Rare Champagne Wins IWSC 2023 Sparkling Wine Producer Trophy

We are pleased to announce Rare Champagne as the winner of our Sparkling Wine Producer Trophy, in partnership with the London Wine Fair.

Cuvée Rare was first created by Piper-Heidsieck back in 1976. Despite the indisputable quality of the dozen vintages that have to date seen daylight, it never made it amongst the most coveted prestige champagnes. Its owner EPI Group are now on a mission to change that. They are re-establishing Rare Champagne as a brand of its own, ticking it off being Piper-Heidsieck’s prestige cuvée, said our judges.

Rare Champagne is only released in extraordinary years and has only declared 14 vintages, being amongst the most demanding producers in Champagne.  For a Chardonnay dominant prestige champagne, Rare has a special recipe as grapes from Trépail and Villers-Marmery in the Montagne de Reims play first fiddle in the blend instead of classic Côte des Blancs grands crus origins.

Throughout its history Rare has enjoyed the blending craftsmanship of some of Champagne’s most reputed chef de caves: Daniel Thibaud, Régis Camus, and now Emilien Boutillat. In 2023, Rare Champagne released Rare Millésime 2013. The release was a roaring success, receiving accolades from press and critics who proclaimed it ‘exceptional’ and possessing a ‘rare beauty’.   

At our 2023 Awards, Rare Champagne received 3 medals, including 2 golds for its Brut 2008 (Magnum) and its Rosé Brut 2012, as well as a silver for its Brut 2008. Rare Champagne Rosé Brut 2012 was also awardedwith the IWSC's 2023 Wine Trophy as one of the best wines in its category.

In addition to the sheer quality of wines, our judges appreciated Rare Champagne’s commitment to sustainability and ethical work practices. Since 2015, Rare’s vineyards have been twice certified as “Viticulture Durable en Champagne’’ (Sustainable Viticulture in Champagne) and “Haute Valeur Environnementale’’ (High Environmental Value). They have also recently achieved B Corp Certification – the result of 28 months of collective work by the Rare teams worldwide, led by Emilien Boutillat.