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⚠ 24-Hour Sale: The 100-Point Rare 2012 · Lowest Price In America
Only 24 Bottles · Arriving Friday · Plus The Full Piper-Heidsieck Range
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The Greatest Rare Ever Made.
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100 Points · James Suckling
“Precise on every level. Haute couture. What a great Champagne can be.”
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95+ Points · Wine Advocate
“One of the greatest hits from Rare Champagne.”
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| Order The Rare 2012 → |
Dear Artisans,
Rare began life as the tête de cuvée of Piper-Heidsieck: the once-in-a-generation prestige release the house declares only when nature produces something extraordinary. The first vintage was 1976, born of a legendary heatwave.
In the fifty years since, only twelve vintages have ever been declared: 1976, 1979, 1985, 1988, 1990, 1998, 1999, 2002, 2006, 2008, 2013 and 2012.
That's it.
Look at that list again and you'll notice something strange: the 2013 came out before the 2012. That was deliberate. The 2012 was so immense and powerful that the house held it back, giving it over a decade on the lees before letting it go.
The patience paid. James Suckling gave it 100 points, calling it “one of the best 2012s released” with “an endless finish.” The house's own tasting note says the length of the saline, mineral finish “seems infinite.” Seven more critics lined up between 95 and 97.
The year nearly broke the region's heart. April frosts were cruel, then came rain and hailstorms through a cold, discouraging spring. In mid-July the weather flipped: suddenly hot, dry and perfect for ripening. The surviving crop was tiny, and the quality was exceptional.
That is why 2012 became one of Champagne's modern legends: small yields, deep concentration, and what Decanter calls “the nervy ripeness blenders love.” Rare 2012 is 70% Chardonnay and 30% Pinot Noir from grand terroirs, aged a minimum of ten years on the lees at 8 g/L dosage.
For more than seventeen years we have poured Piper-Heidsieck and the Rare series with our Artisans: tastings in the store, wine dinners at Chef Chu's, evenings at The Sea by Alexander's. Along the way we have had the privilege of drinking the 1988, the 1998 and the 2002.
The 2012 is the most incredible Rare we have ever tasted, even this young. It is the best release since the 1998 and the 2002, and it is only beginning its life.
Seventeen years at the table earned us an allocation of 24 bottles, arriving this Friday, September 4th. For 24 hours they are yours at the lowest listed price in the country. Order now and your bottles are secured the moment they land.
The greatest Rare I have tasted in seventeen years of pouring them. Twenty-four bottles. Twenty-four hours.
— James Tran
Back-vintage Rare on the open market vs. our 2012 sale price.
| Vintage | Released | Market Today | Vs. Our 2012 Price |
| 2002 | 2012 | $375–$400 | 1.5–1.6× |
| 2008 | 2021 | $375–$450 | 1.5–1.8× |
| 2012 | 2025 | $219.99 Sale | Just Released |
Buy the 2012 today at release pricing. Lay one down for ten years and watch what happens.
70% Chardonnay from the Côte des Blancs and Montagne de Reims, 30% Pinot Noir from grand villages like Aÿ, Verzy and Ambonnay. A minimum of ten years on the lees. Brioche, almond, mango and bergamot on the nose; citrus through an extremely silky texture; and the finish that made its reputation: saline, mineral, and seemingly infinite.
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James Suckling
100 Points
“One of the best 2012s released. This is so fresh and transparent, with superb clarity and brightness. Subtle aromas of mangoes, apples, some pie crust and crushed stones that follow through to a medium body with a tight palate and an endless finish. Precise on every level. Haute couture. Sophisticated. What a great Champagne can be. Disgorged February 2025. Drink or hold.”
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Decanter Magazine
97 Points
“Late summer was very dry, and just warm enough to create the nervy ripeness blenders love. You can almost smell that tension in the aromatic restraint of this Champagne, but keep looking and you'll find much to relish: flowers from the Chardonnay and root spice from the Pinot. Age mingles the two seamlessly. Once in the mouth, this is a Champagne of structure and proportion, with all the elements chamfered and jointed into place.” (Jan 2025)
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Vinous Media
96 Points
“Its nose is a smoky wonder, combining ripe, almost tropical fruit with a gorgeous toasty sense of grilled almonds. The palate brings wonderfully golden plum fruit, ripe yet fresh, juicy and utterly aromatic, pervaded by a streak of finest freshness. This is immensely youthful, captured with brilliantly pure fruit and lasting expression that rings long in a toasty umami echo.” — Anne Krebiehl MW (Feb 2025)
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Wine Spectator
96 Points
“A graceful Champagne that waltzes across the palate, with a fine, plush mousse carrying ripe black cherry, pureed raspberry, candied ginger, Mandarin orange peel, grilled nut and pastry flavors enlivened by a vibrant spine of lemony acidity. Sip this slowly and enjoy as it opens in the glass, echoing on the finish. Drink now through 2040.” — Alison Napjus (Dec 2024)
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| Order The Rare 2012 → |
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Wine Spectator
91 Points
“Creamy and well-balanced, this lively Champagne offers flavors of ripe black currant and black cherry, candied lemon peel, and brioche, plus fragrant notes of anise and clove. Drink now.” (Dec 2025)
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Decanter Magazine
94 Points
“A terrific value cuvée that can give a few prestige cuvées a run for their money. Full of bright intensity in charry roasted limes and grapefruit marmalade, generous with fragrant raspberry and toasted nuts. Smooth, long and polished, there's not a hair out of place here.” (Oct 2024)
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Jeb Dunnuck
93+ Points
“The palate is pure and fantastic, with distilled black fruit, a fresh, chalky texture, and an elegant, fluffy mousse. A great first vintage for this wine, it has a lot of charm now and will age gracefully over the coming 10-12 years. A wonderful gateway into Blanc de Noirs.” (Nov 2023)
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Wine Spectator
97 Points
“Bursts with vibrant energy as soon as this hits the palate, yet is refined and elegant throughout, akin to a prima ballerina's marriage of stored power and grace. Strawberry coulis, blood orange granita, raw almond, honeycomb, smoke and chalk, framed by chiseled acidity. Drink now through 2038. 50 cases imported.” — Alison Napjus (Dec 2023)
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A 100-point champagne from a cuvée declared twelve times in half a century, held back a release cycle because it was too immense, and priced today below every listing we can find in the country. The back vintages trade at $375 to $450. This one is $219.99 for the next 24 hours.
We earned 24 bottles. They land Friday. Drink one on arrival, and lay the rest down for the next seventeen years of Rare dinners.
Cheers,
— James Tran
| The 100-Pt Rare 2012 · $219.99 → |
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Questions? Chat Live · sales@artisan.wine · 650-917-8080