RARE VINTAGES FROM CELLARS OF ‘SLEEPING BEAUTY’ OF CHAMPAGNE GRANDE MARQUES, CHARLES HEIDSIECK, RELEASED FOR DECEMBER SALES IN LONDON & NEW YORK
HISTORIC SALE WILL INCLUDE THE FIRST VINTAGE OF ‘CHAMPAGNE CHARLIE’
This will be the first time that Charles Heidsieck has released an extensive collection of rare vintages directly from their œnothèque for saleat auction.
Anthony Hanson MW, commented:
“It is incredibly unusual to have such a range of prestigious vintage champagnes at auction and in addition, these pristine vintages have lain untouched in the house’s 2000 – year – old underground chalk – pit cellars, since their original bottlings.”
Fine Champagne enthusiasts will have access to the much celebrated ‘Champagne Charlie’, including its first vintage in 1979, as well as the ‘81, ‘82 in magnum,’83 and ‘85. Estimates will range from £400 to £4,000.
The house’s highly awarded Blanc de Blancs, ‘Blanc des Millénaires’, will be available from the ’83, ‘85and ’90 vintages (Blanc des Millénaires 1990, estimate £1,500 – 2,000 per 12 bottles), while the historic Cuvée Royale will be available from the ‘75 and ‘66 vintages (estimate for the 1966 is £600 – 1,000 for 2 bottles & 2 bottle of 1975 is estimate d at £400 – 800).
Vintage Rosé admirers will find a series of Rosé Millésimé from the 1980’s & 1990’s (’83, ’85 and ’96) with estimates from £600 to 1800 per lot, and for fans of large formats there will be 12 jeroboams of Millésimé 1989 (estimated at £600 -800 per jeroboam) , of which Anthony Hanson, MW commented; “It is an absolutely astonishing wine, to my mind one of the best large format champagnes in existence, with perfect provenance.”
The entirety of this ‘Collection Crayères’ has been tasted and approved by the wine team at Christie’s. Hanson noted;
“Charles Heidsieck had been a Sleeping Beauty amongst Grandes Marques Champagnes… The offering has depth and breadth. Aficionados of old vintage Champagne have the opportunity to acquire legendary bottlings.”Stephen Leroux, Director of the House of Charles Heidsieck, explains “ Opening our Œnotheque to the public is a passionate and powerful act. We want to enable wine lovers to obtain these bottles and have unforgettable experiences; it echoes the House philosophy. What’s more, distributing such rare bottles in a responsible manner whilst ensuring a minimum are available for future generations, is an exercise in balance.”
About Charles Heidsieck:
Entrepreneur and visionary, Charles – Camille Heidsieck, founded his Maison de Champagne in 1851 with a wine reflecting his personality and 150 years ago the house purchased 47 chalk cellars tucked away in the historic heart of Reims which were carved into the chalk over two – thousand years ago, and a World Heritage Site. In this labyrinth of galleries, 30 metres underground, the humidity makes a perfect sanctuary in which to leave wines from the Crayères Collection to blossom.The House and the men who lead it share a uniqueness and an audacious spirit.
The famous Daniel Thibault, followed by Régis Camus and Thierry Roset, some of the best cellar masters of the last 80 years, have been free to create different vintages, stocks and reserve wines in order to de velop prestigious cuvées. Their work and the wine making expertise of Charles Heidsieck are now in the caring hands of Cyril Brun.Only precise blending and the highest quality development can stand the test of time. Time, like a “fourth varietal”, – as Thierry Roset used to say – has crafted the soul of the wines in the Crayères Collection. Extended ageing on lees has unlocked the full potential of their aromas.
