For many of us, the year 2025 felt as though it lasted approximately 296,380 days.
With the holiday season upon us here in the Northern Hemisphere, and the dawn of a new year fast approaching, today felt like an apt opportunity to bid a fond f*ck-you-get-the-hell-out-of-our-lives-already adieu to 2025, and celebrate.
The natural choice in these circumstances is bubbly, and it’s seemed almost as long as 2025 felt since I’ve highlighted Champagne on these virtual pages [Editor’s note: today’s featured producer hasn’t been spotlighted (spotlit?) here since the Eagles won their first Superbowl title]. So… into the sample pool we dive, to retrieve something a bit out of the ordinary.
Specifically, Piper-Heidsieck’s Brut Rosé Champagne, an odd bird by Champers standards. P-H uses well over 200 regional suppliers to source fruit for their bubblies, which in and of itself isn’t all that unique. In this case, however, everything from their house vineyards (primarily in Les Riceys) utilizes exactly zero herbicides. The more geekily interesting bit about this Brut Rosé, however, is its makeup: 25% Pinot Meunier, 25% Chardonnay, and 50% Pinot Noir, including 15% red wine; a minimum of 25% reserve wines are included. It’s topped off with lees aging of 24+ months, and then post-disgorgement aging of 3+ months.
So… what does all of this mean for us thirsty celebrators?
NV Piper-Heidsieck Brut Rosé (Champagne, $75)
This is a newer release, billed as the successor to P-H’s Sauvage Rosé. A metric ton of succulent and sexy red berry action is the first thing you’ll notice, with rose petal and toast notes emerging as the bubbles take flight in the glass. It makes absolutely no bones about its fruit-forward freshness, and at first even comes off a bit pushy for Champers.
Give it a bit of time in the glass, however, and you start to get your head around just what the cellar masters had planned when they assembled this little number. Now, I do not make wine myself, so take the following as mostly guesswork, BUT… The unusually high proportion of red wine, presumably, gives this bubbly its aggressive red berry fruit edginess and structure. The bruised red apples and toasted almond action that starts to emerge on the palate might be thanks to the reserve wines and lees aging. I’m not sure where the blood orange acid streak comes from, or the dried rose petals, but their appearance on the complex finish is certainly a more welcome visitor than, say, 2025 was.
All in all, the whole package comes off as almost equal parts sophisticated and sultry, with an excellent balance between love-it-now accessibility and aging potential (by non-vintage Champagne standards). Not exactly nutritious, but certainly delicious.
Cheers—and oh, yeah, F*CK YOU, 2025, you sucked major donkey bong!!