It is a small maison with a very high reputation, whose Champagnes are highly appreciated by wine lovers.
Charles Heidsieck founded the maison in 1851 at the age of 29 and was very involved in communication and marketing of Champagne. This activity often led him to travel to the United States where his Champagne soon became very popular and was given the nickname Champagne Charlie. His initial concern was to find a cellar with adequate spaces for the aging of Champagne and it was so that he settled on the outskirts of Reims, buying a land under which 47 crayères extend, i.e. former chalk quarries, which were transformed in galleries for the aging of Champagne. It consists of 8 km of tunnels 30 meters underground. He begins to produce his Champagnes with the grapes of his cousin Ernest Henriot. A great-uncle of his had founded the maison Piper-Heidsieck, with which Charles Heidsieck shares the vineyards, while keeping the brands, the chef de cave and the style separate. On Charles's death he was succeeded by his son at the helm of the maison, but soon the management was entrusted to Henriot and from this moment the Charles Heidsieck Champagne made a further leap forward in terms of quality.
The ownership changed again later and today the maison belongs to the EPI group. However, the management has always been careful and the quality of the Champagnes is undoubtedly high.
The base wines are vinified in steel with malolactic fermentation achieved. The Champagnes are characterized by a high use of vin de réserve giving an evolved and round character to the taste, which is always precise and pleasant; the very long aging on the lees guarantee longevity. Production is around one million bottles per year.