Piper-Heidsieck's New Sustainably Farmed 'Essentiel Blanc de Noirs'

At a grand two-day reveal in Champagne, we had the first taste of Piper-Heidsieck's new sustainably farmed cuvée, Essentiel Blanc de Noirs, also the first made entirely by Émilien Boutillat, in his own right, since becoming chef de caves. The new champagne is the latest addition to Piper-Heidsieck’s premium multi-vintage range and goes deep into the DNA of their black fruit driven vibrant and fresh style.

The day had a sub-Saharan feeling to it – that may sound a little dramatic – but it was hot, really hot. It was mid-June in Champagne and the hike up a relatively small gradient of hillside in Courmas was enough to set-off the irrigators of sweat down my back.

In the distance, a mirage of sorts, a camel-coloured marquee that appeared more like a safari tent than a place for lunch. As I drew closer, some reassuring glimpses of Piper-Heidsieck’s emblematic red colour, here and there, with umbrellas dotting our vineyard pathway to an ultimate place of rest.

On arrival, a crisp glass of champagne and the spectacle of a magnificent table spread, gave restoration and the context for a two-day special event with the Maison.

I was greeted by Émilien Boutillat, Piper-Heidsieck’s spirited chef de caves, who was appointed to the role in 2018 at just 31 years of age. He is Champagne’s youngest cellar master, the son of a winegrowing Champenoise family, and well-experienced from early days working in new and old-world wine regions where he learned about the challenges of winegrowing in warmer climates like California and South Africa.

“I grew up going with my father into the vineyard, so it’s in my blood,” says Boutillat about his family’s winegrowing legacy in Chaumuzy that goes back to 1765. “Today, climate change is affecting us but less so far than other parts of world. It is important for me to learn to see how I can keep freshness in the wine and to adapt.”

Piper-Heidsieck owns 16 hectares of vineyards in Courmas, a lesser-known, cooler terroir located south-west of Reims, and just a stone’s throw from Boutillat’s childhood home. It represents a small fraction of the total vineyards required for production each year, for which the Maison relies most heavily on more than 400 grower contracts and relationships with cooperatives. It’s a place of great potential for the Maison as a playground for experimentation, biodiversity, organic farming and propagation of alternative varietals – like the newly approved Voltis – to build their desired viticulture for tomorrow.

Collective sustainable action

Boutillat’s passion for viticulture and vantage of youth, has brought energy and conviction to the Maison’s environmental and sustainability agenda. After he was appointed, Boutillat set about the company’s rigorous social and environmentally focused B-Corp Certification, which was awarded in July 2022, along with their other brands Charles Heidsieck and Rare Champagne. B-Corp was a big deal, it signalled the highest holistic sustainability commitment by a Champagne Maison which moves far beyond Champagne’s VDC (Sustainable Viticulture in Champagne) certification program that the industry hopes to convert all growers and producers to by 2030.

“We are going beyond the [VDC] now,” says Boutillat about the need for continuous improvement across all business operations. “It’s also about our carbon footprint which is why we chose the B-Corp Certification because it considers everything, 360 degrees. The philosophy at Piper is that we don’t just try to be the best in the world, we try to be the best for the world – for our growers, our team and our consumers.”

Piper-Heidsieck’s relationship with growers has played a formative role in the Maison’s sustainability agenda, which Boutillat says demonstrates commitment to their collective future.

Significant resources have been dedicated to nurturing growers in achieving their own VDC certification, as a start, drawing on Piper-Heidsieck’s own experience and program of experimentation. It’s an important point in the unique arrangement that Maisons share with growers and cooperatives because they are mostly, if not completely, reliant on supply contracts. Fruit quality often comes at the growers’ behest, unless encouraged or incentivised otherwise.

Embracing biodiversity

During a walk and talk in the vineyards, following lunch, the sun beat down upon our heads. It was a timely reminder of gradually warmer vintages, more extremities in weather and the challenge for producers to retain quality and freshness not only in their own fruit, but in those of their suppliers.

Boutillat seems upbeat about the prospects. In 2022 he commissioned an analysis on biodiversity with French company, NaturAgora, to undertake an inventory of plants and animals across their vineyards in Courmas.

Biodiversity brings ecological connectivity, says Boutillat, which supports natural communities in response to environmental and climate changes, through micro-adaption. The idea is to move away from monoculture to a fully sustainable ecosystem which goes beyond the parameters of their own plots, supporting the health of the entire village.

More than 60 species of plants have been identified and bird life is checked each morning by listening to their song. Cameras have been implemented across the vineyard to quantify the extent of animal activity and a common pathway has been created to link the forests, animals and birds between green and blue spaces. Beehives and keepers have improved pollination, cover crops have brought fewer weeds and greater ‘life’ and strategies for water retention have all been successful in encouraging biodiversity.

Innovation in the vineyards

In another measure designed to support the network of growers and cooperatives they work with, Piper-Heidsieck was one of the first to invest in Vitibot, a fully electric and silent tractor for tilling that can be operated via a mobile phone app. According to Boutillat, the initiative will appeal to a younger generation and allow entire villages to invest in a single piece of equipment to share. With 10 hours of capacity per charge, it will support communities in working more sustainably.

“The future of Champagne doesn’t mean that we work like out Great Grandfathers, today we can co-farm with our neighbours, investing in villages with machinery that can go further for us all.”

Piper-Heidsieck's first sustainably farmed champagne, Essentiel Blanc de Noirs

The next day at a grand reveal at the Maison’s cuverie in Reims, Boutillat announced the first fully sustainably farmed cuvée from Piper-Heidsieck, Essentiel Blanc de Noirs, also the first made entirely in his own right since becoming chef de caves.

The new champagne is the latest addition to Piper-Heidsieck’s portfolio and a continuation of the premium multi-vintage, Essentiel, range which is designed primarily for on-premise and gastronomy.

Made exclusively using grapes from VDC-labelled plots, the champagne demonstrates Piper-Heidsieck's commitment to their sustainable pathway, ensuring all winegrower partners commit to a VDC approach by 2025, 10 years after the certification of their own vineyards.

The new champagne is a personal moment for Boutillat, his first legacy for the Maison. He says their history with pinot noir, and the long-term contracts they have maintained in pinot-dominant terroir, gave the inspiration to his idea for a blanc de noirs. Incorporating fruit from the right terroir with more freshness and minerality has been the ‘twist’, says Boutillat, in ensuring the champagne is vibrant like the Piper-Heidsieck style.

Essentiel Blanc de Noirs is a blend of 10 terroirs representing 80 percent pinot noir (Ambonnay, Aÿ, Fontette, Meurville and Neuville-sur-Seine) and 20 percent meunier (Cormicy, Courmas, Verneuil, Cuchery and Villevenard). Within each of these, there are micro-climates selected for greater coolness, largely east facing, instead of south. The first release is made entirely from the 2019 vintage but future releases will see 25 - 30 percent reserve wine included from a solera system. Dosage is extra brut.

During the champagne's introduction at the exclusive dinner event, we were treated to the sound of ten instruments - brass, strings and woodwinds – as a reference to the 10 crus composing the blend. Two-Michelin star, Chef Nicolas Sale, from Le Meurice and the Ritz in Paris, created an outstanding food and wine experience alongside Piper-Heidsieck’s Essentiel Blanc de Blancs, Essentiel Blanc de Noirs, Hors-Série 1982 and Rosé Sauvage wines.

The champagne goes deep into the DNA of Piper-Heidsieck's black fruit driven vibrant and fresh style starting with a nose marked by red and black fruits and a fair kick of spice. On the palate, a fresh attack, generous mouthfeel and stoney minerality held together with exciting tension, but with just enough creaminess to take the edge off and lend some delicacy. 

This is an incredible benchmark example of blanc de noirs, a style that I have not been a fan of historically, for the lack of finesse and elegance. But this one has it in spades. I am convinced Essentiel Blanc de Noirs will become one of the greatest references points for this style in Champagne.

Looking to the future

Boutillat emphasises that whilst Essentiel Blanc de Noirs is a big moment for the Maison's sustainability commitments, it is only just the start. The main goal is to have all growers engaged toward being VDC certified by 2025. Another ambitious goal is for the Maison to renew all of their reserve wines from only sustainably farmed sources.

Meunier will also play a bigger role, says Boutillat, because it’s proving to add more freshness in warmer years – like 2022.

"We are seeing a lot of freshness from Meunier because of its location,” he says. “In the past, it may not have always been perfectly ripe, but today, we’re seeing more ripeness as well as freshness. We have moved from 30% in our Cuvée Brut to 40%, for example.”

At a holistic level, this year, the Maison invested a lot into renewing their energy sources on production sites to halve what they use and, whilst water isn't currently an issue, they are looking at ways of reducing consumption. 

"Everything we do and every decision we make in our operations considers sustainability," he says.

Piper-Heidsieck's Essentiel Blanc de Noirs will be available in Australia in September 2023. 

Words by Sara Underdown.
Images supplied by Piper-Heidsieck, Studio Dieppedalle.