"You should only drink champagne on special occasions, but every day you can find a special occasion." - Émilien Boutillat, Cellar Master, Piper-Heidsieck
To call it destiny may seem overdramatic but it certainly seems that Émilien Boutillat was meant to be the new Cellar Master of Piper-Heidsieck Champagne. A native of the Champagne region and from a family of grape growers & champagne producers, Émilien has worked as a winemaker on his home turf and abroad; including in Chile, New Zealand, South Africa, and California. Émilien remembers visiting the Piper-Heidsieck cellars as a child and never imagined that one day he would take the lead role at one of the world’s most iconic and celebrated Champagne houses. Yes, he’s only in his early 30’s but Émilien, a trained oenologist and agricultural engineer, brings a wealth of experience and passion to his role. Émilien said that he will always respect the DNA of Piper-Heidsieck but looks forward to adding his personal touch to their champagnes.
Due to the long aging process of champagne, we will have to wait a few years to taste Émilien’s influence on Piper-Heidsieck but during our lunch he did share the House's soon-to-be-released Brut Vintage 2012 ($80). Full of life, complexity, and nuance, the 2012 is superb. Only produced in exceptional vintages, 2008 was the last vintage of this special champagne. A blend of Chardonnay (48%) and Pinot Noir (52%), it is elegant and exuberant with flavors of ripe pear, apricot, and red cherry with savory hints of toast and chocolate, all riding along a wave of crisp and creamy bubbles. The 2012 is a gorgeous reminder of why Émilien's predecessor, Régis Camus, was honored 8 times as Sparkling Winemaker of the Year by the International Wine Challenge. Yes, Émilien is certainly following in the footsteps of a legend but I suspect that this talented young winemaker may very well be a legend in the making.
