BEN'S HOLIDAY PICK: HISTORIC CHAMPAGNE SALEBen Giliberti, CW Director of Wine Education
What is the "Gout Americain"? In 2018, Heidsieck & Co Monopole re-created the cuvée “Gout Americain” (“American Taste”), modeled on a meticulously aged cuvée that was, quite literally, the toast of the Royal Courts of England, Europe and Imperial Russia, at the turn of the 20th century. A batch of Gout Americain went down with the Titanic in 1912, and in 1916, a frigate with 3,000 bottles intended for the Czar's Imperial Army was sunk by a German U-boat. Over 2,000 bottles from the latter wreck were recovered in 1998. Those lucky enough to get a taste of it (the few remaining bottles sell for well over $100,000 at auction) report the wine had survived in perfect condition after spending 82 years on the frigid floor of the Baltic Sea. |
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Heidseck History  Just as there are now three Leovilles in Bordeaux (Poyferre, Las-Cases, and Barton), there are today three Heidsiecks in Champagne, with separate owners and distinctive styles.The Heidsieck family tree begins with Florens-Louis Heidsieck (right), who founded Heidsieck & Co. in 1785. He had three nephews, each involved in the business: Walbaum, Charles-Henri, and Christian Heidsieck. After the death of Florens-Louis in 1823 and Charles-Henri a few years later, the family enterprise began to split apart. Christian started his own house, simply called Heidsieck. When he died prematurely in 1838, his wealthy widow married the even wealthier Monsieur Piper, and Piper-Heidsieck was born. In 1851, the son of Charles-Camille Heidsieck (later celebrated as “Champagne Charlie”) started Charles Heidsieck. A few months later in 1851, Walbaum founded his venture, calling it Heidsieck Monopole. Heidsieck Monopole enjoyed an especially close relationship with the governments of Europe in the 19th and 20th centuries. The house received royal warrants from the King of Prussia and the Emperor of Germany in 1818. It was later the patented supplier of Czar Nicolas II of Russia in 1907. It became the official champagne supplier of the British Crown in 1911 and of Sweden’s King Gustav in 1933. All three Heidsiecks were among the original “Grande Marques” of Champagne, and all three have maintained their prestigious ranking. Charles Heidsieck and Piper-Heidsieck are now corporate stablemates. Heidsieck Monopole is owned by Champagne Vranken but is run independently. |
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Ben Giliberti served as wine columnist for The Washington Post for over two decades, beginning in the early 1980s. His articles on food, wine, and travel have appeared in Wine Spectator, Travel & Leisure, Cigar Aficionado, United Airlines Flyer, Food & Wine, Decanter, The LA Times, Newsday, Wine News, and other publications. A graduate of Yale University, his career in journalism began as a sports commentator for WYBC FM (Yale Broadcasting Company).
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