An Evening with Charles Heidsieck: A Benchmark Tasting

There are tastings that impress, and then there are those that quietly reset your expectations. This was the latter.

At Lamont’s in Cottesloe, in a room of just 30 people, Charles Heidsieck delivered what may well be the most complete Champagne experience I’ve encountered. With expectations high, dinners like this can promise a lot. This one delivered.

The presence alone set the tone. Stephen Leroux, CEO of Charles Heidsieck, led the evening alongside newly appointed Chef de Cave, Émilien Érard. This was not a standard house dinner. It was a direct line into the thinking behind one of Champagne’s most distinctive producers.

From Engineer to Architect

Stephen described Émilien’s appointment in simple but telling terms.

For years, he had worked behind the scenes. Making the wine. Managing the detail. Understanding every moving part.

Stepping into the role of Chef de Cave, the expectation shifts.

“You could have remained an engineer,” Stephen said, “but now you become the architect. The artist. You have to define the soul of Charles.”

It captured the move from execution to authorship. Not just making great wine, but shaping identity. Adding to it carefully. Not too many new bricks at once, but enough to move the house forward.

That philosophy showed in the glass.

A House Built on Consistency

Across the tasting, what stood out was coherence.

Different vintages. Different eras. 

Different expressions. Yet a clear through line of richness, structure, refinement and composure.

The Brut Réserve NV (18.7) opened the night and immediately set the tone.
It remains one of the most compelling non vintage Champagnes. Since 2018, the house has subtly shifted the style. There is still significant reliance on reserve wines, but the expression is more restrained.

The result is a more linear, slightly more austere palate, without losing the generosity and layered complexity that defines Charles Heidsieck. A difficult balance, executed with precision.

The Reality of Champagne Today

Between pours, Stephen didn’t shy away from the broader context.

The Champagne region has contracted sharply in recent years. Down roughly 25 percent from its peak. Inflation, global instability and rising grape prices have all played their part.

“Champagne is only ten percent of global sparkling wine,” he noted. “If consumers walk away, they have options.”

A candid assessment. Growth is not guaranteed. Pricing pressure is real. And the risk of disconnecting from consumers is front of mind.

For Charles Heidsieck, the response is deliberate. “We want to deliver more value for money, not less.”

Part of that strategy is structural. The house is producing more wine than it sells, building reserves for the future.

Backed by a single private owner, that allows something rare in Champagne. Patience.

Vintage Expression

The non vintage defines the baseline, but the vintage wines show how far that identity can stretch without breaking.

Brut Millésimé 2018 (18.8)
A warm, generous year that could easily run ahead of itself if not carefully managed. As Émilien explained, 2018 lacked natural acidity, requiring careful vineyard selection to restore freshness. Initially tightly wound and slightly reductive, it opens into floral aromatics and a growing sense of roundness. The generosity of the vintage is there, but it is held in check, finishing with energy and lift. Still young, but clearly on a strong trajectory.

Then the Brut Millésimé 2000 (18.9+).
Stephen was unapologetic.
“I absolutely love this wine,” he said. “It was dismissed at the time as a ‘bling’ vintage, but for me, it’s one of the best.”
Golden, nutty, expansive. A wine that has settled into itself and now simply delivers.

Blanc des Millénaires: The Heart of the Tasting

The defining moment of the evening was the Blanc des Millénaires flight.

A progression from 2017 back to 1985. Less a tasting than a study in time.

What became clear was not just quality, but trajectory. The younger wines spoke in energy and scale. The middle vintages in balance. The older wines in resolution.

Same house. Same philosophy. 

Different points along the same line.

This is where Émilien’s thinking came into focus. For him, the wine is about minerality, salinity and tension. Chardonnay from the Côte des Blancs, expressed with precision.

Blanc des Millénaires 2017 (Australian Release -19.5)
Strikingly expressive and still in its infancy. Expansive and energetic on entry, before settling into a honeyed mid palate. Beneath the power sits a clear mineral line that carries through to an exceptionally long finish. Intense, youthful and full of promise.

Blanc des Millénaires 2014 (19.1)
A different shape. A strong growing season followed by rain at harvest, yet the result is concentration and clarity. Broader and more open than the 2017, with early signs of development and subtle golden notes. Less about freshness, more about early complexity. Ready to enjoy over the near term.
Side by side, the contrast is instructive.

Blanc des Millénaires 2007 (19.4)
Suave and unctuous, yet remarkably fresh. Gentle nuttiness and a touch of caramel beginning to emerge, but still youthful. Refined and linear, with a pure mineral core. A complete wine.

Blanc des Millénaires 2006 (19.0)
A more generous expression. Richer in profile, with raisin, toasted brioche and a hint of vanilla. Round and enveloping, with weight and warmth, yet enough structure to maintain shape. Opulent, but controlled.

Blanc des Millénaires 2004 (19.5)
Exceptional. Fresh, precise and effortless. A masterclass in purity, where every element feels perfectly placed. Seamless, with remarkable clarity and length. A benchmark for the house.

Then the older vintages shifted the conversation.

Blanc des Millénaires 1996 (19.3+)
Powerful and still commanding. Lush and expansive, yet remarkably fresh. The structure remains immense, but is resolving into something more complete. The 2021 disgorgement has brought renewed energy, while time since has allowed integration. Still evolving.

Blanc des Millénaires 1995 (18.8)
Broad and generous, with a fully developed profile. By comparison, it shows less tension and drive than surrounding vintages. With extended time post disgorgement, it reads as more settled and open, offering warmth and scale over precision.

Blanc des Millénaires 1985 (19.3)
A surprise highlight. Initially reductive, then opening into remarkable freshness and vitality. Savoury, complex and still very much alive. Like the 1996, it benefited from a 2021 disgorgement, but crucially has had time to settle. Integrated rather than preserved. Stunning.

These wines are a reminder that great Champagne, properly cellared, has a life far beyond expectation.

Champagne Charlie: The Return of a Legend

If Blanc des Millénaires was intellectual, Champagne Charlie was emotional.

Originally a prestige cuvée from the 1970s, it disappeared before being revived in recent years. What is in the glass now is something quite different. A deeply layered blend built around a significant proportion of old reserve wines.

Stephen described it as “completely unrivalled” in its use of reserves.

The 2020 vintage (Australian Release - 19.6) was compelling. Fresh yet savoury. Lemon, pear, white flowers, jasmine. It moved with ease, but carried depth underneath.

More importantly, it lingered. Not just on the palate, but in your head.

There are not many wines that genuinely stop you. This was one of them.

Closing on Energy

The rosés closed the evening.

The Rosé Réserve NV (18.6) was lifted and precise, with light red fruits and a softness that never tipped into weight.

The Rosé Millésimé 2018 (18.9) brought more structure and intensity, driven by the inclusion of around 9 percent still Pinot Noir from Grand Cru villages of Ambonnay and Bouzy. More depth, more colour, but still controlled.

Both wines are built to age. A deliberate choice, consistent with the house style.
A smart finish.

A Rare Kind of Night

What made this tasting exceptional wasn’t just the quality of the wines. It was the clarity of intent.

A house that understands its identity. A leadership team willing to speak honestly about both craft and commercial reality. And wines that consistently delivered on what they promised.

Great wines are one thing.

Clarity of style is another.