schiller-wine

Impressive Charles Heidsieck Champagne Dinner at Imperfecto by Enrique Limardo in Washington DC Downtown with Charles Heidsieck Chef de Caves Emilien Erard, organized by Berry Bros. & Rudd. While Charles Heidsieck was borne in France, he belonged to a prominent dynasty of German immigrants who fundamentally shaped the Champagne region. There are now 3 "Heidsieck" Champagne Houses that have their roots in the original 1785 Champagne venture of Florenz Ludwig Heidsick from Westphalia, not far away from where Annette Schiller was borne and raised: @Heidsieck & Co Monopole, PIPER-HEIDSIECK Champagne and Charles Heidsieck. The evening featured 6 #worldclass Charles Heidsieck champagnes ranging from $59 to $699 retail plus tax, alongside a four-course Michelin star menu. Thanks Berry Bros, & Rudd USA for the super event ($418 pp including tax and tip).

Invitation: Charles Heidsieck Champagne Dinner at Imperfecto by Enrique Limardo

May 4th | 6:30pm-9:30pm

Join us for an evening with Émilien Érard, newly appointed Cellar Master (Chef de Cave) for the legendary Champagne house, Charles Heidsieck. Émilien, at 35 years old, is one of the youngest Chef de Caves leading a Grand Marque Champagne house. The evening will feature six stellar champagnes alongside a four-course menu.

Michelin - 1 Star: Imperfecto by Enrique Limardo

Boasting all the buzz of a hornet’s nest, this soaring box of glass and marble virtually reaches for the sky. Inside, it's decked out with brass accents, terra-cotta and a tight counter positioned directly under Chef Enrique Limardo’s perch. Here is where he prepares an elaborate tasting menu that is a celebration of Latin flavors, ace ingredients and exacting technique, and is a departure from the a la carte offerings.

Meals, served by the chef himself, take on an intimate if long form. Yet nobody's complaining, especially when offered such delights as kampachi tartare in kombu dashi with charred avocado seeds; aged hiramasa with leche de tigre; and snow crab salad with osetra caviar. In lieu of dessert, the brioche with camembert and truffle honey is quite perfecto.

Charles Heidsieck (wine-searcher)

Charles Heidsieck is a prestigious Champagne producer. Its house style is structured and creamy, with a high proportion of reserve wine used in the Brut NV. Charles Heidsieck uses the three main Champagne grapes; Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier, in the wines, and the grapes of which are now sourced from more than 200 growers throughout Champagne.

History

The house began in 1851 when its eponymous founder – the original "Champagne Charlie" – went into business for himself. Rather than investing in vineyards, Heidsieck invested in underground chalk cellars based in the center of Reims.

The cellars, which are still part of the house today, are 60 feet (18m) below ground and have a constant temperature and humidity – they have been used to age wines for nearly 150 years. The cellars were less than 330 feet (100m) away from the German front line during the First World War and managed to survive, even though 80 percent of Reims was destroyed.

In 1852, Charles Heidsieck left France for America, a market that was so far untouched by Champagne. He found great success there and was seen as not only an ambassador for Champagne but for France as a whole.

Portfolio

Today, Champagne Charles Heidsieck is a premium producer of sparkling wines. The house produces both classic brut and rosé non-vintage wines, both of which are aged for three years, around 20 months longer than is legally required for non-vintage champagnes.

There are also a range of vintage expressions in the portfolio. Both the Brut and Rosé Millésime wines are a blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes from prestigious cru vineyards around the Champagne region. Both are aged in the chalk cellars, the rosé for as much as 12 years.

Blanc des Millénaires is the top wine of the house, produced with Chardonnay grapes exclusively from the Côte des Blancs.

The Heidsieck Champagnes – French Champagne Houses with German Roots (schiller-wine blog)

I recently published a posting about French Champagne Houses with German roots, i.e. Champagne producers that were founded by Germans. Carolyne Henry pointed out to me that one name that was definitely missing was Heidsieck Champagne.

See:

The Heidsieck Champagnes – French Champagne Houses with German Roots
French Champagne Houses and German Roots

Heidsieck & Co

Florens-Louis Heidsieck (1749–1828) was the founder of the Champagne House Heidsieck & Co in 1785. Florens-Louis Heidsieck died in 1828 and the Champagne House Heidsieck & Co was dissolved in 1834. Over the following 20 years, however, three separate Champagne Houses took on the name of Heidsieck, all linked to Florens-Louis Heidsieck by various nephews. Today, they are known as Piper-Heidsieck, Heidsieck et Cie Monopole and Charles Heidsieck.

Florens-Louis was the son of a Lutheran minister from Borgholzhausen in Westphalia in Germany. Shortly after he moved to Reims, he married the daughter of the wealthy cloth merchant Nicolas Perthois. On July 16, 1785, Florens-Louis Heidsieck founded the Champagne House, Heidsieck & Co.

Initially, Florens-Louis Heidsick worked with his son, who, however, unexpectedly died at young age. Subsequently, 3 of Florens-Louis’ nephews – who were still in Germany - joined the company as partners: Henry-Louis Walbaum-Heidsick and Pierre Auguste Delius Heidsieck in 1814 and Christian Heidsieck in 1820 as well as Henri-Guillaume Piper, a great nephew of Florens-Louis, in 1815. In addition, other family members and friends from Germany joined the company.

When Florens-Louis Heidsieck died in 1828, Ferdinand Walbaum, the son of Henry-Louis Walbaum-Heidsieck took over “comme légataire unique et universel”, as was the will of Florens-Louis Heidsieck. Christian Heidsieck managed Heidsieck & Co, while Henri-Guillaume Piper handled sales. Eventually, Heidsieck & Co was dissolved in 1834.

Piper-Heidsick

In 1834, following the dissolution of Heidsieck & Co, Christian Heidsieck created a new company, keeping the Heidsieck name. His staff comprised 3 employees, including Henri-Guillaume Piper and Henri-Guillaume Piper’s cousin Jacques-Charles Kunkelmann.

At Christian Heidsieck’s death in 1837, his widow continued to run the house for some time under the name Veuve Heidsieck. She then married Henri-Guillaume Piper and the House became H. Piper et Cie, but continued to sell champagne under the name of Heidsieck, and then Piper-Heidsieck in 1845.

Since 1990, Piper-Heidsieck has been part of the Rémy Cointreau wine and spirits group, which belongs to the Groupe Européenne de Participation Industrielle (EPI), a holding of the Descours family.

Champagne Piper-Heidsieck
Turnover 2010 : 104 millions €
Vineyard: 65 ha
Staff : 126

Heidsieck et Cie Monopole

The other 2 partners (and also nephews) of Florens-Louis Heidsick, Henry-Louis Walbaum-Heidsick and Pierre Auguste Delius-Heidsieck, founded the house of Walbaum, Heidsieck et Cie in 1834 which, after several changes of name, became Heidsieck et Cie Monopole in 1923.

The "Monopole" part of the name was added in 1923. Today, Heidsieck is owned by the Vranken company (located in Épernay), which also has Pommery in the portfolio.

Champagne Heidsieck & C° Monopole
Group: Vranken-Pommery Monopole
Turnover 2011 : 340 millions €
Vineyard: 275 ha

Charles Heidsick

Finally, in 1851 Charles-Camille Heidsieck founded the house of Charles Heidsieck. Charles-Camille Heidsieck was the son of Charles-Henri Heidsieck, who was a nephew of Florens-Louis Heidsick and who had worked with Florens-Louis Heidsieck.

Charles-Henri Heidsieck worked for his uncle’s Champagne House Heidsieck & Cie between 1805 and 1818. He became famous for riding into Moscow on a white stallion in 1811 just ahead of Napoleon's advancing army. Charles-Henri Heidsieck arrived with cases of his champagne and his order book, ready to celebrate with whichever side would win the upcoming battle. In 1818, he married Émilie Henriot Godinot and took over the textile company of his father-in-law.

Charles-Camille Heidsieck worked for a number of years at Piper-Heidsick, before leaving the company and founding Charles Heidsick in 1851, together with Ernest Henriot.

Charles-Camille Heidsieck is credited with popularizing champagne in the United States and became known as "Champagne Charlie" in the United States. During the American Civil War Charles-Camille Heidsieck was imprisoned under suspicion of being a spy for the French government and the Confederacy. His imprisonment sparked an international incident between France and US.

Champagne Charles Heidsieck
Founded in: 1851
Turnover 2010 : 104 millions €
Vineyard 65 ha

Charles Heidsieck Appoints Émilien Erard as Chef de Caves: Fifth-generation Champenois brings deep-rooted heritage and fresh perspective to the iconic house (streetinsider.com)

August 4, 2025 10:05 AM

Charles Heidsieck has appointed Émilien Erard as its new Chef de Caves. A fifth-generation Champagne grower and longtime member of the Maison, Erard brings deep regional roots and a modern vision to the role.

NAPA, Calif., Aug. 4, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Charles Heidsieck is proud to announce the appointment of Émilien Erard as its new Chef de Caves. A fifth-generation member of a Champagne winegrowing family, Émilien represents a meeting of heritage—combining deep regional roots with an intimate knowledge of the Maison's identity and style.

"Émilien's roots as a fifth-generation grower and his experience within our walls make him uniquely suited to lead our winemaking vision. With Émilien, it's truly heritage meeting heritage—guided by a thoughtful, modern approach," says Stephen Leroux, CEO of Charles Heidsieck.

A native of Champagne, Émilien brings to the role over 15 years of experience and a profound connection to the region's terroir and traditions. A graduate of the Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne with a National Diploma in Oenology, Émilien began his winemaking journey at Billecart-Salmon and later held positions at Ayala and in regional cooperatives. His background reflects both technical precision and an enduring appreciation for the land and people behind each cuvée.

Émilien joined Charles Heidsieck in 2018 to manage winery operations and over time expanded his role to include grower partnerships and vineyard sourcing. In 2022, he became a member of the Tasting Committee, contributing to the blending of the Maison's cuvées and helping define the Charles Heidsieck style—known for its generosity, depth, and exceptional aging potential.

"Émilien is Champagne through and through," said Stephen Leroux, CEO of Charles Heidsieck. "His roots as a fifth-generation grower and his experience within our walls make him uniquely suited to lead our winemaking vision. With Émilien, it's truly heritage meeting heritage—guided by a thoughtful, modern approach to the craft."

Today, Émilien leads the cellar team in shaping the future of Charles Heidsieck's wines, which are matured deep underground in the Maison's historic Gallo-Roman Crayères beneath Reims—acquired by the founder in 1867. There, time is treated as the fourth varietal, a philosophy at the heart of the Charles Heidsieck style, built on reserve wines, time, blending, and texture.

"It's a great honor to step into this role," said Émilien Erard. "Charles Heidsieck has always stood apart for its dedication to aging, its use of reserve wines, and its quiet confidence. I look forward to continuing that legacy while evolving our style with care and conviction."

At just 35 years old, Émilien is among the youngest Chef de Caves leading a Grand Marque Champagne house—bringing a dynamic perspective grounded in deep tradition. His appointment reflects a deep-rooted respect for heritage—both that of the Maison and his own family, who have grown grapes in Champagne for five generations under the name Champagne Erard-Salmon.

Dinner at Imperfecto by Enrique Limardo (1-star Michelin)