NV Champagne Essentiel Blanc de Noirs Extra Brut, Piper-Heidsieck

• Style: Blanc de Noirs, Extra Brut, bone-dry mineral sparkling
• Taste: Stone fruit, red berries, almond, honey, flint minerality
• Food: Oysters, smoked fish, shellfish, soft cheese, sushi, light salads
• Critic: 91 WS; also scored by Suckling, Robinson & Decanter
• Occasion: Aperitivo, date night, celebration, gifting
• Serve: Chilled; 12% ABV; 36 months on lees, disgorged March 2023

In the Glass — Tasting Notes

Apricot stone fruit and red-berry warmth mingle on the nose, with almond and honey adding gentle aromatic depth. The palate delivers generous fruit character—clementine brightness balanced against a mineral spine that catches like flint. Extra Brut dosage keeps it bone-dry, so the wine's true voice rings clear. The finish is crisp and mineral-driven, clean and ready for the next sip or course.

The Winery — Piper-Heidsieck

Over 240 years of heritage underpin this Champagne house, built on a pioneering spirit that continues today. Chief winemaker Émilien Boutillat, named Sparkling Winemaker of the Year by the IWC in both 2023 and 2021, has elevated standards since 2018 and represents one of Champagne's youngest winemakers at the helm. Grapes come from ten crus across Montagne de Reims, the Marne Valley and Côte des Bar, hand-harvested and gently pressed before steel fermentation. The Essentiel spends 36 months on its lees, then six additional months in bottle after disgorgement, building layered depth and quiet maturity. In 2022, Piper-Heidsieck achieved B Corp Certification, affirming commitment to sustainability and measurable social and environmental impact. The house is the most-awarded Champagne producer of the past century.

At Your Table — Food Pairing & Serving

This is the wine to open when you want character beyond the everyday aperitif. The richness from Pinot Meunier and Pinot Noir—those dark-berried grapes—gives textural weight that rewards sipping alongside food. Pair it with oysters, smoked fish and richer seafood; the acidity cuts through without strain. Soft and creamy cheeses, sushi and raw fish, and light salads all sing in its company. At 12% ABV and bone-dry, it works as a celebratory aperitivo, a date-night companion, or a thoughtful gift. Explore our full Sparkling Wine collection to discover how to build moments around the bottle, or dive deeper into our Champagne selection to see how the region's chalk soils and cool climate create incomparable effervescence. Vegan and vegetarian.

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