Cyril Brun hands over the reins for continued ‘Charles Style’. Charles Heidsieck is pleased to announce the addition of Elise Losfelt as Cellar Master for Charles Heidsieck Champagne taking over from Cyril Brun.
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In April 2015, Brun came to Charles Heidsieck to take over from Thierry Roset. For seven years, Brun built on the work of the House’s greatest chief winemakers and wrote several magnificent pages of the House’s contemporary history himself.
Under his winemaking stewardship, the House continued its strong growth and recognition throughout the world. Charles Heidsieck Champagne blends are regularly fine-tuned and enhanced to perpetuate the House style. Among other achievements, Cyril blended the new Champagne Charlie, an iconic House cuvée that enjoyed a great renaissance in 2022.
‘As it was the case for many, the period of Covid and lockdown were an opportunity for reflection and soul-searching on my past and future career. And after 30 years of working for groups in distribution and leading Champagne Houses, I decided it was time to strike out on a new adventure. Charles Heidsieck has set a clear course and the team in place is solid whilst the style and identity of the wines remain unique and acclaimed. I leave holding exceptional memories and with an immense respect for this House and its teams, both in France and abroad. I am proud to hand over the keys to the style and the cellars to Elise. I wish her enormous success and moments as exciting as those I experienced myself,’
Cyril Brun explains.
‘Throughout his career here Cyril has been much liked by our teams and distributors as well as by our clients and journalist friends throughout the world. He has written a chapter in the long Charles Heidsieck history book, and we thank him for his contribution to the House, his commitment, and his contagious cheerfulness. We wish him every success in his future endeavours,’
concludes Stephen Leroux, CEO of the House of Charles Heidsieck
An agricultural engineer from AgroParisTech with a master’s in Wine and Vine along with a national diploma in Oenology, 36-year-old Elise Losfelt has devoted herself to Champagne for the last ten years working in various positions at Moët & Chandon. First in a wine communication role, and subsequently as Head of Winemaking for Moët & Chandon, she worked with cellar masters from Moët & Chandon, Mercier, Ruinart and Dom Pérignon. She developed her expertise as the guardian of the final quality of a wine at each key step in the Champagne production process, from harvest to disgorgement.
Especially sensitive to an intelligent balance between traditional and modern oenology, she is particularly keen on understanding the role of each must and how to work them to ensure the best potential of Champagne wines. Elise nurtures a family winemaking tradition of six generations at the Château de L’Engarran in the Languedoc region.
She developed her winemaking experience initially by participating in harvests in Majorca (Domaine Mortitx), Saint-Julien (Château Beychevelle) and in Australia (Domaine Dominique Portet).
Married with three young children, the future Charles Heidsieck Chief Winemaker is an avid fan of sports such as tennis, skiing and windsurfing. Her talent for setting things in motion will be an additional bonus and an advantage for the House’s dynamism.
‘I have enormous respect for the creativity and rigour of my predecessors and I hope to make a coherent contribution to the continuity of the House style. It is with humility and enthusiasm that I join with these passionate men and women to work together in forging the fate of this iconic House,’
Elise Losfelt announces
Cyril and Elise, along with the House winemaking team, will work together to guarantee the transmission and continuity of the Charles style. Elise Losfelt officially takes up her position as Chief Winemaker on 1 March 2023. She will uphold the Charles style in the upcoming blends, a guarantee of the unique specificity of the House wines.
ABOUT CHAMPAGNE CHARLES HEIDSIECK
A Champagne heir driven by a spirit of conquest and a taste for a challenge, Charles Heidsieck was a gentleman-entrepreneur who was very comfortable amongst the daring atmosphere of the 19th century. The founder of his own House at the age of 29, he wanted to build it in his own image: distinguished and distinguished from others. Charles Camille-Heidsieck was the first owner of a Champagne House to visit the United States in 1852, travelling there to establish his House and win renown for his champagnes. He would make the journey 4 times over the course of 10 years and single-handedly made a huge impact on developing the American market. His ambition was visionary, in an era where most Houses were established in Europe for logistical and commercial reasons and were more focused on the royal courts than on the burgeoning bourgeoisie of America. Charles Heidsieck became a key figure there: Champagne Charlie. The authenticity and principles of this man have inspired since 1851 the unique quality of his Champagnes, stored in thousand-year-old Crayères, or chalk cellars. Five generations have succeeded at the helm of the House, championing that early vision of an exceptional quality, unique champagne. The takeover in 2011 by Christopher Descours and the EPI group has opened the door to a new and international ambition. For further information, visit charlesheidsieck.com or our social media channels.
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