Charles Heidsieck's Blanc des Millénaires 1996 and 2014

Charles Heidsieck has surprised wine lovers worldwide with a previously unheard of 1996 version of Blanc des Millénaires in addition to the next opus from 2014.  It's an interesting comparison in how time transforms this legendary wine from a blanc de blancs into a Blanc des Millénaires, revealing an identity without equal.

Charles Heidsieck’s acclaimed Blanc des Millénaires has earned cult status amongst those lucky enough to have tried it. Long lees ageing in Charles’ heritage listed crayères imparts a velvety texture and creamy richness in these wines, without being yeasty, as well as aromatics reminiscent of their chalky origins and astonishing freshness.

Former chef de caves, Cyril Brun, would say that on entering its sweet spot, the wine shifts from being a 'blanc de blancs' to a 'Blanc des Millénaires', taking on a character that is unique and unlike any other. Time is the passage for this transition, guided by vintage, because the recipe largely stays the same.

In a world first exclusive taste, Charles’ Executive Director, Stephen Leroux, was in Australia to release the latest chapters in the making of two extraordinary Blanc des Millénaires; the surprising release of Blanc des Millénaires 1996 and Blanc des Millénaires 2014.

“Between 1995 and 2004 there was no Blanc des Millénaires, or so I thought!” says Stephen Leroux re-telling the story of his first few months in the job he took on in 2013. “But of course, I was wrong.”

Blanc des Millénaires 1996 had been another victim of Charles’ former life as a neglected child of the Remi Cointreau family. Where most other Maisons regaled the gathering of a beautiful and bountiful crop that was, at least on paper, the vintage of the century, Charles did not.

“We didn’t have the money,” says Leroux. “We produced something like 2,500 cases, that’s all. And, unfortunately, most of that was sold away to an airline during the financial crisis in 2008 and 2009 leaving a paltry 4,000 bottles for the future.”

How he managed to keep it under wraps, for more than a decade, is a matter of politics and semantics. When previously probed, Leroux never really confirmed nor denied its existence.

Leroux remembers 1996 as a ‘wild’ vintage of uncontrolled acidity and compares it to driving a formula one for the first time.

“I remember tasting it with Thierry Roset for the first time,” he says referring to Charles’ former Chef de Caves (now deceased) in 2014. “We weren’t sure about 1996 but I had a vision, I thought it was going to be great."

Regular ‘check in’ tastings continued with Charles’ winemaking steering committee, under Cyril Brun - who succeeded Thierry Roset - and then current Chef de Caves, Elise Losfelt.

“When Elise came on board in April 2023, she tasted it and said ‘that’s really good!’ It had reached our expectations for the Blanc des Millénaires ‘index’ so we decided to sell.”

Some may recall similar circumstances under which Charles’ other lauded Blanc des Millénaires was released – from 1995 – which also had been stock-piled and then abandoned during darker days of former ownership. But the circumstances have proven fortuitous on both accounts, where time has revealed the propensity for this champagne to age most gracefully and beyond belief.

In the case of 1996’s chart-topping acidity, it’s taken a long time for some champagnes to reach a feeling of semblance. Leroux recalls many Houses selling 1996 way too young – even in 2003 – because the wine ‘connoisseurship’ was less and the brand power much bigger. But with so much stock to sell from high yields, the temptation for early release was too great for most and ultimately to the detriment of vintage reputation. In many cases, acidity has stood apart from and larger than the fruit profile, leaving many bottles to struggle for full integration post disgorgement.

At the same time Charles also released Blanc des Millénaires 2014, only the 8th edition of the wine in 40 years, which follows 1983, 1985, 1990, 1995, 2004, 2006 and 2007. It’s fair to say there’s been a long time between drinks.

2014 was unusually touched by the hands of three chefs de cave. Harvest and the base wines from 2014 were managed by Thierry Roset, then blended by Cyril Brun in the spring of 2015. Bottles were cellared until spring 2023 before current chef de caves, Elise Losfelt, disgorged the champagne. It’s a special release, carrying sentimental value for Leroux.

“It is an emotional vintage for me,” says Leroux reflecting on his earlier time at the Maison. “I remember sharing a sandwich with Thierry Roset one Friday during harvest and he was very happy. He knew it was going to be a good year for us.”

Overall, 2014 was a great year for chardonnay under oceanic conditions which favoured the white varietals. Weather was particularly cool and humid at the beginning of summer then became warm and eventually hot, lasting until harvest in September. Chardonnays were incredibly good all around, irrespective of producer, and lean more toward the riper side of the fruit spectrum.

Each release of Blanc des Millénaires comes a wave of excitement for a champagne that sits at an aspirational level for champagne lovers but also champagne winemakers. 2014 and 1996 will inspire a frenzy.

Charles Heidsieck Blanc des Millénaires 1996

100% chardonnay comprising equal portions from five Crus in the Côte des Blancs; Mesnil-sur-Oger, Oger, Avize, Cramant, Vertus. 24 years of aging in lees. Disgorged 2021. 9g/L dosage.

There’s a reason why we pay a premium for extensively aged champagnes. Kept in their original condition, in the best of cellaring conditions, they unfurl to full potential in the passage of time.

When all of the elements dovetail, wine enters a sanctified place. This is exactly where you will find Charles’ 1996 Blanc des Millénaires.

A vivid golden colour in the glass, you would be forgiven for thinking it has forsaken freshness for maturity but not at all. Aromatically pronounced on the nose, you will find salivating tertiary character mingling with yuzu freshness in what is ultimately a gourmand wine. This is a grand champagne where much of the pleasure is on the nose. Take your time, because you’ll do yourself and the wine justice.

The palate offers all of the textured richness you might expect from a champagne of this calibre where harmony and completeness exists. It’s spicy and saline with an overriding profile of Tarte au Citron where there’s a sense of concentrated sugar, melted butter and mouth-watering lemon zest. On the finish, flavours of sourdough crust, lending a reductive, tangy and sour edge which provides the strongest indicator of its 1996 origins.

In coming together it makes a powerful and deeply concentrated wine, with a driving freshness, that is absolutely delicious and exciting to drink. This is one of the leading examples of champagne from this vintage, which is now complete in the fullness of time.  

Charles Heidsieck Blanc des Millénaires 2014

100% chardonnay comprising equal portions from five Crus in the Côte des Blancs; Mesnil-sur-Oger, Oger, Avize, Cramant, Vertus. 8 years of aging in lees. 9g/L dosage.

A highly aromatic wine leaning more toward the generosity of orange citrus, grapefruit pithe and sea salt.

On the palate it delivers an upfront attack, tightly knit acidity with a solid backbone of Blanc des Millénaires trademark chalk minerality. The intensity of its freshness is matched by a deeply concentrated and delicious palate underscored by a notably silky and delicate texture which is a hallmark of the year.

The charm and potential of chardonnay from 2014, I feel, will make it one of the very best Blanc des Millénaires in history.