1982 Piper-Heidsieck Rose

The 1982 Champagne Sauvage Brut is being released alongside the reinterpretation that is the 1982 Hors-Serie. Only 500 gift packs will come to market. Both are composed of 60% Pinot Noir and the rest Chardonnay. 1982 was a generous vintage, with a cold spring followed by a hot summer, though issues arose at harvest time with rain and subsequent rot. Tasted side by side with the Hors-Serie, the Sauvage is luxurious and autumnal, with aromas of custard, orange peel, dried raspberry, and coffee. The palate is round with a fine mousse that envelops its opulently textured mouthfeel of orange oils, toasted hazelnut, and honeycomb. Though they have very different applications for how to pair at the table and their seasonality in terms of their style, the two wines are destined to be opened side by side and will allow for an open dialog between the two. Drink 2022-2030. Emilien Boutillat took over as Chef de Cave for Regis Camus in 2018. A native to Champagne, Mr. Boutillat has a versatile background in winemaking, having worked for several wineries across the globe, including at such prestigious estates as Chateau Margaux in Bordeaux and Peter Michael in Sonoma, California. He also spent time in Chile, Châteauneuf du Pape, and Franschhoek, South Africa, where he made Cap Classique (sparkling wines). There are several exciting new releases from the house, including the most recent, the second release of Hors-Serie from 1982. This is a reinterpretation of the previously released cuvée Sauvage, except disgorged 30 years later in 2022. Mr. Boutillat also selected to use wine from magnums of Piper-Heidsieck 1982 to top up the bottles of Hors-Serie after disgorgement, as the liqueur d’expedition. There were 2500 bottles produced, and the house is putting together 500 gift packs that will offer a side by side of the 1982 Brut Sauvage and the 1982 Hors-Serie. These two unique expressions are a treat to taste simultaneously, though they offer very different applications at the table.