The vineyards belonging to the Louis Roederer champagne house are located amongst the best regions in Champagne: Côte des Blancs, Marne valley and the Montagne de Reims. From the impressive holdings of 214 hectares come some of the world’s finest and most respected champagnes. The house is now under control of the sixth generation since Louis Roederer founded the winery, a rare occurrence in a land of corporate owners. The combination of family passion and prestige vineyards is where the reputation for spectacular quality is derived.
The Roederer Style
From the Brut Premier Non-Vintage to Cristal, each bottle is designed to represent the style, panache and elegance associated with Louis Roederer. The Brut Premier Non-Vintage is a blend of the classic champagne varieties, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. Even though the minimum ageing required by law for this level of wine is only fifteen months, the Brut Premier is aged for three years. The ageing occurs on the lees in 6000 litre barrels to ensure the oxidation and ageing occurs very slowly making for a very creamy and rich style of wine. At Louis Roederer, they prefer to think of their Non-Vintage as a Multi-Vintage, and much of the reserve wine used in the blend are at least five years old, many of which are the quality of their flagship cuvee, Cristal.
The Roederer Rosé is one of the palest rosé champagnes to be found. This is due to the decision not to add any still red wine to the blend, but instead leave the Pinot Noir grapes (which make up 70% of the blend along with 30% Chardonnay) on their skins for just long enough to impart colour, but not the stringent tannins. This method is called Saignée. During fermentation some of the colour is lost and with the addition of the Chardonnay, it is weakened still further resulting in a wine with the description of having the colour of a ‘partridge eye’.
Louis Roederer Cristal
In 1876 the Czar of Russia demanded of his friend, Louis Roederer, that he fashion a special cuvee just for him and that the bottle be made of crystal, hence the birth of the now illustrious Cristal champagne. The blend is a combination of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir and matures on the lees for at least six years to develop the characteristics for which it is lauded world over. Although many of today’s celebrities choose to drink Cristal simply for the statement and impression it makes, this wine is one to be savoured with food. The complex style, rich flavours and prolonged finish are perfectly suited to the very best in gastromonic dishes such as lobster, oysters and caviar. In 2003, the vintage was deemed sub par and therefore Cristal was not produced as only the very best will suffice.
The wines of Louis Roederer are renowned for their exceptional eminence and are favoured by those who understand and appreciate the best wines of Burgundy; they are an indulgence not to be missed.
Tara O'Leary - Tara O'Leary is a burgeoning writer that enjoys covering any and every topic that captures her attention, but whose focus is wine. She ...
