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.
A great Rosé champagne must be made from very ripe grapes – sometimes difficult to obtain in the Champagne climate. As a result, Louis Roederer has chosen to invest in one of the earliest Champagne crus villages, Cumières, for which the steeply-sloping, shallow clay and limestone soils face south and benefit from additional light reflected from the river Marne, enabling great phenolic maturity to be achieved. In these select terroirs, Louis Roederer applies the precision wine-making methods required to craft a saignée rosé. The Chardonnay is from the north facing slopes in Chouilly, bringing bright and fresh notes.
Over the years Louis Roederer has developed a unique technique for the production of its rosé champagnes. This process, referred to by Roederer as the ‘infusion’ technique, allows us to bring out the juicy, ripe character of the Pinot Noirs whilst preserving their exceptional freshness. A small amount of Chardonnay juice is added to the Pinot Noir maceration which then ferment together and integrate harmoniously.
The cuveé rosé 2014 was vinified 17% in old oak casks.
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 and therefore limiting 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.
Pink hue with attractive golden tints.
Beautiful beads of soft, even bubbles.
Intense, fresh and fruity bouquet, reminiscent of a tangy red fruit tart (wild strawberry, blueberry), slightly sweet yet underpinned by more concentrated, jammy and citrus notes. The aromatic complexity comes through after a few swirls in the glass giving us a medley of spice, warm cinnamon and peppers.
Fleshy attack dominated by ripe, crunchy, plump red fruit that brings depth and creaminess. The fruity structure is gradually elongated by a chalky, mineral
freshness that creates a lingering sensation of lightness and harmony on the finish.
It is a fantastic pairing with fish such as salmon and tuna; meat including lamb, veal, guinea fowl, wood pigeon and pheasant; and also soft cheeses such as Chaource and Brillat-Savarin. It can also be served with red fruit based deserts that are less sweet, such as a red fruit zabaglione or a red fruit gratin.
Serve at 12°C
AOC Champagne
63% Pinot Noir
37% Chardonnay
Cork
12%
8g/l
Yes
No
