Expect lemon curd, white peach, brioche, almond, honey, and chalky minerality with a fine, persistent mousse, medium-to-full body, and bright structured acidity. The 2013 Champagne vintage produced age-worthy wines.
- Varietal
- Chardonnay-dominant Champagne blend with Pinot Noir
- Region
- France / Champagne / Reims
- Body
- Medium to Full
- Style
- dry sparkling, prestige cuvée, structured, age-worthy
The producer
Rare Champagne (formerly Rare Millésime, originally branded as Piper-Heidsieck Rare) is the prestige cuvée of Piper-Heidsieck, produced only in select vintages. The brand became a separate estate (Champagne Rare) in recent years but older releases bear the Piper-Heidsieck name. Distinctive ornate gold-tendril label.
What critics say
Rare consistently receives scores in the mid- to high-90s from major critics and is widely regarded as a benchmark prestige Champagne.
Pairing
Raw oysters with mignonette, lobster with butter, aged hard cheeses