For the end of the year, Piper-Heidsieck invites us to discover something exceptional, the singularity of a fifty-year-old blend and the exclusivity of a recent disgorgement... thus was born this incredible vintage champagne Hors-Série 1971!
Piper–Heidsieck is committed to excellence, the desire to innovate and to think outside the box. This is also the exact vision by Emilien Boutillat, Cellar Master of the House, awarded the title Sparkling Winemaker of the Year 2021 awarded by the International Wine Challenge (IWC). With the Special Edition Collection, giving him carte blanche to express his inventiveness, he writes a new chapter for the House opening with the reinterpretation of a vintage assembled 50 years ago... Hors-series 1971.
Emilien Boutillat is in the pure lineage of the Cellar Masters of the House, he is the spokesperson for the oenological and viticultural mastery of Piper–HeidsieckHe knows how to create, preserve and transmit the history and treasures of the House, highlighting the terroirs and their diversity, the people, their actions and their generational expertise.
The DNA of Piper–Heidsieck, it is the excellence of wines and the demand for know-how and this for more than 235 years. Emile Boutillat has never stopped exploring the House's oenological heritage and comparing it with his vision of Piper-Heidsieck champagnes... hence this wonderful idea to create a collection bringing together reissues of old vintages and creations of unexpected cuvéesThe name of this collection came easily, it will be Special Edition !
Each Hors-Série vintage is an ultra-limited edition and stands out for its uniqueness... whether its aging time in the cellar or its particular blend. With Hors-Série, Emilien Boutillat activates creativity and boldness, reinforces modernity and permanence in the excellence of Piper-Heidsieck champagnes.
1971 Special Edition, the first opus
This new collection begins with the reinterpretation of a 50-year-old champagne... Hors-series 1971Half a century in the cellars and there's no shortage of surprises. It all started in 2020 with a tasting of the vintage. Emilien Boutillat and Oenological Committee are pleasantly surprised by the aroma and spectacular liveliness of the wine. The young Cellar Master sees it as obvious to reveal this historic vintage with a recent disgorging… he thus added his personal touch to the creation of Hors-Série 1971, a sensitivity, an audacity and a certain inventiveness.
Beyond time
Special Edition is a dialogue between past and present. This vintage reflects the expertise of the cellar masters over the years, all of whom have contributed to its development, allowing its slow maturation to finally be revealed in 2021.
According to Emilien Boutillat : " Hors-series 1971 is both a vintage produced by four hands, those of Claude Demière, who blended it in 1971, and mine. It is also the heritage passed down to me by several generations of cellar masters."
The signature of Emilien Boutillat
The disgorgement liqueur is like the spice that enhances a dish. For Hors-Série, it was made with a 2019 Chardonnay, without malolactic fermentation (customary in 1971) and dosed at 10 grams. In February 2021, liqueur and vintage harmonized during disgorgement. The marriage is resolute and precise, it magnifies the balance and the revealed personality releases its dynamism… the result, after 50 years of rest, is a total blossoming in the glass. Hors-Série 1971 now possesses an authentic bold youth… a signature of Piper-Heidsieck cuvées.
Tasting
Hors-series 1971 is the ideal end-of-year gift for a lover of great wines but also a delight to discover. This magnificent champagne envelops the palate with sparkling and original sensations... letting yourself be transported into the decade of all possibilities, and feeling the history of a 50-year-old wine, the past that magnifies with time. According to Emilien Boutillat, it is best enjoyed outside of time, between two moments, such as this vintage exclusive between two eras… published in only 2021 bottles.
Uniqueness of each bottle
Hors-series 1971 is distinguished by the uniqueness of each bottle. Although they come from the same blend, each bottle has its own personality. Indeed, during aging, the wine evolves differently in each bottle... guaranteeing a unique tasting experience and justifying the numbering of the bottles.
Tasting notes
Hors-series 1971 is an exceptional vintage with a complementarity of sensations on the nose and palate... aromas and flavors reflecting the time passed that we look back on with delight. A discreet effervescence in a bronze-gold color, a nose revealing a powerful aromatic palette with spicy notes, Hors-series 1971 reveals incredible freshness for a 50-year-old champagne. Combining vinosity and smoothness, the length coats the palate with a velvety touch and the finish is very lively with citrus accents.
Pop design and collector muzzle
Le 1971 Special Edition box set is a testament to the creativity of the Cellar Master. Rennes-based craftsmen have selected pieces of solid oak (from sustainably managed French forests) and, through a technical feat, dug into the mass of the wood. After 50 years of aging in cellars, Hors-Série 1971 is nestled in an oak that must be roughly the same age, just as unique in its veins and singular colors. Simply lift the wooden bell and the box reveals the vintage on a pedestal with 1970s motifs, very pop designEach bottle label, printed on creative paper, is numbered.
Once the headdress is removed, the surprising and neo-pop muzzle evokes its originality and is about to become a collector's item... the first in an extraordinary collection. The monogram, graphic and contemporary, is inspired by the stripes that were very fashionable in the seventies... a nice parallel between the free vision of the House and the inventiveness ofEmilien Boutillat who knew how to reinterpret this magnificent vintage HORS-SERIE 1971 !
ALCOHOL ABUSE IS DANGEROUS FOR HEALTH, CONSUME WITH MODERATION
André Tirlet
