Singapore Airlines Business Class gets Piper-Heidsieck Brut Vintage 2018 champagne

Singapore Airlines has occasionally served a vintage champagne in Business Class, once in November 2021 with Piper-Heidsieck Brut 2012, and then again in January 2024 with Piper-Heidsieck Brut 2014.

While it’s very much a question of personal taste, vintage champagnes are generally considered “better” than non-vintage, because they represent a higher expression of craftsmanship and quality from a particular year.

Since the stint at the start of the year, the Business Class champagne has reverted to a non-vintage Charles Heidsieck, but for December 2024, Singapore Airlines will end the year by pouring Piper-Heidsieck Brut Vintage 2018.

Piper-Heidsieck 2018 added to SIA Business Class

From 1 December 2024, Singapore Airlines Business Class passengers will enjoy Piper-Heidsieck Vintage 2018 on all routes, except for Kuala Lumpur, Medan and Penang, where champagne is not loaded.

A Singapore Airlines spokesperson has informed me that all digital menus have now been updated to reflect this change (earlier in the week, some routes to Europe were still reflecting the current Charles Heidsieck option).

🍾 Piper-Heidsieck Vintage 2018

Piper Heidsieck is one of the most recognizable and famous names in Champagne. Like many houses, much of their production is multi- or non-vintage; however, they also release a small quantity of vintage Champagne in the best years, reflecting the personality and growing conditions of a single season. The 2018 vintage is well-regarded, albeit an early-ripening year, and it successfully combines both quality and quantity. The wines at Piper Heidsieck are now made by the young and dynamic “chef de cave,” Emilien Boutillat, who was named IWC Sparkling Winemaker of the Year in 2021. This vintage Champagne combines freshness with complexity and power—a top wine from a famous house in full renaissance mode. -Singapore Airlines

Piper-Heidsieck is a much larger producer of champagne than Charles Heidsieck (both were descended from the original Heidsieck and Co., hence the similar names), but it still knows how to make quality wines. The 2018 vintage scores 93 points on Wine Enthusiast, one point below the 2014 vintage previously served in January 2024.

This wine is composed of 50% Chardonnay, 47% Pinot Noir, and 3% Pinot Meunier, aged on the lees for four years and disgorged in January 2023. With a dosage of 8g per litre, it’s ever-so-slightly sweeter than the 2014 vintage poured earlier this year, though hardly sweet by any means.

Tasting notes describe “an intense nose of nectarine, red berry fruit and fresh almond, with a hint of smoky notes”, with a palate of “fruit with raspberry, pineapple and paprika aromas leading, into a crisp and lingering finish.”

I’m no wine expert, but I did wonder if it might be a bit early to uncork this, given that the recommended drinking window is from 2026 onwards. But since I’m no wine expert, I turned to Gary Low (Co-Founder of Vinoluxus and Head Sommelier to some of Asia’s best restaurants) for his take on the 2018 vintage:

This is a quality champagne that is wonderful now, but would be stellar with age

It remains to be seen if the SilverKris Lounge in Singapore is also upgraded to the same offering, because the last time SIA served vintage Piper-Heidsieck in the air, the lounge offering remained the standard non-vintage version. If you’re passing through in the next few weeks, do give us an update!

Singapore Airlines First Class will serve Cristal 2015

As a reminder, there’s a champagne upgrade over at the pointy end of the plane too. From 1 December 2024, Singapore Airlines will become the first airline to serve Cristal 2015 champagne onboard, following an exclusive agreement with the French champagne house Louis Roederer.

🍾 Cristal 2015

A perfect combination of softness and concentration, matched by a masterful maturity, Cristal 2015 delivers intense and delicious aromas with a superb energy and a magical vibration. This is a timeless champagne with a chalky temperament, sustained by its soils, freed from the sunny character of the vintage. The nose begins with hints of yellow fruit, toasted almonds and wheat from the Chardonnay, combined with the juicy red fruit of the Pinot Noir. Then comes the great surge of energy from the wineʼs structure, a vibratory intensity that transforms into a gentle caress, a silky texture interwoven with fine flavours of candied citrus and iodised spices. The vintageʼs chalky character thus bursts forth in a bracing, vertical effervescence, with an insistent, precise and finely honed freshness. The finish is underpinned by subtle oaky, sappy and saline notes, which creates the ultimate sensation of delicacy and concentration. Cristal 2015 remains a wine of supreme balance and measure, resonating from the chalky nature of its soils rather than the sunny character of its vintage. A perfect Cristal, intensely of the 2015 vintage, with enormous ageing potential…

Cristal 2015 will initially be available on flights between Singapore and the following destinations: 

• Delhi
• Hong Kong
• London
• Los Angeles
• Paris
• Shanghai
• Sydney
• Tokyo

From 1 March 2025, the champagne will then be rotated to other Suites and First Class routes on a three-month rotational basis, namely:

• Auckland
• Beijing
• Frankfurt
• Jakarta
• Melbourne
• Mumbai
• New York JFK
• Zurich

No disrespect to Piper, but Cristal is in a different league altogether. This exquisite champagne retails at upwards of S$450 a bottle, and I’d be sure to request it early on, because depending on the route, only a single bottle may be loaded. 

Here’s a snapshot of the champagnes that will be served in Suites and First Class for December 2024.

Conclusion

Singapore Airlines Business Class passengers will soon enjoy Piper-Heidsieck Brut Vintage 2018 on all flights, an upgrade from the regular non-vintage Charles Heidsieck Brut. 

It’s not known how long this will be available for, as onboard champagnes often rotate due to supply issues and cost considerations, but those flying for the year-end holidays will certainly have something to look forward to!

How are you finding the 2018 Piper-Heidsieck?