Champagne Piper Heidsieck, Cuvée Brut

€59.99

One of the several famed surnames in Champagne, Heidsieck, in this particular instance, has undergone a transformation in the last decade. Now owned by the same family that owns Charles Heidsieck (seriously one of the best glasses of liquid you can buy), the Cuvée Brut from Piper is now crisp, delicious, complex, balanced, layered and full of vivacity and class. And they haven't put the prices up yet...

What's in a name? Yes, yes, I know all that.. but in this corner of the Champagne story, there is a really interesting, even Romantic, tale with the Heidsieck dynasty. Recent years has seen the smaller Charles Heidsieck house climb to phenomenal acclaim.

With this success an the changing ownership that saw Piper and Charles in the same hands, Charles became the benchmark for the production values of its much larger sibling, Piper Heidsieck.

The secret to the success is, to borrow from Paul Graham, doing things that don't scale. The amount of attention that they can give to Charles Heidsieck is very high, because the scale of their production is really very small. It's a well-funded, boutique-style operation that uses a high proportion of reserve wine from grapes sourced in 60 cru vineyards, before the wine is aged on its fine lees for three years.

This is something that larger scale Champagne wineries cannot afford to do. So, for Piper, who make a much larger volume of wine, taking bits of this philosophy has reaped real rewards.

They might not be able to afford the same detailed approach as Charles, but they are doing it in bite-sized pieces: there is an increased proportion of reserve wines, there is a better sourcing of the grapes, and now lees aging that adds amazing complexity and depth. 

But Piper is also its own house. The first ever Champagne to be seen in a film (Laurel and Hardy...) it was also Marilyn Monroe's favourite Champagne ("I wake up with a glass of Piper Heidsieck) and it has been the Champagne served at the Oscars (no first-hand proof, alas...). It's style has often been described as elegant, generous and round and now with a sharpening of the focus on quality details, it is a serious contender again.

Region: Champagne

Country: France

Grape(s): Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, Chardonnay

Style: Medium Bodied, Elegant, Complex, Bright

Best food matches: Trout, Sushi, St Stephen's Day, Spicy, Shellfish, Poultry, Oysters, Lobster, Lamb, Game, Fine Dining, Cheeses

Alcohol: 12%

Why buy from us?

When you buy wine from The Allotment Wine Co. you're helping a small Irish company that in turn supports small, sustainable wine producers who grow the grapes and make amazing wines. We only work with partners who share a deep respect and connection with the land and its traditions, witnessed in a firm commitment to quality and sustainability. All of which makes for better wines.

Delivery & Returns

You'll get free delivery when you buy 12 x 75cl bottles of wine online from The Allotment, saving you €7.99.

We charge €7.99 per delivery for quantities less than that.

Our hours for processing orders are between 9am - 6pm Monday to Friday.

We pack your online wine order along the following timelines:

Wine orders for delivery in Dublin, received before 12pm on weekdays are prepared so that delivery should be expected the next working day.

Wine orders for nationwide delivery, received by 12pm on weekdays are prepared so that delivery should be expected two working days later.

Customer reviews

★★★★★
Great choice and excellent service. Received my delivery the next day.
Paul H.
★★★★★
Amazing service from the get go!
I emailed Chris looking for wine recommendations for a birthday gift. Got a really speedy, helpful reply and not only that but he hand delivered it on time to the birthday girl wishing her a happy birthday. Absolutely bowled over by the service. Cannot recommend highly enough.
Michelle McM.
★★★★★
Could not recommend The Allotment enough. The selection is fantastic and each wine that I've drank from them has been utterly phenomenal. Delivery was no hassle and I had the wine at my door in 2 days. Couldn't have asked for a better experience.
Luke B.
★★★★★
Good range of interesting wines. Good personal attention to their orders. Very customer focused. I would be happy to recommend this company to any prospective customer.
Jim D.
★★★★★
A great experience ordering from The Allotment Wine Company. A wide variety of wines to try something new and at good prices with super quick delivery! Really convenient too as opposed to trying to find parking!
N. Dowling
★★★★★
Delicious and interesting range of wines delivered promptly to my door. Not far off that lovely feeling of coming back laden from a good wine store but without any of the traffic or the worry of breaking the wine en route (very impressive travel wrap).
M. Dorman
★★★★★
Chris fields a fine range of excellent, keenly-priced wines. Orders are safely packaged and dispatched efficiently and promptly. Strongly recommended.
David M.
★★★★★
Great selection of wines, hassle free ordering, payment and delivery. Highly recommended.
Patrick H.
Hi, I'm Chris Gifford.

And you're very welcome to The Allotment Wine Co.

When you wine from me, you're supporting a small Irish business which in turn supports small, sustainable wine producers, as well as other small, dedicated Irish wine importers.

When selecting wines, I look for partners who share a deep respect and connection with the land and its traditions, witnessed in a firm commitment to quality and sustainability. All of which makes for better wines.