2013 Charles Heidsieck Brut Millesime, Champagne

The bouquet of the 2013 Brut Millésimé is compellingly fresh and minty, complicated by notes of white fruit—notably pear and apple—citrus and gentle spices, as well as a light touch of smoke. With aeration, elegant pastry notes come to the fore. On the palate, this is a structured, tension-filled but airborne Champagne with racy acidity, fleshy and charming texture and a long, penetrating finish. It should age well over the next eight to 10 years. Disgorged in 2022 with nine grams per liter, this is a blend of 57% Pinot Noir and 43% Chardonnay.

93 points YC robertparker.com

A very striking nose with Reine Claude plums, old-fashioned apple varieties and some Nordic herbs. Structured and crisp with a very firm core, the finish driving and full of energy. Rich long finish with a chalky core. 60% pinot noir and 40% chardonnay, the make up of the blend very unconventional for this house. Drink or hold.

94 points jamessuckling.com

The 2013 vintage is treasured by Charles Heidsieck for its powerful and pure profile.

The vintage’s DNA is unique, marked by generosity, a rich texture and complemented by an exceptional freshness that crowns the harmony of the wine. 

A short heat wave with important effects on the wines. Some people will not hesitate to compare this vintage to spectacularly hot years like 1995 or 2003.

Following an extremely cold winter and spring without any notable impact from frost, the short-lived summer heat waves led to a phenolic maturity that, although late, was much higher than average.

The almost autumn-like conditions at the end of the maturation process postponed the harvest to mid-September, and even early October in certain sectors, which is exceptionally late when compared to harvests in recent Champagne history. Thankfully, rainfall during the harvest came just in time to amend the extraordinarily intense maturity.

The wines are accordingly full-bodied and structured.