Below: Newly re-branded Rare 2002
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customers can understand the wine inside and follow its journey. “When people drink a Piper-Heidsieck it’s important they don’t think they’re drinking a ‘baby Rare’ and when people drink Rare we don’t want them to think they’re drinking a version of PiperHeidsieck. And that’s why we need two different chefs de cave,” says Collard. The marketing prowess of Rare’s brand separation highlights its point of difference in an aspirational world of prestige cuvées. “Rare has a unique opportunity. It’s a wine of distinction with exceptional winemaking. People look for scarcity and, since 1976, we have made nine vintages of Rare; eight white and one rosé. Some of our competitors have done 38 vintages in this time…so we are truly exclusive,” he says. Rare’s first ever rosé, made from the 2007 vintage, is a testament to the wine’s status amongst other prestige cuvées. The old adage that “you’re only as good as your competition” could not be truer here. The more challenging nature of 2007’s vintage resulted in delicacy, rather than concentration, missing out on the reputation afforded to others such as the lauded 2008 vintage. It was risky business for Rare’s first incarnation as a rosé, yet it was met with rave reviews across
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the industry including Wine Spectator, scoring it 95 points, and Wine Advocate, rating it 96. Publications such as these join the assembly of influencers and industry critics who cannot deny the consistency and quality of winemaking coming from the House all the while remaining price competitive. It makes Piper-Heidsieck one to watch; especially in the context of its Australian story for which opportunities seem boundless.
