Description
Piper Heidsieck 1982 Hors-Series (75cl)
Following 50 years of cellar ageing, the first opus in the collection, Hors-Série 1971, freshly disgorged in 2021, was lauded by wine experts and applauded by the public. Today, Émilien Boutillat unveils a second opus: Hors-Série 1982
Drawing on Piper-Heidsieck's oenological heritage, the Chief Winemaker offers a more contemporary version to wines produced from the 1982 harvest.
Hors-Série 1982 is the reinterpretation of the Brut Sauvage 1982, one of the House's legendary cuvées in the 1990s.
While 2,500 bottles are presented in individual, numbered boxes, 500 Diptyque 1982 gift boxes unite Hors-Série 1982 and Brut Sauvage 1982 cuvée, its original disgorgement. Offering more than a mere flashback, the Chief Winemaker proposes a particularly unique tasting: Émilien Boutillat shares a real reflection on time in his pairing of the two cuvées in one box.
Disgorged in 1992, Brut Sauvage 1982 was cellared on lees for 10 years and cork-aged for 29 years. Hors-Série 1982 spent 39 years on lees before being disgorged in 2022.
The liqueur de dosage, crafted from 1982 vintage magnums, respects the personality and balance of the wine. It has been dosed at 4 grams of sugar per litre, just like the Brut Sauvage 1982.
Conducted during the disgorgement on 17th and 18th January 2022, the Extra Brut dosage accentuates the vibrancy, freshness and minerality of the vintage.
A blend of 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay, the Hors-Série 1982 boasts its own particular personality, forged by 39 years of ageing on lees
"For this second edition of the Hors-Série collection, I wanted to demonstrate the way in which different ageing styles can enhance a vintage's character, what passing time can bring to a wine, by contrasting Hors-Série 1982 with Brut Sauvage 1982."
- Emilien Boutillat, Piper-Heidsieck's Chief Winemaker -
Contrary to conventional practices at the time, Piper-Heidsieck confirmed its winemaking know-how by dosing the 1982 Brut Sauvage cuvée with an Extra Brut dosage of 4 grams of sugar per litre. A pioneering practice several decades ago, the Extra Brut dosage is increasingly used today to preserve a champagne's elegance and purity. In addition to the bottles of Brut Sauvage 1982, several bottles not yet disgorged were left to age quietly on lees in the cellars. They gave rise to the Hors-Série 1982.
The year 1982 proved auspicious in both quality and quantity. Mild weather in the spring encouraged excellent vine balance and flowering. A hot, dry summer promoted optimal grape growth while rainfall was welcomed during the late ripening stages. Following two years of poor yields, the harvest started on 17 September 1982 and proved to be generous. The vintage promised to be spirited and propitious, and came to be known as historic for its structure, elegance and sophistication.
One bottle, two mirroring interpretations
The Hors-Série 1982 design is modelled on that of Brut Sauvage 1982. The Hors-Série 1982 label switches the colours and textures of the Brut Sauvage 1982 label. Playing on colours of metallic grey and gold, along with the typeface and textures, the bottles are mirror images of one another. A vibrant and urban design for two ultra-exclusive cuvées.
A MUSELET BASED ON URBAN ART
A symbol of the period, graffiti was the perfect choice to grace the muselet. Its black lines on a colour gradient conjure dynamic movement and reflect the energy and vitality of Hors-Série 1982.
In the urban art of 1982, marked by its immediacy and communicative force, graffiti is king. Extremely accessible, it expresses a unique identity and galvanizes both the senses and the intellect. Used as a vibrant signature by many artists - Lee Quinones, Fab Five Freddy, Futura 2000, Toxic, Keith Haring and Lady Pink, the movement's lone woman - as well as the most tormented of them all, Jean-Michel Basquiat.
Tasting Notes:
Effervescence is delicate in a luminous robe with glints of pale gold.
The expressive, voluptuous and fruity nose gradually develops to reveal initial notes of mirabelle plums, kumquats, dried pineapple and fresh quince. Then appear hints of blueberry and coffee beans, leading to spicy aromas of ginger and bergamot tea that temper the vintage's vivacious character.
The wine unfurls on the palate to reveal fruity notes, highlighted by a creaminess reminiscent of honey made from fir trees. Smoky accents of coffee beans and toast balance out the wine's minerality. The taut fresh mouthfeel is surprisingly seductive.
In the finish, a subtle touch of cocoa and mirabelle brandy complete this travel through time.
Food and Wine Pairing:
Sautéed sole fillet with lemon-lime sauce and Tonka bean
Fresh goat cheese with rosemary and a touch of honey
Cassava attiéké, currants, sautéed vegetables with Espelette pepper
More Details
Size: |
Standard Bottle 75cl |
Style: |
Vintage |
