France · Champagne

Charles Heidsieck

Charles Heidsieck is among Champagne's most historically significant houses, founded in 1851 by Charles-Camille Heidsieck — 'Champagne Charlie' — celebrated for legendary American exports in the 19th century. Under chef de caves Daniel Thibault from 1985 to his death in 2002, Charles Heidsieck achieved a transformative quality renaissance, producing the Blanc des Millénaires and Crayères series that rank among the most critically acclaimed Champagnes of the modern era. The Blanc des Millénaires — a vintage Blanc de Blancs aged for 8–10 years on the lees in the house's historic Gallo-Roman crayères chalk cellars in Reims — is the primary auction driver. Vintages 1983, 1985, 1990, and 1995 achieve $300–$600 per bottle with near-universal critical acclaim: the 1985 earned 100 points from Wine Spectator in a 2016 retrospective tasting, cementing its status as one of the greatest Champagnes ever produced. The Millésimé Brut, the house's vintage wine, trades at $100–$200 for top years. At auction, 116 lots average $151 per bottle — a figure that undersells the house's true collectible potential given the dominance of the Blanc des Millénaires at the high end. The house is currently owned by EPI Group following multiple ownership changes, with quality maintained under the current cellar team.