Charles Heidsieck Brut 2012 (750ML)

95 JS / 95 JD / 94 WA / 94 JM / 94 FS / 93 DE / 93 WS / 17 JR

Very lemony (blossoms, zest and candied peel), with some red-berry and fresh tobacco-leaf notes. Impressive richness and concentration, the creaminess from lees beautifully matched by the fine mousse and mineral freshness. The latter also powers the structured and saline finish that makes a serious statement. A blend of 60% pinot noir and 40% chardonnay, disgorged in 2020. Drink or hold. - James Suckling

The 2012 Champagne Millésime Brut is classic and harmonious. Layered and ripe with brioche, hazelnut, and baked apple, it is mouth-filling and round, with a pillowy mousse of ripe pear, custard, and orange oil. This is an assertive and forward wine with a timeless feel. Drink 2023-2043. - AF, JebDunnuck

Disgorged in 2019 with eight grams per liter dosage, the 2012 Brut Millésimé offers up aromas of crisp orchard fruit, white flowers and clear honey, complemented by hints of toasted bread, citrus zest and linden. Medium to full-bodied, elegantly fleshy and nicely concentrated, with lively acids and a pinpoint mousse, it's more generous and demonstrative than the 2008, but it will nonetheless reward a bit of bottle age. - William Kelley, Wine Advocate 

Even after five years of post-disgorgement aging, this wine has yet to fully enter its fruit-driven phase. The nose has reductive notes of toast, coffee, and hazelnut. The palate is dry and citrusy. Its current introversion is desirable for future development, but I am left wanting more. A well-made wine that demands patience. Wait! Drink from 2028-2038. Tasted: October 2023. - Stephen Pritchard, Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy

Medium greenish yellow, silver reflections, very fine, persistent mousse. Delicate hints of biscuit, greengage and yellow tropical fruit, mineral and chalky nuances, candied limes, a hint of white flowers. Full-bodied, complex, subtle white peach, lively acidity, a hint of ripe mango on the aftertaste, has ageing potential, lingers well, juicy finish, subtly sweet aftertaste. - Peter Moser, Falstaff

The Brut 2012 from Charles Heidsieck is a blend of 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay. The wine expresses aromas of apricot, crisp yellow orchard fruit including lemon but also spring flowers. On the palate, the texture is medium-bodied and very precise, crystalline and long with an expansive finish and some racy, noble bitterness. This is a gourmand style of Champagne that will gain in complexity with 2-3 years of ageing. - Yohan Castaing, Decanter

A mouthwatering Champagne with a linear focus, which presents as up-front drive in a restrained, subtle way. Features a fine, satiny mousse that carries a range of toasted hazelnut, ripe black currant, mandarin orange peel, verbena and espresso crema notes, which unfurl on the palate and echo on the lasting finish. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Disgorged 2019. Drink now through 2032. 238 cases imported. - AN, Wine Spectator

Both intense and discreet. Extremely tightly woven. Not as dry as some but certainly not simple. Tastes more youthful than many 2012s. Subtle and not flamboyant. You feel you could drink this in quantity! - Jancis Robinson