/btl

In 1859, it won its first trophy at the World Expo, earning it recognition and becoming a favorite of Napoleon III. In 1864, it became a favorite of the Russian Tsar, who labeled it "Russian Special Champagne" in Russian on the bottle label. In 1912, the Titanic, carrying hundreds of bottles of Charles Heidsieck champagne, struck an iceberg, breaking the ship in two and plunging the bottle into the Atlantic Ocean. In 1985, scientists reawakened Charles Heidsieck, having been dormant for 73 years. The champagne house also gained the attention of Rémy Martin, which acquired it and restored it to its former glory. After several successive generations, it is now a top-tier champagne brand under the French EPI (Europeenne de Participation Industrielle).

Charles Heidsieck's special selling point is the high proportion of aged wines in its flagship Brut Reserve (a blend of aged wines with an average age of around 10 years, comprising as much as 40% of the final expression). The wine is then aged on its lees for an additional five years before release (much longer than a typical non-vintage Champagne). The house prioritizes the quality of its Brut Reserve so much that, in 2002, a year of such exceptional quality, it chose not to release a vintage Champagne. Instead, it selected the best grapes from these exceptional years to replenish its base wine reserves. "We want consumers to judge Heidsieck by this Brut Reserve, so its quality is paramount. Therefore, considering the base wine used and all the aging time it undergoes, the price is exceptional value."