{"product_id":"rare-champagne-vintage-1998","title":"Rare Champagne Vintage 1998","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe story of Rare Champagne reaches back to 1785, when Florens-Louis Heidsieck presented his Champagne to Marie-Antoinette, declaring his ambition to create a cuvée “worthy of a Queen”. Two centuries later, that spirit of exceptionalism was revived with Rare Millésime 1976, presented at the Château de Versailles in 1985 in a spectacular bottle created by Van Cleef \u0026amp; Arpels. Since then, Rare has deliberately remained extraordinarily selective: only a small number of vintages have been declared in more than four decades, each released in limited quantities and only when the year, the wines and the maturation are considered worthy of the Rare name. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eRare Millésime 1988 is one of those exceptional releases, and more than thirty-five years of evolution have transformed it into a Champagne of extraordinary depth. The 1988 growing season was marked by striking contrasts, alternating periods of intense sunshine with unusually cool temperatures. The result was a mature, opulent vintage with the acidity and structure to support very long ageing. Today, the wine has moved far beyond the primary fruit of young Champagne, developing a remarkable combination of richness, savoury complexity and freshness. Rare itself considers the wine capable of evolving through 2030. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe colour has deepened to an ambered straw-gold, while the mousse has become fine and discreet after decades in bottle. The nose is extraordinary in its progression: wax, honey and dried fern give way to white truffle, fig and date, followed by mature grain and a lift of verbena. On the palate, velvet-like flavours of cocoa and mocha mingle with dried fruits, hazelnut and Corinthian grape, before more savoury notes emerge — eucalyptus, incense, tobacco and truffle. The remarkable detail is the freshness running through all of this maturity, preventing the wine from becoming heavy or merely oxidative. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis is a Champagne to drink slowly and without distraction. Its texture, tertiary complexity and extraordinary persistence place it firmly in the realm of fine mature wine rather than simply aged sparkling wine. Rare itself suggests pairing it with turbot à la Roscoff, aged Parmesan or even a cigar; equally, it deserves a place alongside dishes of similarly profound character. For collectors, the 1988 is particularly compelling: a limited-release prestige cuvée from a house that has declared remarkably few vintages, now at a stage of maturity that cannot be recreated. \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Liberty Wines","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":60538785694030,"sku":"170112","price":450.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0700\/5061\/1516\/files\/20260826_140956.jpg?v=1787768725","url":"https:\/\/blackrockcellar.com\/products\/rare-champagne-vintage-1998","provider":"Blackrock Cellar","version":"1.0","type":"link"}