Piper-Heidsieck Rare Brut Millesime 2008 750ml

FRANCE : CHAMPAGNE : MONTAGNE DE REIMS / COTE DES BLANCS

Chardonnay, Pinot Noir

MED-BODIED, ORANGE BLOSSOM, RIPE WILLIAMS PEAR, TOASTED ALMOND, SALINE MINERALITY, NO OAK

Rare is Piper-Heidsieck’s top tier, a separate prestige cuvee declared in only 11 vintages across four decades — 2008 earned the nod as one of the most acclaimed Champagne years of the century. The blend draws on eight grand cru crus, pairing Chardonnay from Oger, Avize, and Villers-Marmery with Verzy Pinot Noir, then ages roughly 11 years on the lees before disgorgement in late 2020.

The result opens on orange blossom and white flowers before moving into ripe pear, fresh coconut, and toasted almond, with a smoky, saline finish that Wine Spectator called "an initial explosion of power... before quickly settling into an elegant gait," awarding it 97 points.

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