Founded in 1776, and property of the same family since 1819, Champagne Louis Roederer is today one of the last major champagne houses to be an independent family affair. The annual production of its wines (Brut Premier, Carte Blanche, Brut Vintage, Rosé Vintage, Blanc de Blancs, Cristal, Cristal Rosé) represents just over three million bottles, distributed to 100 countries worldwide.
Using Chardonnay only from 4 plots in the Grand Cru of Avize in the Côte des Blancs for the Blanc de Blancs, Champagne Louis Roederer uses 100% of its own grapes for vintage styles. Complete self-sufficiency of estate-grown grapes is extremely unusual in Champagne, ensuring superior quality at all stages from grape to glass.
23% of the wines have been matured in oak casks with weekly batonnage and no malolactic fermentation. The Blanc de Blancs 2014 cuvée was drawn off at low pressure in order to create a rounder and smoother effervescence. It was bottle-aged for 5 years and then left to rest for a further 8 months after disgorging to attain the perfect maturity. The dosage is 8 g/l.
A ‘weather waltz’, and one with clear, sharp contrasts! The spring was sunny and dry and ended with a heatwave in June; summer was autumnal, cool and rainy; September was hot, sunny and very dry…weather we would usually associate with the month of August. The ‘key’ to the vintage lay in the soils as well as in the work carried out by the winegrowers. The good drainage properties of the chalk on the lower-middle part of the hillside helped us greatly by allowing the excess water from the summer to drain away which limited any excess vigour in the vines. These factors were complemented by our increasingly eco-friendly viticultural practices which allow us to take our quest for grapes of perfect balance and maturity even further.
Bright golden hue flecked with green.
Slow, gentle and steady bubbles.
Very pure, delicate and ethereal bouquet. Delicate hints of flowers (honeysuckle, jasmine), ripe, fine and almost roasted citrus fruit. These are followed by iodised, sea-breeze aromas, combined with the warm, sweet notes of freshly-baked pastries.
After a fresh, energetic entry to the palate, the wine is dense, delicately zesty and invigorating. A predominantly saline character overlays flavours of citrus fruit (orange), harvest (almond, wheat) and Madagascan vanilla. The soft, melting bubbles give way to a limestone freshness, revealing an end-palate that seems light and powdery at first, but which surprises us with a real acceleration on the finish created by its elegant tannins and roasted spices.
A perfect match with oysters, summer salad with hazel nuts and goats’ cheese, or prawns or langoustines.
Serve at 12°C
AOC Champagne
100% Chardonnay
Cork
12%
8g/l
Yes
No
