Review: Wines of Piper-Heidsieck (Updated 2025)
Champagne house Piper-Heidsieck dates back to 1785, when German businessman Florens-Louis Heidsieck embarked on a mission to “seriously craft wines that smile.”
Clearly much has changed since then, but today the operation, still a keystone of Champagne, continues to innovate, becoming the first B Corp certified Champagne house in 2022.
We launched our coverage of Piper-Heidsieck in 2015, and now we’re expanding it to round out our reviews of both new and permanent, vintage and non-vintage releases. Prices have been updated to reflect 2025 costs.
NV Piper-Heidsieck Cuvee Brut Champagne Review
The iconic expression of Piper: 50% Pinot Noir, 30% Meunier, 20% Chardonnay. Super crisp apple on the nose, with strong notes of lemongrass. The body is tart with just the right amount of sweetness to back it up, plenty more of those apples with a light, brioche-driven breadiness on the finish. Just about perfect. A / $69
NV Piper-Heidsieck Rose Sauvage Champagne Review
An unusual wine made with 15% red wine; the base wine is 50% Pinot Noir, 25% Chardonnay, and 25% Meunier, which is then blended 85/15 with the red wine to give it a deep orange-ruby color. The red wine is evident not just in color but on the nose, too, where some beefy tannins muscle in to counterbalance the otherwise immersive notes of baked apples, orange peel, and some spice layered across the top. Juicy fruit dominates the sip, but the most curious part of the wine is the finish, which is slightly smoky and meaty, making for a lightly savory and slightly austere conclusion. Piper-Heidsieck calls it “mischievous,” and I have to agree. A- / $74
NV Piper-Heidsieck Essentiel Blanc de Noirs Review
80% Pinot Noir, 20% Meunier. This is a decadent wine, and one of my favorite wines in the lineup. Brisk apple notes are balanced by chewy brioche and a pop of sour lemon, tempering the sweeter fruit at its core at just the right moment. Gentle salinity adds another layer of nuance, like salted butter spread across a slice of fresh bread. On the finish the wine takes a lightly tropical approach, hinting at pineapple and mango. Very fresh, but still ample of body, this is a versatile Champagne that can take you from cocktail hour to dessert. As it should be. A / $85
1995 Charles Heidsieck Blanc des Millenaires Champagne Review
100% Chardonnay. Drinking old. Sour apple up front, then intense notes of mushroom and musty bread amidst some vinegary, old-apple character in the middle. The finish continues to push some old wine notes. Fans of well-aged vintage Champagne may find all of this charming, but I can’t get onboard. C- / $185 (as of 2015)
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