Charles Heidsieck delivers a masterstroke for creating age-defying champagnes with its latest releases from the exceptional 2018 vintage, tasted alongside the 2012 and 2006 vintage.
Hailed by many as a legendary year, 2018 delivered a long, sun‑soaked summer and a harvest both abundant and impeccably healthy. Ripeness came early and generously. Pinot noir, in particular, thrived — plush with sugar and flavour, high in potential alcohol, and carrying the slightly softer acidity that marked the season.
When set against other warm vintages such as 2012 and 2006, the 2018 wines feel notably fresher. They carry a brightness and immediacy that reflect their youth, a quality less apparent in the original releases of those earlier years.
Charles has an uncanny ability to lay down the architecture for longevity, even from the warmest seasons. Structure is always apparent; convincingly woven into the rich tapestry of the fruit.
A glance back at 2012 Millésime and Rosé Millésime proves the point. Today, the wines take on an extraordinary stride — intense, concentrated, and still brimming with freshness and power. It remains one of Champagne’s most compelling vintages of the modern era, despite being marked by significant bud loss, protracted and uneven flowering and disease pressures.
The 2006 vintage has transitioned into a more evolved stage, marked by gourmand complexity, spiced and crystallised fruit characters, and a shift from lemon‑driven acidity toward a softer orange citrus profile. The 2006 growing season was characterised by extreme conditions resulting in heterogeneous fruit. Producers who exercised careful fruit selection were able to salvage a solid crop, yielding wines that, in many cases, became genuinely delicious and generous early on release. Charles’ 2006 iterations are still drinking well, though the window is starting to close on these.
With the region’s warming trajectory in mind, Charles has refined its sourcing tactics. For 2018, this included selecting chardonnay from higher elevations in Triny on the Montagne de Reims, where cooler sites and sandy soils contribute a fresher, more vibrant edge to the final wines.
A few notes, below, of my Charles Heidsieck tasting through the lens of warmer years.
Charles Heidsieck Brut Millésime 2018
Led by ripe fruit character underscored by an intense salty and briny profile. Medium plus finish. Disgorged in 2024 – the shortest time in Charles’ history for ageing a vintage champagne. Delicious.
Charles Heidsieck Rosé Millésime 2018
Red wine taken from Bouzy. Feels harmonious already. Round mouthfeel, savoury profile with a touch of vanilla bean. Less salty than the 2018 Brut Millésime. Medium plus finish. A lovely champagne.
Charles Heidsieck Brut Millésime 2012
A salivating and gourmand wine with notes of bouquet garni and peach juice. Very harmonious and silky. Disgorged in 2021.
Charles Heidsieck Rosé Millésime 2012
Red wine taken from Les Riceys, mostly. A truly delicious wine notable for its savouriness with a little quince and ‘cherry ripe’ character. Smoky reduction. Persistent and saline finish.
Charles Heidsieck Brut Millésime 2006
Full-bodied, rich and expansive, with a creamy mousse. Carries a profile of fleshy yellow stonefruits and mandarin juice. Medium finish. Best when served a little cooler than usual.
Charles Heidsieck Rosé Millésime 2006
Red wine taken from Les Riceys, primarily. Medium salmon hue. The nose carries red liquorice, orange peel and white pepper. The structure is considerably stronger than the Brut version appearing brighter but also well balanced between richness, acidity and tannin. Medium finish.
Join us for two special dinners in 2026 showcasing Charles Heidsieck's lauded Blanc des Millénaires with a rare 'look back' at some of the Maison's museum champagnes.
Adelaide - 18 March 2026. Book here.
Sydney - 25 March 2026. Book here.
