Founded by the original “Champagne Charlie”, Champagne Charles Heidsieck is one of the region’s smaller Houses but also one of its most quality-focused. From its Brut Réserve to its prestige cuvée, Blanc des Millénaires, the wines are rich, vinous and complex.
There are three Champagne Houses that bear the Heidsieck name: Piper-Heidsieck, Heidsieck & Co Monopole and Charles Heidsieck. The original Champagne Heidsieck was founded in 1785 by Florens-Louis Heidsieck, eventually becoming Piper-Heidsieck (marrying into the Piper family). The division took place with the next generation, some of whom split off to create a brand that eventually became Heidsieck & Co Monopole. Florens-Louis’s nephew Charles Heidsieck founded his eponymous House at just 29 years old in 1851.
Charles Heidsieck was the original “Champagne Charlie” – setting off for the US in 1852, he is credited with bringing Champagne to America. Charles travelled the country, building a very successful market for his wines. Rather than buying vineyards, he chose to work closely with growers, and instead invested in the region’s ancient chalk caves, or Crayères, perfect for aging Champagne. Today the company owns eight kilometers of these centuries-old, cavernous cellars, which house millions of bottles of Champagne and are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
This philosophy continues today, with the art of blending central to the wines, and a high proportion of reserve wines used – as much as 40% for the non-vintage Brut Réserve. The quality of the wines is undoubtedly down to the exceptional winemaking team, with Daniel Thibaut,
