6. Champagne Piper-Heidsieck Essentiel Extra Brut
If ever there was a house that was underrated for the quality of its cuvées, it’s Piper-Heidsieck. A perennial top perfomer in our blind tastings, this brand makes delicious Champagnes, but doesn’t seem to have the upmarket appeal of fellow grandes marques – a result of past mismanagement of Piper-Hiedsieck branding and retailing, but not, I should stress, poor winemaking. And I should add, the label is being wonderfully looked after today under its current owners, EPI – a family owned group run by Christopher Descours – who took on the house in 2011.
While the normal Piper Brut NV is first-rate, a more precise, toasty, and generally uplifting aperitif is its relatively new ‘Essential Extra Brut’. With just 6g/l dosage, it is the brand’s driest cuvée yet, but the producer has compensated for such a low level of sugar by extending the time this Champagne rests on its lees – a technique used to build in richness and the yeasty bready, sometimes toasty, character that makes bottle-fermented fizz so appealing.
However, if you want to swing the other way, and go for a fizz with extra richness and sweetness, then Piper make a delicious demi-sec – called Cuvée Sublime. Indeed, both this fuller fizz and the Essential Extra Brut were awarded Golds in this year’s Champagne Masters, and both sell below £50, retailing for around £48 and £35 respectively.
Approximate retail price for Piper-Heidsieck Essentiel Extra Brut: £35
Approximate retail price for Piper-Heidsieck Essentiel Cuvée Sublime: £48
