Rare Champagne 2008 75cl

Contains Sulphites

Suitable for Vegetarians and Vegans

12

9

70% Chardonnay , 30% Pinot Noir

This Champagne is a crystal-clear, light gold in colour. The initial nose shines with the pure vivacity of this vintage, showing pronounced aromas of orange blossom, hyacinth and white flowers, with notes of just-ripe Williams pear, fresh coconut, almond, and tangerine. Saline and smoky hints balance the nose perfectly. The palate is crisp and precise, with citrus and tropical fruit lingering on the long, complex finish.

Rare Champagne pays homage to the glory days of the royal court at Versailles when founder Florens-Louis Heidsieck presented his first ever ‘prestige cuvée’ to Marie Antoinette in 1785, declaring that he wanted to make a ‘cuvée worthy of a queen’. A century later a great tradition was founded when Russian Tsar Alexander III’s jeweller – a certain Pierre-Karl Fabergé – designed an opulent, bejewelled bottle for the house. The unique bottle shape is adorned with its distinctive gold casing, as a tribute to its glamorous beginnings.

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.

Following a beginning of a year that was mild, dull and rainy, the beautiful summer coincided with a perfectly mature harvest, continuing through the first two magnificent weeks of September. 2008 is definitely an exceptional year in Champagne.

The first fermentation took place in stainless-steel tanks. Once completed, the wine was racked and underwent full malolactic fermentation. Rare Millésime 2008 marries 70% Chardonnay grapes, selected mainly from the Montagne de Reims region and 30% Pinot Noir in a blend of eleven crus. The wine was kept on its lees 11 years before disgorgement, in November 2019, when a dosage of around 10g/l was added.

Rare Champagne

Liberty Wines

Regis Camus