First Taste: Charles Heidsieck La Collection Crayères 1982

It is not often that one gets to taste the past, but the release of Charles Heidsieck’s latest La Collection Crayères afforded a rare opportunity to delve deep into the cellars and glimpse gloriously mature Champagnes.

This release includes both bottles and magnums of Charles Heidsieck Vintage 1982, originally released in 1989, and magnums of the house’s prestige cuvée Champagne Charlie, which was made in 1982 and originally released in 1990.

Scroll down see tasting notes and scores for Charles Heidsieck’s La Collection Crayères 1982 releases

The element of time

Heidsieck’s Collection Crayères 2022 is the sixth iteration of this late-release programme. ‘We have done it for the past six years and another one will come out next year,’ said Nicolas Marzolf, head of Champagne brands at Charles Heidsieck’s UK importer Liberty Wines at the tail end of 2022.

Previous releases were vintage wines from 1981, 1983 and 1985. The aim is to illustrate what time does to Champagne – why not show off when you have such magnificent, mature stock?

Marzolf explained that the wines are original disgorgements made in 1989 and 1990, meaning the wines have aged under cork for decades. This differentiates them from late-disgorged releases which benefit from the protective contact with lees in bottle.

Collection Crayères thus illustrates the more oxidative process of post-disgorgement ageing, prompting a different trajectory of tertiary flavour development. Brand ambassador Simon Stockton described 1982 as ‘an excellent vintage, rich but also elegant, fresh and high yielding.’

Extremely rare

Just 350 bottles and 120 magnums of the Collection Crayères 1982 Vintage were released globally – of which just 40 bottles and 12 magnums are allocated to the UK.

Champagne Charlie 1982 sees just 750 magnums released globally, with 70 allocated to the UK. ‘So, why release at all when only very few fizz geeks with ready money will come into contact with these wines?’ asked Stockton. ‘Because these releases are more than that – they are a testament to the ageability of Champagne,’ came his own reply.

Gastronomic wines

They are also testament to mature Champagne’s elevation to absolutely gastronomic wines. Marzolf noted that the release had waited until later in the year to take advantage of richer seasonal fare: ‘We wanted food that can compete in intensity with these rich wines,’ he said.

The wines indeed stood up to croquettes of pork, chicken and foie gras parfait, roast duck and mature Comté – the umami notions of Champagne and food absolutely on song.

There is a lesson here, too. If you still have a bottle of Champagne that has slumbered somewhere for years, chill it, open it carefully and, with any luck, you are in for a real experience.

Tasted & rated: Charles Heidsieck’s La Collection Crayères 1982 releases

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