Champagne house Charles Heidsieck is celebrating the 200th anniversary of founder Charles-Camille Heidsieck’s birth through a limited Brut Réserve Collector Edition.

In the mid-19th century, Heidsieck became the first founder of a champagne house to travel to the US and begin importing champagne. In both Paris and the States, he was famous among the upper echelons for his charm, an impeccable dress sense inspired by Beau Brummell, and the very boldness that led him across the Atlantic. Opening and supplying new markets in the US, he capitalised on the positive press attention in which his enduring moniker, Champagne Charlie, originated.

In later life, he invested in 3rd-century, Gallo-Roman chalk cellars dug beneath the city in Reims. Complemented by the brand’s ownership of leading vineyards across the Champagne region, these have contributed to the success of Charles Heidsieck champagnes.

These offer a unique blend of pinot noir, pinot meunier and chardonnay, combined with more than 50 per cent mature Charles Heidsieck reserve wines. On average, they’re aged for 10 years: every bottle matures in the chalk cellars for more than three years, but collector bottles may do so for up to 40 years. This maturation develops the wines’ aromatic complexity, silky texture and refined quality. This has seen the producer be victorious numerous times in the International Wine Challenge (IWC), and it has been awarded a number of medals.

A potential Christmas gift available at specialist retailers throughout the festive period, the Brut Réserve Collector Edition possesses the same award-winning blend of vintage base wines and aged reserves wines. A persistent stream of bubbles flows through the pale gold Brut Réserve. The nose brings together pastry aromas and a mix of ripe apricot, mango, greengages, dried fruits, pistachio and almond. A fresh, plentiful palate begins with a silky-smooth sensation, developing into apricot, melon, plum pastry notes and delicate spice.

Artist Catherine Gran used her skill in black and white drawings to create the limited edition’s striking appearance. She aimed to design a temple commemorating Champagne Charlie’s life and the history of the brand. Bubbles appear to float up beyond an ornate arch, on the top of which are timepieces festooned in vines, representing the brand’s having always looked up to the sky. Indeed, in 2011, Christopher Descours and EPI Group purchased the brand, bringing with them new international ambitions, much like the founder’s original, transatlantic endeavour.

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