A new style Charles Heidsieck Champagne ‘with a contemporary twist’, launched at the Le Mans Classic in July of this year, is being launched into travel retail exclusively with Aelia.

 

For a two month period – starting 1 October – Aelia will offer the new champagne at Paris Charles de Gaulle, Paris Orly, Nice, Lyon and London City airports, exclusively with dedicated window displays and merchandising.

 

The French brand, which was founded in 1851, has been busy repositioning itself. Its Brut Réserve and Rosé Réserve cuvées have been reblended and are now presented in gift boxes that “pay homage to the elegance and creativity for which the brand is known”.

 

At the heart of this new project is Charles Heidsieck Brut Réserve, the cuvée recreated by Thierry Roset, Cellarmaster, with its blend of 40% reserve wines, aged on average for ten years, and 60% wines of the current year in equal proportions of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier.

 

[Above: The reinvented Charles Heidsieck Champagne gift boxes to be sold exclusively with Aelia for a two-month period]

 

CHALK CELLAR NUMBER 9

“These high standards are respected today in the ageing of the wines for 36 months, rather than the 15 months required by law, at 10 degrees in chalk cellars some 20 metres below ground,” says the brand.

 

“The result is an elegant wine with golden hues and aromas of warm brioche and spices, the freshness of apricots, peaches and Mirabelle plums, along with the depth afforded by intense roasting and old rum, and a touch of vanilla.”

 

In tribute to Chalk Cellar Number 9, which served as inspiration for its shape, the House decided to name its new bottle shape ‘Crayère’.

 

The House of Charles Heidsieck chose Dutch illustrator Judith Van Den Hoek to design the new gift boxes.

 

SUCCESS IN TRAVEL RETAIL MARKETS

Matthew Hodges, Marketing and Business Development Director, Rémy Cointreau GTR which distributes Champagne Charles Heidsieck in travel retail, commented: “We are immensely proud to reveal the smart new presentation of Champagne Charles Heidsieck, a brand which is already very successful in many travel retail markets.

 

“The new designs are characteristically elegant and refined, as befits such an historic House, with a modern touch to appeal to today’s consumer. We anticipate a very favourable reaction when it is revealed in all its glory at the Aelia stores.”

 

Aelia’s Senior Buyer for Wines, Spirits and Champagne, Philippe Lanusse says: “We are extremely excited to launch exclusively in Global Travel Retail the new Charles Heidsieck portfolio. Based on very close work with Rémy Cointreau on Charles Heidsieck Vintage bottles and several exclusive launches in the past, we have every expectation that this new project will be a complete success. The Brut Réserve and Rosé Réserve are both super quality in taste and appearance, and fit our luxurious and premium strategy perfectly.”