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CHARLES HEIDSIECK CHAMPAGNES IMPRESSIVE!

Big fan for decades of Charles Heidsieck (CH) bubbles. Used to buy “Tri Packs” of Brut Reserve listed for $170 Canadian on sale in August 2000 for $91.95 at BC Liquor Distribution Branch (while across the border selling at $45-47 US per bottle). These comprised 3 bottles of early Mis en Cave from 1993, 1995, and 1996 as a new concept and the quality recognition was then flying under the radar. Enjoyed drinking so many of these and became a convert for the brand. Also because your scribe always liked the texture of super cuvee Blanc des Millenaires from the very beginning of the 1983 vintage followed by only 1985, 1990, 1995, 2004 and presently the 2006. Respect how their website captures the contributing 5 major crus to this Blanc de Blancs superior blend as follows:

“Oger: lushness and structure
Mesnil-sur-Oger: balance
Avize: minerality
Cramant: complexity
Vertus: freshness and floral side”

Owner Remy Cointreau sold CH in 2011 (including Piper-Heidsieck) to EPI (Societe Europeenne de Participations Industrielles) under chair Christopher Descours who has revived this luxury brand. See this Blog reference of CH & P-H of March 30, 2020 here. The classy house style has continued and improved under current chef de cave Cyril Brun (since 2015), managing director Stephen Leroux, and team in those historic Crayeres underground cellars. Really admire the classic 2012 current vintage Brut Millesime (60PN & 40C Mise en 2013 disgorged 2020 with 8 grams dosage) so fresh, balanced and structured for further aging while already approachable now. Interesting to note two first protective consistencies used for improving CH 2012 with a jet injection of .1 microlitre of water after disgorgement to have resulting bubbling foam expel any oxygen plus then resealing by Diam’s new Mytik cork closure.

However for many Champagne consumers the big deal to know about is the fantastic wonderfully mature toasty complex regular Brut Reserve. Back label announces the key as “40% of reserve wines aged 10 years on average” This sparkler is almost like a top cru rich toasty aged white Burgundy with fine bubbles yet more reasonably priced. Every bottle is so delicious and consistent but sometimes with different nuances depending on the helpful “Mis en Crayeres/Laid in chalk cellars date”. They certainly all show that great house signature of “complexity, precision, depth, and creaminess”.

Over the Christmas 2021 weekend we enjoyed the last bottle from our oldest cache being mise en 2009 and disgorged 2015. Best one yet and pure luxury pairing with turkey! Over the past several months we have tried many other dated bottles from mise 2011 was disgorged 2017, 2013/2018, 2016/2019, and 2017/2020 and all have been excellent but of course the younger bottles were even fresher if you prefer that timing. Please note that they have reduced from 6 years on lees to 5 and now currently at 3 years. A quality Champagne brand that definitely is worth checking out.

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Ask Sid: Most southerly vineyard in the world?

Question: Which country in the world has the most southerly vineyard for wine grapes?

Answer: There has been an ongoing contest between New Zealand and Argentina at both around 45+ degrees S. For a while Central Otago was the winner with Black Ridge (planted in 1981) but overtaken by more recent
plantings in windy Patagonia by Otronia Patagonia Extrema. With global climate change we are seeing a move to plant even further north (Lerkekasa Vineyard in Norway at 59N and Sweden & Finland) and south (Chilean Patagonia experiments at 46+S). New records are just around the corner. Stay tuned!

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ENJOYMENT FOR NEARLY 40 YEARS OF THOSE AMAZING 1982 ST. JULIEN WINES

Hard to believe those amazing 1982 red Bordeaux wines will be celebrating their 40th birthday this year in 2022. Remember trying barrel samples that were rather delicious which we reckoned would provide wines for wonderful earlier consumption. At the time too much emphasis was being placed on historical higher acid and hard tannin
levels needed for aging Bordeaux and not enough also on the important factor of intense concentrated ripe balanced fruit. There was an early buzz about this vintage and many tastings were held during 1985 after bottling and release. One of the first and most memorable was at the every Thursday blind tastings of the Vintners Club in San Francisco on June 13, 1985. Invited as a guest of Haskell Norman, that remarkable unmatched leader of IWFS Marin County, to taste blind twelve red wines was so exciting for this budding wine aficionado . Even more so when
they turned out to be all fantastic 1982 St. Julien properties showing so impressively right out of the chute. Scores were collected by rankings from about 27 keen participants and Leoville Poyferre (LP) was declared first at 143 (3 firsts & 7 seconds) with Leoville Las Cases (LLC) second at 145 (actually more firsts with 8 – including mine – & 2 seconds for equal first & seconds but a little less support further down the scoring). My 3 clear favs were LLC, Ducru Beaucaillou (DB) and Branaire Ducru (BD). Speaking highly for the consistency of the vintage was that all properties were well supported and all received a first place vote (except Gloria). On June 22, 1985 eighteen more excellent 1982s in Bellingham, Washington including the First Growths where Mouton and Grand Puy Lacoste shone brightest.along with that early legend Cheval Blanc. Another opportunity arose on September 26, 1985 at a Commanderie de Bordeaux event in Vancouver to try 12 more 1982. Again LLC & DB (the only St. Juliens) were most prominent though Lynch Bages (82 impressive at June 20, 1985 vertical back to 1953) and value La Lagune also shone brightly yet again. Don’t forget to check out Beychevelle as it surprises with quality in 1982. Detailed hand written notes by your scribe on two of these tastings are attached. This exposure focused my early attention on collecting 1982 Bordeaux – especially St. Julien (though the later release of LLC was harder to find) and Pauillac. A pleasure to monitor these wines over the many years with many more 1982 tastings including special
ones at 10/20/30 year anniversaries has been most educational. More recently have been fortunate to update my 82 St. Julien knowledge. LLC a RMP 100 probably remains my current fav with outstanding fruit and complex nuances matched so beautifully with a roasted duck leg dinner but DB is lovely more forwardly showing textbook St. Julien terroir. Decided to try 5 top 1982 St Juliens for 5 home dinners last week and was pleased with the overall results of 40 year old wine:

LEOVILLE POYFERRE is very full and deeply concentrated but has a touch of that “dank wet dog & cardboard” I noted way back in 1985. Bottle variation.
LEOVILLE BARTON has that expected earthy iodine character in an almost rustic style. Bottle variation too. Can be excellent. Very good but probably prefer the cleaner 1990.
BRANAIRE DUCRU continues to be a delightful surprise. Ranked my 3rd in 1985 and though lighter bodied is so balanced and elegant that is a pure joy to drink. Underrated.
TALBOT is also under the radar as 82 & 86 both are showing brilliantly at present. Less celebrated Cordier sister to Gruaud Larose (GL) but dense buckets of fruit and improved from early days.
GRUAUD LAROSE – Admit a bias for this property because of so many marvelous bottles of the 1961 – but also the successful 1966 (and 64 & 62) – though a leaner period from 1967-1980. They bounced back in 1981 and especially 1982 & 1986. Solid St. Julien fruit that often needs time to show its best. Showed harder in 1985 tasting where noted “will age well” but now really excels with open cedar cassis with awe inspiring luxurious texture plus complexity. Competing with LLC now.

Hope you too still have some of these remarkable 1982s to cherish and bring back fond memories!

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Top 10 #AskSidIWFS questions from 2021

Your Ask Sid feature has worked out pretty well in 2021. Some most interesting topics were raised! Enjoy the challenge of dealing with such a knowledgeable wine & food audience out there. Please keep your stimulating questions coming! Information on current buzz happenings (#1 Frost, #2 Smoke Taint, and #3 Revised St. Emilion classification) were the most viewed, not surprising. Yet quite a wide range of subjects were most popular in your Top Ten. A couple of #fav or #fave of mine that didn’t make it were: When to describe a wine as “Crunchy?” & “What is the meaning of “Petrichor?”. Looking forward to more discourse with everyone in 2022.