Heidsieck Charles

Charles Heidsieck is the smallest of the great houses of Reims, as well as the most prestigious of those bearing the glorious Heidsieck name. It was founded by Charles Camille, grandson of Florens-Louis, son of Charles and Amélie Henriot, back in 1851, when he bought as many as 47 crayères in which to vinify grapes grown by his cousin Ernest Henriot. The excellence of the labels produced, combined with clever business strategies, enshrined the great success of the maison throughout the world. Charles Camille was among the first to conquer the American market, so much so that he was considered a legend and earned the nickname Champagne Charlie. Today the maison, which has entered the orbit of the large financial Epi Group along with its sister Piper-Heidsieck, has remained a landmark in the world-a gem of small size but great value and brilliance.

The Charles Heidsieck maison has been able to maintain a great reputation uninterruptedly throughout its more than two centuries of history, thanks mainly to outstanding chefs de cave: Daniel Thibault, Thierry Roset and Cyril Brun among the last. The symbol and pride of the maison are the great underground chalk quarries that stretch over 8 kilometers of galleries and are among the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Millions of bottles rest in these underground cathedrals, subjected to maturation on the lees from a minimum of four years to as many as forty.

The style of Charles Heidsieck Champagnes is unmistakable and well recognizable by enthusiasts: a synthesis of harmony, elegance, complexity and, above all, generosity of aromas. It is achieved by vinification only in steel, complete malolactic fermentation, long maturation on the lees and high sugar dosages. Time is the best ally of the production: "for us, time is the fourth vine," reads one of the mottos of the maison. This awareness means that all the bottles produced are also endowed with great longevity, as well as undisputed elegance.