Rare Champagne, Millésime

Rare Champagne, Millésime

Vintage: 2012

VintageProduct CodeFormatClosureAvailability
2012PH201C123 x 75Natural CorkAvailable
2012PH201G123 x 75Natural CorkAvailable
Producer

Rare Champagne is so scrupulous about declaring a vintage that it has done so just 14 times since 1976. As the House states:“At Rare Champagne, we take pride in having the liberty to reveal a Millésime when the cellar master and the oenological committee deem it is time.” From inception, Rare Champagne has been synonymous with quality, and demand far outweighs supply for each declared vintage.

Originally made as Piper-Heidsieck’s prestige cuvée, Rare has been an award-winning House in its own right since 2019. However, its history can be traced back to 1785, when Florens-Louis Heidsieck presented his first ‘tête de cuvée’ to Marie Antoinette at the royal court at Versailles. This regal heritage is further referenced by its distinctive bottle shape and gold casing, nodding to the bejewelled bottle designed for Piper-Heidsieck by jeweller Pierre-Karl Fabergé in the 1800s.

Champagne legend Régis Camus made Rare Champagne for nearly three decades before retiring in March 2022. His meticulous attention to detail saw him named ‘Sparkling Winemaker of the Year’ by the IWC eight times, and in 2019, the CSWWC recognised his legacy with a Life Achievement award.

Emilien Boutillat, one of the youngest Chef de Caves in Champagne’s history, is now responsible for safeguarding Rare Champagne’s house style while leading the house into the future. He aptly continues Régis’ award-winning legacy, being twice named ‘Sparkling Winemaker of the Year’ by the IWC in 2021 and 2023. Born and raised in the region, Emilien is passionate about preserving champagne for future generations. Dedicated to sustainability, he was a driving force in Rare becoming one of the first Champagne Houses to achieve B-Corp Certification in 2022, alongside Piper-Heidsieck and Charles Heidsieck.

The vineyards used to create Rare are selected based on their unique characteristics, and, as a result, there can be up to 11 different crus in the blend. The majority of these are often in the Montagne de Reims. Though best known for its Pinot Noir, Rare source some of their Chardonnay from this subregion, as its limestone soils, dotted with sandy loam, clay and marl, bring a chalky, mineral salinity to the final blend.

Rare Champagne blends of 70% Chardonnay and 30% Pinot Noir from 11 crus primarily in the Montagne de Reims. It is aged for a minimum of nine years on lees, pre-disgorgement and only released when deemed ready. As a result, for the first time in Rare’s history, its two current vintages were released out of sequence with 2013 being followed by 2012. These are both distinctive wines that embody the nuances of their vintage while retaining Rare’s signature tropical, mineral finish. 2008 has also been re-released in Magnum to great acclaim, being named Supreme World Champion at the 2023 Champagne & Sparking Wine World Championships and the 2024 IWC Champion Sparkling Wine.

2014 marks only the fourth declared vintage of Rare Champagne’s Rosé. It blends 60% Chardonnay and 40% Pinot Noir (18% of which is red still wine) sourced from nine crus, of which two are classified 1er Cru (Villers-Marmery and Vertus), and five are classified Grand Cru (Avize, Oger, Aÿ, Ambonnay and Verzy). After secondary fermentation, the 2014 Rosé Millésime was aged for eight years on its lees, pre-disgorgement and released with a dosage of nine grams per litre. A deep coppery colour, its delicate mousse is complemented by fragrant notes of rose, pomegranate and morello cherry, excellent structure and great length. It is a remarkable rosé champagne that continues Rare Champagne’s award-winning reputation.

Vineyards

As the guardian of the Rare Champagne style, Régis Camus selects the vineyards according to their expression rather than their rank in the scale of Premiers and Grand Crus. This blending approach contributes to the complex, distinguished, and yet pure style of Rare Champagne. He thinks outside the box, choosing Chardonnay grapes from the Montagne de Reims, more traditionally recognised for Pinot Noir, giving the wine freshness and precise minerality. He prefers the Pinot Noir grapes from the Montagne de Reims as well (for instance Verzy or Aÿ) for their sheer intensity and powerful silky texture.

Vintage

The 2012 vintage got off to a mixed start, the year ahead looked to be challenging with winter and springtime frosts, rainfall and hailstorms. Temperatures rose suddenly in mid-July, bringing hot, dry weather – perfect conditions for ripening. Although the yield of the harvests was low, the quality was exceptional.

Vinification

The first fermentation took place in stainless-steel tanks. Once completed, the wine was racked and underwent full malolactic fermentation. Rare Millésime 2012 marries a blend of eleven crus only , with 70% Chardonnay selected mainly from the Montagne de Reims area (Villers Marmery, Vertus, Mesnil-sur-Oger, Oger, Chouilly, Avize), and 30% Pinot Noir also mainly from the Montagne de Reims (Verzy, Ay, Verzenay, Ambonnay, Villedommange) . The wine was aged on lees for a minimum of 10 years, and disgorged in October 2023. Dosage 8g/l.

Tasting Notes & Technical Details

On the nose, the rich aromas suggest delicious overtones of brioche, almond, mango, guava and bergamot. After a hint of heady florals (lilac), the nose develops spiced notes (honey, black tea, white pepper, incense and smoke). The delicious mouthfeel is tangy and juicy. Citrus fruits emerge through an extremely silky texture. The exceptional length of the saline, mineral finish seems infinite.

Alcohol (ABV)

12%

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