Piper Heidsieck - Winemaking, Best Wines, Prices 2024

What makes Piper Heidsieck Champagne unique? Which are the best bottles to buy in 2024?

Piper Heidsieck is one of the oldest Champagne Houses in France. Its grand 235-year old history makes it synonymous with winemaking excellence, boldness, and luxury. 

This Champagne House also has a long record of A-List brand ambassadors like Marilyn Monroe and Ava Gardener! 

What kind of Champagnes does Piper Heidsieck produce? 

And when it comes to investing, which bottles should you look out for?

Let’s step into the fascinating world of Piper Heidsieck, starting at the history, the different Champagnes, and How You Can Get A Bottle Of These Bubbles For Yourself. 

We even have a list of Eight Delicious Piper Heidsieck Champagnes for you to invest in!

The Piper Heidsieck Champagne House

Founded as “Heidsieck & Co” in 1785 in Reims, France, this fabulous Champagne House produces luxurious Champagnes where fresh fruit dominates. 

Its structured signature style comes from a blend of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Pinot Meunier. 

This Champagne House neighbors other notable producers in Reims, including Veuve Clicquot, Louis Roederer, and Champagne Lanson.

This Champagne also has a long history entwined with romance and the big screen - Let’s take a look. (We’ll also see how it's connected to the famous Charles Heidsieck Champagne house.)

The History of Piper Heidsieck

It all started when Florens-Louis Heidsieck fell in love with Agathe Perthois. To impress her, he endeavored to create a “wine that smiles” in the Champagne region. 

In 1785, Heidsieck founded Heidsieck & Co and created a Champagne worthy of a queen. Incidentally, France’s Queen, Marie Antoinette, was the first A-List Piper Heidsieck brand ambassador!

Three nephews of Florens-Louis Heidsieck were involved in the business - Charles-Henri, Walbaum, and Christian Heidsieck. 

After Florens-Louis Heidsieck died in 1828, his nephew, Christian Heidsieck, and Henri-Guillaume Piper, a businessman, joined Heidsieck & Co. These two men were responsible for taking the Champagne House’s reputation outside of France. 

In 1835, Christian Heidsieck passed away, and after a while, his widow remarried. She married his partner in wine, Henri-Guillaume Piper, and the Piper Heidsieck Champagne house was born. (Charles-Camille Heidsieck, son of Charles-Henri, founded Charles Heidsieck in 1851. And, Walbaum founded Heidsieck Monopole.) 

In 2011, Piper Heidsieck was acquired by the EPI Group and has been managed by the Descours family since then. 

Winemaking At The Piper Heidsieck Champagne House

One peculiar thing about Piper Heidsieck is that they own no vineyards of their own. All the grapes used for their amazing cuvees are sourced from over 60 vineyards in the Champagne region. 

In 1995, Piper Heidsieck built 200 stainless steel wine vats and a temperature-controlled storage area for their reserve wines. 

Since the beginning of the 21st century, reserve wines have been blended to enrich the Champagnes. These reserve wines guarantee the regularity of the flavor and taste of the non-vintage wines each year. The non-vintage wines are made up of reserve wines from around 10 harvests.

The winemaking process at Piper Heidsieck is as follows:

• Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier, and Pinot Noir are all vinified separately to respect their typicity. Once the grapes have been gently crushed, the liquid sits in vats to separate the juice from the residue.
• The clear juice then goes through two phases: alcoholic and malolactic fermentation. Although malolactic fermentation is optional for Champagne, Piper Heidsieck believes it plays a vital role in their wines’ style.
• Throughout the fermentation, winemakers sample each vin clair every day to find the ideal partnership between the grape varietals, wine, and cru.
• The second alcoholic fermentation is what gives Champagne its hallmark effervescence. A blend of Piper Heidsieck still wine, yeast, and cane sugar is added, and another fermentation occurs. This process transforms it into alcohol and gives the wine the bubbles we love. 

That’s not all.

4 More Amazing Facts About Piper Heidsieck 

1. During the Second World War, Piper Heidsieck concealed weapons in their Champagne cellars. 
2. During the 1950s, the NV Cuvee Brut became a favorite in Hollywood and appeared alongside Hollywood legends in movies. 
3. In true Piper Heidsieck Style, the House commissioned luxury jeweler Van Cleef & Arpels to design a diamond-studded bottle to celebrate the bicentennial.
4. Since 1993, Piper Heidsieck has been the official sponsor of the prestigious Cannes Film Festival and The Oscars.

Ready to see the different cuvees this Champagne house produces?

The Different Champagnes Of Piper Heidsieck

Let’s take a quick look at the cuvees produced at this Champagne House:

• Cuvee Brut: This is the signature cuvee (ABV: 12%) of the Piper Heidsieck House. This round and vibrant Brut NV showcases the complexity and dimension derived from blending grapes of at least 100 crus from the Champagne region.
• Rose Sauvage: This non-vintage Cuvee usually has a blend of red wines to give it a unique structure and personality.
• Cuvee Sublime: Regis Camus adapted Piper’s nonvintage Champagne to create this Demi-Sec. It still has a well-rounded character with an added crispness on the palate.
• Riviera: In 2006, Piper Heidsieck created a Champagne with notes of stone fruits to be served on ice. As ridiculous as this sounds, the Piper Heidsieck Riviera is a style that everyone is enjoying.
• Essentiel: This cuvee was designed to be a reliable Extra-Brut that symbolized the essence of the House. It is a blend between the slowly matured and young wines. 

These wines have aged for at least four years in the cellar. Pinot Meunier, Pinot Noir, and Chardonnay grapes from 100 crus are combined to create this Champagne. 

• Essentiel Blanc De Blancs: Part of the Essential collection, the Blanc De Blancs is a result of an extended aging of the Essential cuvee.
• Rare Champagne: This Champagne is the tribute presented to Marie Antoinette and is known for its complexity and minerality. Only grapes from an exceptional year are used for this Cuvee.
• Vintage Brut: There is no specific blend for the Vintage Brut Champagnes. The grapes used in each unique vintage are chosen from 18 crus (Premier and Grand.)

Grapes for the Piper Heidsieck Cuvee Brut, Rose Sauvage, and Demi-Sec Sublime are all sourced from vineyards across the Champagne region. 

Also read: 

• Take a tour and discover the most Divine Rose Wines that you could buy for yourself.
• Or, if you prefer a fruity red with intense aromas, take a look at the Marvellous Malbec Wines.

8 Piper Heidsieck Champagnes You Need To Buy in 2024

Not only will these wines work great in your collection, but they also make for the perfect gift to give a wine connoisseur. 

1. 1961 Piper Heidsieck Cuvee Reservee Florens Louis Brut

This Champagne still delivers! The lazy bubbles provide a satiny mousse and a bouquet of rich butterscotch and apple tart aromas. 

This well-balanced, dry, and crisp Cuvee has a light body, bright acidity, and intense notes of toast, black cherry, ripe pears, and apple fruits. 

Price of a 1961 Piper Heidsieck Cuvee Reservee Florens Louis Brut: $840

2. 1962 Piper Heidsieck Brut Extra

This vintage has an intriguing aroma of coconut and fresh hazelnut. 

This Champagne is more approachable than most of the others. The beautiful flavors of toast, crisp green apples, fresh pear, and honey are wonderfully balanced with gorgeous fruit aromas and add a touch of sweetness to this bubbly. 

Price of a 1962 Piper Heidsieck Brut Extra: $716

3. 1997 Piper Heidsieck Rare Le Secret Goldsmith Edition

The Goldsmith Edition is one of the rare exclusive editions released by Piper Heidsieck. 

The fruit Champagne inside the one-of-a-kind bottle promises a truly unforgettable experience. Due to the absence of sugar and recent disgorging, this bubbly is complex, precise, and expressive at the same time. 

Price of a 1997 Piper Heidsieck Rare Le Secret Goldsmith Edition: $592

4. 2000 Piper Heidsieck The Black Cancan by Jean-Paul Gaultier Brut

This unique sparkling wine is seductively dressed in a design by Jean-Paul Gaultier. 

The Champagne itself gives off aromas of exotic fruit and fresh pastry. You will experience seductive and robust flavors of butter, white tea, acacia honey, and yeasty notes on the palate.

Price of a 2000 Piper Heidsieck The Black Cancan by Jean-Paul Gaultier Brut: $452

5. 2007 Piper Heidsieck Rare Brut Rose Millesime

On the nose, this Cuvee presents delicate notes of oaky-nougat. 

It is a rich Champagne that is well-structured, and has excellent acidity and a refined elegance you would find in a true Rose Champagne. This Cuvee has an impressive aromatic and powerful finish. 

Price of a 2007 Piper Heidsieck Rare Brut Rose Millesime: $450

6. 2002 Piper Heidsieck Rare Brut Millesime

This graceful Champagne is packed with aromas of citrus fruits, pineapple, mango, passion fruit, and kiwi. 

On the palate, this is a powerful and intense Champagne, and manages to pull off the pure and complex nature of mature wines. It has a subtle minerality along with aromatic fruit flavors. 

Price of a 2002 Piper Heidsieck Rare Brut Millesime: $189

7. 1999 Piper Heidsieck Jean-Paul Gaultier Brut

The red leather sleeve design might be the ultimate dressing for a lithe and vibrant Champagne.

On the palate, enjoy a racy acidity and crisp fresh apples, lychee, brioche, ripe black cherry, toast, and grapefruit flavors as the wine takes you to a long steely finish. 

Price of a 1999 Piper Heidsieck Jean Paul Gaultier Brut: $120

8. 2000 Piper Heidsieck Brut Divin Blanc de Blancs Brut

Very low in sugar, this is a Champagne that has creamy and chalky aromas. 

It has powerful cedarwood and toast notes, and there is no bitterness on the classic dry finish. This Champagne is so delicious, and it will have you begging for more.

Price of a 2000 Piper Heidsieck Brut Divin Blanc de Blancs Brut: $83

Also read: Don’t let the wrong Champagne glass spoil your Piper Heidsieck experience - find The Right Champagne Glass to serve it in!

Investing In Piper Heidsieck Champagne

Champagne is a hot commodity in the wine investment world. It was the best performing sub-index on Liv-ex during 2020.  

Piper Heidsieck used to be considered a low-priced wine until the Descours family took over the company in 2011. 

Under this new management, they have moved away from selling their cuvees at discounted supermarkets. This helps the brand stand out as a strong alternative to the other top-rated Champagne brands, like Tattinger, Moet & Chandon, and Laurent-Perrier.

Another boost for this brand happened when a team of divers found 2000 bottles of 1907 Piper Heidsieck in a shipwreck in 1998. These bottles have been sold at around $275,000 at various auctions, making this the most expensive Champagne.

Aging Potential for Piper Heidsieck Champagne

When it comes to bottle aging these high-quality Champagnes could last several decades if you store them correctly in your cellar. For example, Vintage 2008 Piper Heidsieck can age well for more than 20 years.  

But, how do you buy exotic investment-grade wines like these Champagnes?

To make sure you invest in the right Champagne at the right time, you can always use the expertise of a wine investment firm like Vinovest!

Also read: Take a tour and discover the beauty of Chateauneuf-du-Pape.

Buy And Store Collectible Wines Through Vinovest

Vinovest is an online wine investment platform that helps you buy, authenticate, store, and sell sought-after wines easily. You can even have your bottles delivered to your doorstep or a buyer if you like.

All this takes place online, so you could buy the best wines from around the world from the comfort of your home as you sip on a delicious Kir Royale cocktail. 

How It Works

Getting started with Vinovest is easy! 

1. Sign up with your name, email, and set a password on the Vinovest website. 
2. Answer a short questionnaire to determine your investment style. 
3. Add a minimum of $1,000 to your new account.
4. Pour yourself a glass of Pinot Blanc and browse the wines specifically chosen for you. 

Sit back and enjoy watching your investment portfolio grow. 

Benefits Of Buying And Storing Your Wine Through Vinovest

Go from wine spectator to full fledged client with these fantastic benefits that Vinovest offers.

A. Hassle-Free Buying And Selling

Fancy buying some Pouilly Fuisse as an investment? Vinovest can help you with all your wine sourcing and purchasing needs. 

Want to sell that bottle of Chianti Wine for a profit? Vinovest will help you find the right buyer. 

B. Best Prices And Easy Delivery

Vinovest buys fine wines from trusted wine merchants, wineries, and global wine exchanges to make sure the wine you get your bottles at the best prices possible!

Plus, Vinovest will take care of the shipping and insurance to deliver the wine to your home or a buyer (if you wish to drink or sell it.)

C. Optimal Storage

No space to store the Riesling or Sauvignon Blanc you just bought? 

Don’t worry, Vinovest will help you store them. They have bonded warehouses located in the best wine regions that will keep your wines perfectly till you decide to open or sell them. 

D. Insurance Coverage And Security

Vinovest insures all the wine you buy through them with an FDIC equivalent. You no longer have to worry about losing everything if a bottle you bought from Chateau Lafite goes missing or breaks.

E. Provenance And Authenticity

There is always a concern that you may be purchasing a counterfeit collectible wine. That is why Vinovest goes the extra mile for you and researches the wine’s origin before the money leaves your account. 

F. Curated Portfolio

Not sure if you should buy a Zinfandel or Pomerol wine?

With all the different wine regions, varieties, and trends, it can be quite overwhelming building or refining a wine investment portfolio. With Vinovest, you get access to a team of master sommeliers and data scientists that will help you with each portfolio decision. 

G. Low Overall Costs

All of these benefits (and more) are included in a 2.5% annual fee (1.9% for portfolios above $50,000.)

Fall In Love With Your Own Piper Heidsieck!

A Piper Heidsieck or two will add sparkle to your wine investment portfolio.

How do you make sure you get the best bottle of wine or Champagne for your investment portfolio?

The team at Vinovest is ready to help you every step of the way. Sign up with Vinovest today and start building the wine portfolio of your dreams!