Rare Champagne, Millésime

In over 40 years, Rare Champagne has only declared a vintage 14 times: 1976, 1979, 1985, 1988, 1990, 1998, 1999, 2002, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2012, 2013 and 2014. Originally crafted under the Piper-Heidsieck label, the remarkable singularity and unique style of Rare Champagne led to it becoming its own House in 2019.

Rare Champagne was conceived as an homage to the royal court at Versailles, where founder Florens-Louis Heidsieck presented his first ‘prestige cuvée’ to Marie Antoinette in 1785, declaring that he wanted to make a ‘cuvée worthy of a queen’. These glamorous beginnings are further referenced in Rare Champagne’s unique bottle shape and distinctive gold casing; a nod to the opulent, bejewelled bottle that Russian jeweller Pierre-Karl Fabergé designed for Piper-Heidsieck in the 1800’s.

Rare Champagne was also born from a struggle with nature. The 1976 vintage followed a period of exceptional drought, while a terrible frost preceded the 1985 vintage. Yet in both instances, they produced a champagne worthy of the name Rare. The vineyards used to create Rare Champagne are selected based on their unique characteristics, rather than a rank of Premier and Grand Cru. These exceptional sites blend to create wines which are complex and distinguished, offering a pure expression of their vintages.

Champagne legend Régis Camus was the winemaker at Rare Champagne for nearly three decades, before retiring in March 2022. His meticulous attention to detail saw him named ‘Sparkling Winemaker of the Year’ by the IWC eight times and in 2019 the CSWWC recognised his legacy with a Life Achievement award. Emilien Boutillat, one of the youngest Chef de Caves in Champagne’s history and twice winner of the IWC’s ‘Sparkling Winemaker of the Year’ award (in 2021 and 2023), is now responsible for safeguarding Rare Champagne’s house style, while leading the house into the future. In 2022, Rare Champagne was one of the first Champagne Houses, alongside Piper-Heidsieck and Charles Heidsieck, to achieve B-Corp Certification, illustrating an ongoing commitment to improving both their social and environmental impact on the planet.

From its first vintage in 1976, Rare Champagne has been synonymous with quality and every year demand far outweighs supply. 2013 is the current release of Rare Millésime. It comprises a blend of 70% Chardonnay and 30% Pinot Noir, sourced predominantly from the Montagne de Reims, with the Pinot Noir hailing from a total of 11 ‘crus’. After secondary fermentation, the 2013 Millésime was aged for nine years on its lees, pre-disgorgement and released with a dosage of nine grams per litre. The result is a bright, intensely gold expression defined by delicate aromas of white flowers, kiwi and nuances of black tea. On the palate, vibrant citrus notes give way to meringue and blood orange with Rare Champagne’s signature tropical minerality. The 2008 Millésime is similarly sensational, with the magnum format resulting in Rare Champagne winning the prestigious ‘Supreme World Champions’ title at the 2023 Champagne & Sparkling Wine World Championships in London. This is the highest accolade given by these awards.

2014 marks only the fourth declared vintage of Rare Champagne’s Rosé Millésime. It blends 60% Chardonnay and 40% Pinot Noir sourced from nine ‘crus’, of which two are classified Premier Cru (Villers-Marmery and Vertus) and five are classified Grand Cru (Avize, Oger, Aÿ, Ambonnay and Verzy). After secondary fermentation, the 2014 Rosé Millésime was aged for eight years on its lees, pre-disgorgement and released with a dosage of nine grams per litre. A deep coppery colour and delicate mousse define the final expression. The palate is lively, with fragrant notes of rose, pomegranate and morello cherry, excellent structure and great length. It is a remarkable rosé champagne that continues Rare Champagne’s award-winning reputation.