Champagne Brut
Rare Millésime 2012

Rare Champagne preserves in every Millésime a heritage dating back to 1885, when for the centenary of the cuvée presented by Piper-Heidsieck to Marie Antoinette the jeweller Pierre-Karl Fabergé envisioned an enamel decoration that, too fragile for the crystal, lives on today in the foil that forms its habillage. From that vintage springs a rigorous selection that in more than forty years has declared only fourteen vintages, each one born of an atypical year, of the expertise of the Chef de caves and of the time of rest.

This edition, Millésime 2012, comes from a vintage with an uncertain and contrasting start, marked by winter and spring frosts, rain and hailstorms that seemed to foreshadow a difficult season. In mid-July a sudden rise in temperatures brought a warm and dry climate, perfect conditions for ripening that, despite modest yields, gave grapes of exceptional quality and gave rise to a well-structured wine of vibrant energy and remarkable ageing potential.

In tasting, Rare Champagne 2012 stands out for its bright pale gold colour with elegant, fine bubbles, opening a rich nose that suggests brioche, almond, mango, guava and bergamot, before revealing a floral hint of lilac and spiced notes of honey, black tea, white pepper, incense and smoke. On the palate the entry is vibrant and juicy, with citrus fruits emerging through an extremely silky texture, through to a saline, mineral finish of exceptional, almost infinite length.