Professional Ratings

• 100 Wine Enthusiast
  The return with a new iteration of this iconic Champagne, first produced in the 1980s, and named after Charles Heidsieck one of the great Champagne promoters of the 19th century, is to be welcomed. The wine itself lives up to the billing of its history, rich in the house style and with just a hint of maturity. This great wine, still full of white fruits, has so many years ahead. The wine is likely to mature gently for a decade at least.
• 97 Decanter
  An astonishing bouquet presenting notes of petroleum and flint that mingle with scents of pastry and both dried apricot and apricot jam. Complexity and generosity stand out on the palate, with that exemplary creamy and mellow mouthfeel that aged Champagnes at their best can have, but there is also freshness and an underlying crystalline sensation serving as counterpoint to the fullness of texture that is enhanced by the dosage. The chalk-infused finish is long and subtle, leaving a lingering impression of spices, including vanilla and pepper, as well as dried fruits. Bottled and cellared in 2017. Disgorged: November 2021. Dosage: 7g/L. 80% reserve wines and 20% wines from the 2016 harvest. 52% Chardonnay and 48% Pinot Noir from Aÿ.
• 97 Jeb Dunnuck
  The NV Champagne Charlie (2017) is the first release since the 1985 “vintage.” The new rendition embraces the long-held emphasis for this cuvée on reserve wine (despite having previously been labelled as a vintage wine) and now represents 80% of the blend, with only 20% from the base vintage of 2016, the oldest of the reserve wines going back to 1998. The wine is fantastically detailed and unfolds with layers of delicate smoky perfume, peach, and citrus blossoms. A refined and delicate mousse wraps around a core of orchard fruits, quince, and chalk. There is impeccable detail with this edition that will continue to improve over the coming decades. Drink 2024-2044.