"Roederer is today at the top of the Champagne Houses" Les Meilleurs Vins de France 2016 (La Revue des Vins de France)
The house of Champagne Roederer is one of the last Champagne houses, both independent and family owned. It was founded in 1833 by Louis Roederer, who was a forerunner in many respects. He was one of the first to put the emphasis on the vineyard, through a methodical acquisition of the best plots of vines, as opposed to the easy solution of buying grapes rather than vines. The idea was to be able to control as much as possible all the stages of the elaboration of Champagne, in order to be able to imprint the specific style of Roederer.
Currently, the Roederer house is at the head of an imposing 240 ha vineyard, spread over 420 plots, mainly planted with Pinot Noir, and above all exclusively planted with Premiers Crus and Grands Crus. Perpetuating the tradition of a demanding and environmentally friendly viticulture, the Rouzaud family, owners of Roederer Champagnes and of the famous Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande in the commune of Pauillac in Bordeaux, are giving an ever-increasing share to organic and biodynamic viticulture in their vineyard. In addition, the House's flagship cuvée, Cristal de Roederer, is undergoing biodynamic conversion.
Frederic Rouzaud's latest creation is the newly named Cuvée Louis Roederer Collection. The former Cuvée Louis Roederer Brut Premier is transformed into a blend composed of grapes from parcels prioritising sustainable practices. With a focus on changing times, sustainability, biodiversity and natural methods to combat global warming, the Cuvée Collection heralds a new direction! The parcels known as "Coeur de terroir" have very specific characteristics in terms of exposure, soil composition and location. The blending is then the human touch that brings magic and eternity to this new creation. In order to perpetuate freshness and balance, a "Réserve Perpétuelle" has been set up since 2012, enriched each year with the result of the last harvest, kept in stainless steel tanks. In addition, the Cuvée Collection has a greater concentration of reserve wines in wood. Thus, 34% of Réserve Perpétuelle, 10% of reserve wines matured in wood and 56% of the successes of the 2017 harvest: mainly Chardonnays and Pinots Noirs from the Marne Valley. The attack on the palate reveals white fruits and light citrus notes, then continues with notes of acacia and a touch of toasted hazelnut, typical of Chardonnay. On the finish, a saline note adds a very pleasant edge.
The balance is thus achieved between freshness, fullness and intensity. Louis Roederer's Cuvée Collection expresses its fleshy, enveloping side and demonstrates a beautiful personality. It opens a new chapter in the Champagne adventure.
