The champagne house Piper–Heidsieck partnered with the Michelin-starred restaurant Baieta to launch an exceptional vintage called “Essentiel by Baieta” and intended to accompany the culinary creations of this embassy of Mediterranean gastronomy in Paris.
« The founder of Piper-Heidsieck aimed to seriously produce wines that smile ", remember Emilien Boutillat, cellar master of Piper–Heidsieck since 2018. This gifted individual works at one of the oldest champagne houses, founded in 1785 and now present in around a hundred countries.
On this spring day, the teams from Piper-Heidsieck and the Baieta restaurant invited the specialist press to a lunch at the chef's establishment. Julia Sedefdjian for the launch of the special vintage “Essentiel by Baieta”.
Piper-Heidsieck's "Essentiel" collection consists exclusively of extra brut champagne wines that highlight the minerality of these wines. The percentages of each grape variety are clearly displayed on the labels of the "Essentiel" bottles, beneath the main label. Indeed, Piper-Heidsieck has chosen to offer as many people as possible access to this information, which oenologists and other informed enthusiasts usually seek. Thus, we immediately understand that the "Essentiel blanc de blancs" champagne is composed of 100% Chardonnay, while the "Essentiel blanc de noirs" bottle contains 80% Pinot Noir and 20% Pinot Meunier. This cuvée, although typical of the characteristics of Piper-Heidsieck champagnes, has only been available for two years. It is a blanc de noirs with a large majority of Pinot Noir but without heaviness or vinosity. The classic “Essentiel” bottle, the first to be launched, is composed of 30% Pinot Noir, 35% Pinot Meunier, 29% Chardonnay.
As for the "Essentiel by Baieta" champagne, unveiled on April 10, 2025, it is composed of 44% Pinot Noir, 34% Pinot Meunier, and 22% Chardonnay. Cellared in 2019, this cuvée is the result of the collaboration between Emilien Boutillat, cellar master at Piper-Heidsieck, and Julia Sedefdjian. The chef of the Baieta restaurant spent two days in Reims with the Piper-Heidsieck teams to create a beverage that would pair well with the Mediterranean cuisine she offers at Baieta: a restaurant that blends her Sicilian and Armenian origins with the Niçois influences of her hometown. Hence the name she chose for her establishment: Baieta means "little kiss" in Niçois.
The refinement and creativity of her dishes earned her the distinction of being the youngest chef in France to be awarded a Michelin star in 2016, when she was only 21 years old and at the helm of the restaurant Les Fables de la Fontaine, in the 7th arrondissement of Paris. In 2019, she also received a star for the restaurant Baieta, which she opened on Rue de Pontoise, in the Latin Quarter, a stone's throw from Notre-Dame de Paris.
While Piper-Heidsieck's "Essentiel by" collection has already allowed the Champagne house to collaborate with a number of chefs around the world, Julia Sedefdjian's Baieta restaurant is the first in France to benefit from a bespoke cuvée. The "Essentiel by" program offers personalities from the worlds of gastronomy, sommellerie, and mimology the opportunity to personalize their champagne wine by choosing their specific dosage liqueur and bottle label. Julia Sedefdjian and Emilien Boutillat developed the particular dosage for this cuvée together. They chose a 2019 Pinot Meunier and an intermediate dosage of 5 grams per liter to reveal the wine's Mediterranean side, spices, and fruits. The texture obtained for this exceptional beverage is rather ample, with a pure and precise finish.
To introduce the "Essentiel by Baieta" vintage to the specialist press, chef Julia Sedefdjian had created a four-course menu. The "Essentiel blanc de blancs" vintage was served with the appetizers. The classic "Essentiel" extra-brut vintage accompanied a Cancale oyster with fresh grapefruit and green shiso. While the "Essentiel by Baieta" vintage, launched for the restaurant, was paired with scallops served with peas from Vesuvius, wild garlic, and Rova caviar from Madagascar. The flavors of this dish were perfectly enhanced by the "Essentiel by Baieta" vintage, a champagne that combines the luscious fruit with the freshness of the finish.
For the cod and asparagus with Colonnata bacon, the champagne chosen was "Essentiel blanc de noirs." Finally, a Piper Heidsieck rosé brut was served for dessert with the first strawberries of the season, orange blossom bugnes, and rhubarb and hibiscus sorbet.
Piper-Heidsieck's "Essentiel by Baieta" cuvée remains exclusively served at the Baieta restaurant, by the glass or bottle. The fruit of the collaboration between chef Julia Sedefdjian and cellar master Emilien Boutillat is now available from glass to plate: four food and champagne pairings will be available until the end of 2026 and will evolve with the seasons.
Carine Loeillet
Photo captions:
- Julia Sedefdjian, chef of the Michelin-starred Baieta restaurant, an ambassador of Mediterranean gastronomy in Paris. Photo by Roch Debache
- Emilien Boutillat, cellar master of Piper-Heidsieck and Rare Champagne.
- Champagne “Essentiel by Baieta” from Piper-Heidsieck, produced in collaboration between the champagne house Piper-Heidsieck and the Michelin-starred restaurant Baieta.
- Champagne “Essentiel by Baieta”, composed of 44% Pinot Noir, 34% Pinot Meunier, 22% Chardonnay.
