IWC Sparkling Wine Maker of the Year 2021, Émilien Boutillat, Chef de Cave for both Piper Heidsieck and Rare Champagne, hosts a tasting of…
4 x Piper Heidsieck Essential’s & Vintage
4 x The Great “Rare” Champagnes
(The world’s Most Awarded Champagne)
… including the “Rare” 2008 en Magnum
Thursday June 19th
Masterclass: 5.30-7.00pm, 9 Champagnes & Nibbles $230
Dinner: 7.30pm, 12 Champagnes & 5 Courses Menu $965
Rare Champagne & Piper Heidsieck
The Rare Champagne 2008 is just the eleventh vintage created since 1976.
Piper Heidsieck
Piper-Heidsieck is a French champagne house that has been producing extraordinary champagnes since 1785. It is renowned for its unique blends, made from a combination of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier grapes. It has won numerous awards for its superior quality and is one of the most sought-after champagnes in the world.
Piper-Heidsieck is owned by the French luxury group EPI (Européenne de Participations Industrielles), which acquired the Champagne house from Rémy Cointreau in 2011. EPI is a family-owned holding company led by Christopher Descours and is known for its portfolio of high-end brands across fashion, wine, and spirits. In addition to Piper-Heidsieck, EPI also owns Charles Heidsieck and Rare Champagne, as well as the Italian winery Biondi Santi
Under EPI’s stewardship, Piper-Heidsieck has enhanced its reputation for quality and sustainability. Notably, it became the first Champagne house to achieve B Corp certification in 2022, reflecting its commitment to environmental and social responsibility .
AWARDS
The International Wine Challenge
Champion Sparkling Wine: The world’s most respected Wine Show.
18000+ entrants and 300+ judges.
IWC Champion Sparkling Wine 2023 -
Daniel Thibault Trophy ………………. Rare 2008
IWC Champion Sparkling Wine 2022 -
Daniel Thibault Trophy ………………. Rare 2008
IWC Champion Sparkling Wine 2021 -
Daniel Thibault Trophy ……………….. Rare 2008
No. 1 Ranked Champagne - The Tastingbook’s 100 Best Champagnes 2022
Vintage Classic Champagne Trophy – International Wine Challenge 2020
Gold Medal – International Wine Challenge 2020
Gold Medal – International Wine Challenge 2021
Best in Class: Deluxe Champagne Vintage Brut –
Champagne & Sparkling Wine World Championships 2021
Gold Medal – The Champagne & Sparkling Wine World Championships 2021
Gold Medal – The Champagne & Sparkling Wine World Championships 2020
Best Champagne of the World – Best Wine of the World Competition 2021
Best Champagne of the World – Best Wine of the World Competition 2022
Gold Medal – Decanter World Wine Awards 2021
Champagne Master Medal – Drinks Business Best Champagnes of 2021
#2 of 20 – Essi Avellan MW’s Top Wines, 2008 v 2009 Prestige Cuvee Champagne,
The World of Fine Wine Magazine, Issue 74
#3 of 27 – Simon Field MW’s Top Wines, 2008 v 2009 Prestige Cuvee Champagne,
The World of Fine Wine Magazine, Issue 74
#2 of 24 - Anthony Rose’s Top Wines, 2008 v 2009 Prestige Cuvee Champagne,
The World of Fine Wine Magazine, Issue 74
The Wine List and Menu
On arrival
Piper-Heidsieck Essential NV
The tension of 2013 and the coiled focus of Essentiel are more high-strung than ever en magnum, projecting the reductive air of Piper with grilled toast and struck flint notes. A core of beurre bosc pear and grapefruit carries impressive freshness at a full decade of age, structured with a firm undercurrent of chalk minerality and the lingering acid drive of 2013 vibrancy.
94 Points, Tyson Stelzer, champagne guide
Tempura whiting, lemon (canapé)
Piper-Heidsieck Essential Blanc de Blancs
Piper-Heidsieck Essential Blanc de Blancs Magnum
Piper-Heidsieck Essential Blanc de Noir
Emilien Boutillat’s first new creation at Piper aspires to capture the historical pinot noir and meunier focus of the house with the freshness of Essentiel. It meets its brief with exacting precision, capturing raspberry and blackberry fruit of lifted, pretty finesse, framed in vibrant acidity and underlined by pristine chalk minerality. It projects effortless and energetic line and length. And exciting cuvée to watch as future releases gain the depth and complexity of solera reserves.
93 Points, Tyson Stelzer, champagne.guide
Piper-Heidsieck Vintage 2014
A perfectly mature Champagne, this is just ready to drink. Fresh fruits contrast with the mature toastiness. The blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay gives texture plus minerality in harmony. Drink this fine wine now.
94 Points Roger Voss, Wine Enthusiast
Chèvre gnocchi, broad beans, curd, evoo
Rare 2013
Originally a part of the legendary Piper-Heidsieck Champagne house, Rare is moving their Champagne Millésime to a new brand and want it to stand alone. (Think Delamotte and Salon.) The 13th vintage for this cuvée, the 2013 Champagne Millésime is a blend is 70% Chardonnay with the rest Pinot Noir, with the majority of the blend coming from the Montagne de Reims Grand Cru and Premier Cru. A bright yellow hue, its aromatics are exquisite and well-balanced, with fresh notes of key lime, candied apple, fresh croissant dough, fresh pineapple, and honeysuckle. Medium to full-bodied, it fills the palate with a rounded and supple texture and a pillowy mousse. It’s long on the palate and has a silky personality as well as a long, pristine finish. It has fantastic balance of decadence and freshness, and I could drink this all day. It’s going to have a long drinking window.
98 Points, Audrey Frick, JebDunnuck.com
Rare 2012 (New Release)
Complex notes of buttered toast, orange rind, licorice, fig and brioche on the nose, followed by honey and salted caramel on the palate. It’s layered, powerful and rich, yet so fresh and lively, with very fine bubbles that are well integrated. Long and intense. 70% chardonnay and 30% pinot noir. At least 10 years on the lees. 8g/L dosage.
97 Points - Claire Nesbitt, JamesSuckling.com
Rare 2008, Magnum
Exquisitely elegant…radiantly fruity and mineral, but still holding back plenty. … On the palate it is tightly knit and driven with its crisp acidity perfectly bound to the radiant fruitiness. Lacey texture with shows tension, the wine finishes to a palate-cleansinly fresh salty tang. Really refined vintage of Rare with majestic longevity ahead.
96 - 99/100 Points, Essi Avellan MW, EssiAvellan.com
Like a stallion out of the gate, this shows an initial explosion of power, in the form of mouthwatering flavours and fine texture, before quickly settling into an elegant gait. The racy acidity is seamlessly knit, buoying the lacy mousse and flavours of cassis, toasted brioche and tangerine, with accents of candied ginger, hazelnut and fleur de sel lingering on the long, creamy finish. Drink now through 2035.
97 Points, Alison Napjus, Wine Spectator
Abrolhos scallops, sambal butter, Jamon bits
1982 Piper Hors-Series Hors-Série (Dinner Only)
Fantastic brushed gold colour to start before aromas come thick and fast – overripe peach, roasted mixed nuts and Manuka honey against an almost smoky and savoury backdrop. The standout feature is the sheer power, vibrancy and focus for a wine of this age. A strong palate follows, robust and creamy yet defined by punchy fruit and still searingly youthful acidity. More toasty, honey, gingerbread and aged nutty Comté before diving towards spice and cigar box. It’s quite a big wine showing the generosity of the vintage before a sustained, lengthy finish. The wine is at peak but there is no need to hurry. – Drink 2023-2033
98 Points - Angus Hughson, Wine Pilot
1982 Piper Hors-Series Sauvage (Dinner Only)
A more golden colour, looking slightly older than the Hors Série, and very little gas pressure remained. Vanilla, crème patissière and nutty aromas: this has more of the toffee, crème caramel notes because of longer time aging on its dosage. The taste is voluminous, with magnificent flavour and mellow richness. Fruit flavours are almost absent due to great age. Very complex, rich and mellow, and more ample than the Hors Série. The rating is purely hedonic. (60:40 pinot noir/chardonnay. The original disgorgement, disgorged in 1992 after 10 years on lees.
98 Points Huon Hooke, The Real Review
Juniper rubbed quail, roasted grapes
Rare Rosé 2014
Rare Rosé 2014, Magnum - Dinner Only
Bursts with vibrant energy as soon as this hits the palate yet is refined and elegant throughout – akin to a prima ballerina's marriage of stored power and grace. Reveals a lovely range of strawberry coulis, blood orange granita, raw almond, honeycomb, smoke and chalk notes framed by chiselled acidity and carried on the vivacious, finely detailed mousse. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.
97 Points, Alison Napjus, Wine Spectator