Sharing a bottle of Champagne with your beloved is always a good idea. And if the bubbly being poured is Rare Champagne Millésime 2008 ($210), the odds of your love being reciprocated may increase! Ok, maybe I'm exaggerating a little, but the exquisite nature of Rare 2008 can warm a cold heart and excite a jaded palate. True to its name, only twelve exceptional vintages of Rare Brut and Rosé Millésime have been declared since its debut in 1976.
Since 2004, Régis Camus has been honored eight times as the Sparkling Winemaker of the Year by the International Wine Challenge.
The release of a new Rare vintage is always highly anticipated, and Rare 2008 lives up to the exceptional quality of its predecessors. Award-winning cellarmaster Régis Camus considers Rare a portrait of the vintage. He always selects one word to describe each Rare vintage, and Camus has declared 2008 as infinite. "For me, Rare Millésime 2008 embodies the infinite, with its unlimited, rich, constantly present youth and freshness. These sensations intertwine on the palate in a constant cycle of flavors, each more precise and harmonious than the one before. While already a pleasure to drink, this vintage has now acquired an exceptional complexity and mineral character, punctuated with exotic spices notes that promise infinite longevity."
Over the years, I've had the honor of tasting several Rare vintages with Camus, and his passion for Champagne lights up the room. This year's tasting was virtual, but that did not diminish the excitement of the occasion. For Régis, Rare is a labor of love that melds his respect and appreciation for each vintage with his talent and technical prowess. Presented in a black bottle that is elegantly adorned with a gleaming gold tiara, the esthetics evoke the style of Rare Champagne: opulent yet tasteful, dramatic but balanced.
Making quality Champagne is no easy feat and requires patience. Rare takes no shortcuts and pushes the envelope. For example, most Champagne houses released their 2008 Brut vintage in 2018, but Régis consistently tasted and evaluated Rare as it aged. Once it met his exacting standards, he declared Rare 2008 ready for release in 2021.
A blend of 70% Chardonnay and 30% Pinot Noir, Rare 2008 strikes a perfect balance between freshness and complexity. It shows the richness and nuance that comes with aged Champagne without sacrificing energy and balance. A beautiful sip!
