Piper-Heidsieck Champagne Brut Vintage Cuvee Rare Millesime 2002 (NO GIFT BOX)

Wine Spectator 97 points - Impeccably balanced and silky, with finely honed acidity shaping the expansive flavors of toasted brioche, crushed blackberry, lemon preserves and honey, revealing hints of Frangelico liqueur and smoked nut. Rich and vivid, offering a lasting finish. Drink now through 2027. From France.-A.N..September/2015

Vinous 93 points - (mostly chardonnay, with some pinot noir; L136050): Light, bright gold. An intensely perfumed bouquet evokes candied orange, pear and ginger, with building floral and spice nuances. Juicy and precise on the palate, offering an array of citrus and floral flavors that become richer with air. A hint of nuttiness arrives on the finish, which is spicy, focused and very long. This Champagne seems set for a long life..Josh Raynolds, November/2011

Wine Advocate 95 points - The pale gold, greenish shimmering 2002 Rare Millesime - 30% Pinot Noir and 70% Chardonnay -offers a very intense and rich, yet fresh nose of exotic fruit aromas of pineapples, mango, kiwi and passion fruit. On the palate, this is a mouthful of luscious Champagne: powerful and intense, but pure and with the complexity of matured wines. The finish is very exotic in its fruit aromas, but also persistently mineral..Stephan Reinhardt, June/2016

James Suckling 93 points - This vintage is traveling well and is still extremely composed on the nose and palate. Pleasantly complex, there’s plenty to like here. Lemon curd, peach and light toffee aromas and flavors are locked in with bright, focused acid structure. Drink now..October/2017

Jeb Dunnuck 97 points - A gorgeous wine that’s a legend in the making, the 2002 Rare Brut is a blend of 70% Chardonnay and 30% Pinot Noir, with just under 10 grams of dosage. Offering incredible notes of stone fruits, brioche, white flowers, and hints of toasted nuts, this flat out awesome wine is concentrated and opulent, yet still dances on the palate with vibrant acidity and great, great finish. It’s going to drink beautifully for another two to three decades. Bravo! This cuvee has only been made in 1976, 1979, 1985, 1988, 1990, 1998, 1999, 2002, and in 2007..March/2018

Decanter 98 points - Platinum - Best in Show - Decanter World Wine Awards 2018 - Pale gold in colour; very fine mousse. Fresh, pure and invigorating aromas in which green apple and citrus slowly give way to subtle, soft brioche, ivy leaf and plant sap; just a brush stroke of cream behind. This is a lean, pure Champagne of perfectly poised ripeness and restraint, very long in flavour, with the creamy richness of autolysis perfectly judged -- supportive but in no way obtrusive. The minority Chardonnay still takes a leading role at this stage; the majority Pinot Noir provides a pure frame and canvas. Exciting now, but don’t hurry to drink, even though it already has a decade and a half behind it: there are further rewards ahead. 2018-2028.May/2018

A prestigious, classical prestige cuvee from 2002 vintage - structured, full-bodied and bursting with fruit. Elaborated with a majority of Chardonnays from the Montagne de Reims region (70%) and complemented with Pinot Noir (30%) from the same region, this wine is a blend of 17 crus which matured for over seven years in the House’s cellars. A 2002 vintage synonymous with richness and generosity. On the eye Dazzling, crystal-clear, citrine yellow gold enlivened by a delicate, shimmering effervescence. On the nose The fruit emerges as delicate, golden, muted exotic fruits - mango and kiwifruit - and dried fruit - hazelnut, almond and fig. A touch of iodine enhances this wine’s flawless nose. The mild spices reflect the wine’s depth - white pepper, smoked tea and cocoa. On the palate A wine with depth but also honed, precise, in harmony. Voluptuous delicacy with meringue notes. Subtle nuances evoke distant lands - mint tea, lime, kumquat and exotic fruits such as pineapple and candied ginger.

Closure: Natural Cork Alcohol level: 12.0% Grape composition: 70% Pinot Noir, 30% Chardonnay