The Rare Champagne Brand: 10 Best Bottles, Prices, Food Pairings

Originally a part of the legendary Piper-Heidsieck Champagne house, Rare Champagne is a celebrated brand on its own today.

Interestingly, the cellar master Régis Camus, creates this Champagne only in exceptional vintages. So, only 12 vintages have been released in the last 40 years.

Let’s discover all about Rare Champagne, including its wine styles, its best wines, food pairings, and the investment potential of these Champagnes.

A Quick Intro into the Rare Champagne Brand

The first vintage of Rare Champagne was produced in 1785 in Reims, France. Winemaker Florens Louis Heidsieck created the wine as a tribute to Queen Marie-Antoinette. 

In 2018, Rare Champagne was established as a brand on its own, independent of Piper Heidsieck, with award-winning cellar master Régis Camus at the helm. 

Prior to the brand’s independence, Régis Camus was the chef de cave at Piper Heidsieck.

Rare Champagne Wine Styles

Champagnes produced under the Rare Champagne brand include:

• Rare Millésime: Made with 70% Chardonnay, 30% Pinot Noir grape varieties. Only ten vintages of this Champagne were produced.
• Rare Rosé Millésime: Made with 56% Chardonnay, 44% Pinot Noir Piper-Heidsieck Rare Brut Rose Millesime is a rich, velvety Champagne.
• Le Secret: This is a rare and exclusive Champagne inspired by the 1997 harvest. This wine was aged for more than 20 years in a private cellar and released in 2018. Rare Le Secret has no dosage and is bottled only in magnums. 

10 Best Rare Champagne Bottles

These are the finest Rare Champagne bottles and their tasting notes:

• 1976 Piper-Heidsieck Rare Brut Millesime
• 1979 Piper-Heidsieck Rare Brut Millesime
• 2007 Piper-Heidsieck Rare Brut Rose Millesime
• 1997 Piper-Heidsieck Rare Le Secret Goldsmith Edition
• 1988 Piper-Heidsieck Rare Brut Millesime
• 1999 Piper-Heidsieck Rare Brut Millesime
• 2008 Piper-Heidsieck Rare Brut Rose Millesime
• 2006 Piper-Heidsieck Rare Brut Millesime
• 2002 Piper-Heidsieck Rare Brut Millesime
• 1990 Piper-Heidsieck Rare Brut Millesime

1. 1976 Piper-Heidsieck Rare Brut Millesime, Champagne, France ($475)

Here we have an exquisitely balanced, amber-colored wine with a powerful silky texture. The initial apple, lychee, and crisp mango notes give way to a long, distinctive licorice and tropical fruit finish. 

2. 1979 Piper-Heidsieck Rare Brut Millesime, Champagne, France ($770)

This elegant Champagne displays subtle effervescence and freshness. Scents of powdered roses and violets are followed by enchanting exotic fruits, vanilla, and chocolate notes. 

The vibrant palate exhibits white truffle and cumin notes and a woody finish. 

3. 2007 Piper-Heidsieck Rare Brut Rose Millesime, Champagne, France ($440)

This beautiful golden-pink Champagne with a delicate minerality has flecks of copper and rose petals. An initial tropical fruit flavor gives way to crisp mango, pomegranate, chalky lemon, and passion fruit notes, and a long, vibrant finish.

4. 1997 Piper-Heidsieck Rare Le Secret Goldsmith Edition ($597)

Here we have a Champagne with gentle effervescence, complexity, and precise minerality. The initial scents are of yellow orchard fruit and powdered flowers followed by a bouquet of cream, spices, rum, and incense. The flavor is crisp with citrus fruit and honey notes. 

5. 1988 Piper-Heidsieck Rare Brut Millesime ($498)

This velvety Champagne has a distinctive dried fern and truffle fragrance and powerful silky texture. The ripe grain flavor gives way to intense dried apricot notes, a herb aroma, and a precise minerality.  

6. 1999 Piper-Heidsieck Rare Brut Millesime, Champagne, France ($228)

This delicious wine exhibits bold freshness with lively bubbles and minerality. The initial iris, soft fruits, vanilla, and black truffle scents are followed by narcissus and hay notes. The herbal tea, plum, bergamot, and spice flavors give way to a long, candied fruit finish. 

7. 2008 Piper-Heidsieck Rare Brut Rose Millesime, Champagne, France ($380)

This is a fragrant, elegant wine with a yellow orchard fruit flavor and hints of toasted brioche and vanilla. This exquisite Champagne has a generous nose with dark fruits and ginger notes. 

8. 2006 Piper-Heidsieck Rare Brut Millesime, Champagne, France ($174)

With hints of cappuccino and cocoa, this delicate and balanced Champagne has mouthwatering acidity.

The taste is reminiscent of dried apricot, sweet spices, and vanilla. It has a warm, lasting finish with peppery notes. 

9. 2002 Piper-Heidsieck Rare Brut Millesime, Champagne, France ($222)

Here we have a complex and textured vintage with a subtle floral aroma and notes of exotic fruits. The harmonious flavors of mint tea, chalky lemon, dried apricot, and candied ginger notes lead to a long, spicy finish.

10. 1990 Piper-Heidsieck Rare Brut Millesime, Champagne, France ($599.99)

This exuberantly effervescent wine has candied citrus aromas and notes cocoa, toasted brioche, and roasted pineapple. The harmonious palate is warm with the taste of dates, figs, and spices. 

But, is a bottle of Rare Champagne worth investing in? 

Should You Invest in a Bottle of Rare Champagne?

If you’re looking to invest in fine wines, it’s best to partner with a reliable wine investment company like Vinovest. With their AI-based platform, you can buy, store, and even sell your wines with ease.

Rare Champagne is produced in minimal quantities making it an exclusive wine. It also has good aging potential and can be cellared for a decade or more. 

Rare Champagne bottles showcase a fair price appreciation. For example, the price of the 1976 Piper-Heidsieck Rare Brut Millesime increased by 16%, from $407 in 2020 to $473 in 2021. 

Additionally, Rare Champagnes perform relatively well at auctions:

• At a 2005 Christie’s auction, a case of 12 bottles of Piper Heidsieck Cuvée Rare Vintage 1979  was sold for $1,528.
• In 2016, a case containing 15 bottles of Piper-Heidsieck Brut Cuvée Rare Millesime 1979 sold for $8,649.

Rare Champagne Food Pairings

Here’s how you can pair your favorite bottle of Rare Champagne:

• Rare Millesime: You can pair a bottle of Rare Millesime with green asparagus and warm potato dishes like a potato gratin. It also goes splendidly with veal and langoustine dishes. 
• Rose Millesime: Pair a Rose Millesime with red meat dishes like roast lamb chops or seafood dishes like prawn risotto and grilled lobster. 
• Le Secret: The mouth-watering acidity of this wine makes it the ideal accompaniment to seafood and risotto dishes. 

How is Rare Champagne Made?

Most of the Chardonnay grapes used in the making of Rare Champagne are sourced from the Montagne de Reims and Côte des Blancs vineyards in Champagne. The Pinot Noir grapes are sourced from several Grand Cru vineyards in Verzy and Aÿ. 

The winemaking process includes:

• Blending: The grapes are vinified separately and then blended precisely. 
• Fermentation: The wines undergo malolactic fermentation in stainless steel vats at the winery’s temperature-controlled cellars.
• Aging: They are then aged on lees for a minimum of nine years and for an additional year in the bottle after disgorgement.
• Bottling: Rare Champagne is bottled in beautiful bottles with an intricate gold design created by Pierre Karl Fabergé. This design is known as 'Pinte Majeure', the soft curves of which pay tribute to Marie Antoinette.

Add An Exclusive Rare Champagne to Your Wine Collection

With its limited production, popularity among wine lovers, and a regal history spanning over two centuries, Rare Champagne is truly an exclusive wine that deserves a spot in your wine cellar.

If you want to add a delicious bottle of Rare Champagne,  Moet & Chandon, or any other fine wine to your collection, ensure that you buy these wines from a trusted source like Vinovest.