We can't believe there's only two Champagne-filled Saturday tastings left to go until the big day arrives - we have some pretty special labels we'll be showing off to celebrate this pointy end-of-year period! Of course, the region has such a vast tapestry of names to choose from and explore, but very few can command the immense adoration that Louis Roederer does!
Perhaps one of this historical estate's finest moves in recent years has been the introduction of their Collection series - NV releases which are essentially multi-vintages, with the blend dominated by a specific base year, but backed up by perpetual reserves and oak-aged wines from great past vintages. The current Collection 245 release is as luscious an entry cuvée as you'll ever find, and we've had this one on an ongoing special for many months now, set to continue indefinitely! Come this Saturday (13th) between 12 and 2pm, this will be leading the charge at our tasting table, before we delve into the energetic Brut Vintage 2016, decadent Rosé Vintage 2017, and textural Blanc de Blancs 2017, bred entirely from Grand Cru fruit!
Following closely behind those will be the low-dosage treat known as the 'Roederer Starck Brut Nature' from 2018; a release where Roederer's beloved cellar master Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon collaborates with minimalist designer Philippe Starck, who influences the bottle design as well as the 'less is more' philosophy that inspired the sleek and chiselled zero sugar dosage approach. The 2018 is a complete stunner, and shows off a brilliant modern vintage in a slightly different light to many of the releases we've already come across. Finally, how could we shine a light on Roederer and neglect their most famous piece of royalty? Yes, the new 2016 release of Cristal will be on show and on special this week, should there be the need to spoil someone this Christmas with this beautifully crafted gift box.
Be sure to look further below the tasting lineup for additional Roederer options (incl. larger formats and late releases of Rosé from both 1997 and 1998) that are on price offer this week, too. We can't wait to pay our small tribute to this legendary name with you all come Saturday!
The Lineup -
Collection 245 NV
$89 ongoing special ($105 RRP)
// 41% Chardonnay, 35% Pinot Noir and 24% Pinot Meunier
55% based on the 2020 harvest, 35% perpetual reserve wines from 2012-2019, 10% oak-aged reserve wines
7g/L dosage
"Mid-light straw colour, shaved almond, bread-crust, icing sugar and parsnip aromas, palate light and lively, with lovely balance and softness, the acidity mild compared to the 2016 vintage while the finish is balanced, very approachable and harmonious. The aftertaste is cleansingly dry and gentle." - 93 Points, Huon Hooke, The Real Review
"By identifying the wine with a number, they do not intend to produce the same profile year in and year out, but rather, they will embrace the singularity of each vintage, accepting the different personalities of the base year. It is complemented by a perpetual reserve initiated in 2012, which is stored in large tanks without lees; the reserve provides balance to the warm years like this, as the perpetual component did not go through malolactic fermentation. While a considerable portion of the fruit comes from Louis Roederer's own estates, for this bottling, the blend incorporates purchased fruit as well, particularly Pinot Meunier, which they do not own. The new Brut Collection offers notes of pear, peach and candied orange zest. On the palate, it is medium to full-bodied, textural and fleshy, laden with vibrant acidity and concluding with a nicely defined, delicately saline finish, even with 7.5 grams per liter dosage." - 92 Points, Kristaps Karklins, Robert Parker Wine Advocate
Brut Vintage 2016
$155 on special this week ($175 RRP)
// 68% Pinot Noir and 32% Chardonnay (Premier & Grand Cru fruit from Verzy and Chouilly)
Disgorged mid-2024
7g/L dosage
"Mid-light straw colour, the slight brassy tint showing the red grapes in the blend; the bouquet loaded with aromas of bread-crust, dried herb and small flowers, hints of dried citrus fruits and fresh lemon. The palate is brightly crisp and frisky, very dry and with energising acidity. It borders on austerity thanks to the acidity, while there is also rich nutty, toasty mouth-filling flavour to balance. A bracing wine that cries out for food." - 97 Points, Huon Hooke, The Real Review
"Louis Roederer's 2016 vintage features plenty of Pinot Noir from the northern slopes of the Montagne de Reims, which shows some of the vintage's typical mixture of juicy up-front fruit and freshness. It still feels young – this needs more time than some current vintage releases – but it is tightly packed with ripe apricot, fragrant blackberry and strawberry fruit and a tapered, elongated finish brightened with zesty Chouilly Chardonnay. There's a touch of nutty savour building, too, with a third of the wine fermented in oak. This will come into its own with another three to five years in the cellar." - 94 Points, Tom Hewson, Decanter
Rosé Vintage 2017
$155 on special this week ($175 RRP)
// 62% Pinot Noir (Cumières) and 38% Chardonnay (Chouilly)
Aged on lees for 5.5 years before disgorgement late 2023
8g/L dosage
"This is a layered and complex rosé showing aromas ranging from strawberries, apricot pits and pink grapefruits to nutmeg, pastries and rust. It’s firm, focused and minerally with a tight mousse and a long, taut finish." - 94 Points, Claire Nesbitt, JamesSuckling.com
"The 2017 Rosé is bright and finely sculpted. Crushed red berries, grapefruit, chalk, mint and white pepper lend palpable energy throughout. This is an especially nervy edition of the Rosé. It will appeal most to readers who enjoy taut, vibrant Champagnes. The blend is 62% Pinot Noir (all from Cumières) and 38% Chardonnay (from Chouilly), with the energy of Cumières very much driving the blend. The Pinot came in on the early side, which was necessary to avoid rot. It is a fine effort in a vintage in which Roederer made just two vintage Champagnes, the Rosé and a Blanc de Blancs." - 92 Points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous
Blanc de Blancs 2017
$175 on special this week ($195 RRP)
// 100% Chardonnay (Grand Cru fruit from 'La Côte' in Avize)
28% of wine vinified in French oak
Aged on lees for 5 years before disgorgement late 2023/early 2024
7g/L dosage
"A bright yellow reflective color, the 2017 Champagne Blanc De Blancs is aromatic and pretty on the nose although just a little shy at this stage, offering notes of lemon meringue and hazelnut. The wine has a Burgundian texture and breadth to it, with a highly refined feel of elegance, a supple, rounded mouthfeel, a fluffy mousse, and a long finish. It has a hint of warmth, but it’s very well-managed and balanced. It’s pure all the way through, with a persistent chalky, underlying mineral texture." - 95 points, Jeb Dunnuck
"The 2017 Brut Blanc de Blancs, derived from four plots in the mid-slopes of Avize and vinified tw-thirds in stainless steel with the remainder in oak, is a considerable effort in the comparatively challenging year. “Unlike the red grapes, Chardonnay did not have issues with rot,” recalls Jean-Baptiste Lecaillon. Disgorged with seven grams per liter dosage, it soars from the glass with aromas of grapefruit zest, pear and toasted almonds. On the palate, it’s medium to full-bodied, ample and textural, with a low-pressure mousse, vibrant acidity and a long, chalky finish. It’s derived from their estate, which has been farmed organically since 2017 (and certified as such in 2020). For its richness, 2017 reminds one of the 2010 vintage with less exoticism." - 92 Points, Kristaps Karklins, Robert Parker Wine Advocate
Philippe Starck Brut Nature 2018
$175 on special this week ($195 RRP)
// 55% Pinot Noir, 25% Pinot Meunier, 20% Chardonnay and touch of Pinot blanc
31% of wines vinified in French oak
0g/L dosage
"Roederer’s 2018 Brut Nature Blanc is stellar. That is evident from the very first taste. There is something different about the 2018, a level of dimension and complexity that supersedes anything Roederer has achieved with this cuvée in previous releasees. Much of that comes down to changes in élevage. Early vintages were made using a similar approach as with the other Roederer Champagnes. Wines were taken off the lees in December and then bottled around March/April. That resulted in Brut Natures that were a bit austere in feel. For the 2018, Chef de Caves Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon opted to extend time on lees until spring, while also doing some stirring during that time to build texture, and then bottling in June, almost as if he was making a still wine. Where the 2018 truly shines in tasting. White flowers, lemon peel, chalk, slate and mint all race across the palate. This is Brut Nature, so bottled with no dosage, but that is not as evident here as it has been in previous editions, where the wine has at times felt a bit stark, no pun intended. This is the first vintage that includes a tiny amount of Pinot Blanc (1%), which presages future vintages where the field blend will include Arbanne, Petit Meslier and Pinot Gris as well. The 2018 is the best Brut Nature yet. I loved it." - 95 Points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous
"The ripest and darkest Pinot Noir bunches were pre-harvested and macerated before pressing. Their juice lent the colour to this compelling pink wine that is slow to open. Gently, both orange peel and later also redcurrant compote rise from the glass, showing the future direction of travel. The palate is all sleekness, held in a firm and elegant frame that marshals the generosity of the fruit and underscores the clarity and brightness of the flavours. This still has to unfold and will do so beautifully with more bottle age." - 93 Points, Anne Krebiehl MW, Decanter
Cristal 2016
$559 on special this week ($625 RRP)
// 58% Pinot Noir and 42% Chardonnay (entirely Grand Cru fruit)
Aged on lees for 6.5 years before disgorgment late 2023
31% of base wines aged in French oak
7g/L dosage
"Very, very concentrated and dense with some salinity and really juicy. 'We call it the Chevalier-Montrachet of Champagne because it's discreet rather than showy', according to Lécaillon. Markedly savoury, and indeed not entirely unlike modern, slightly austere white burgundy. Definite chewiness on the end and a bottle that should ideally be kept awhile. But, presumably thanks to warmer summers and organically grown vines, it's more open than Cristal used to be on release." - 19/20 Points, Jancis Robinson MW
"Cristal 2016 represents a return to purity and classicism for this cuvée, even seen through the lens of 2016's ripe, generous nature. It is discreet in youth, cloaking its ripeness in long, chalky, stony energy. Gentle mandarin, pale apricot and raspberry fruit sit under slowly maturing notions of floral honey and tight, smoky charm. An airy, flowing delicacy and persistence lifts this above some other expressions of this year. It's a hugely promising Cristal, likely to stand as tall as the sought-after 2012 and 2013 releases." - 97 Points, Tom Hewson, Decanter
"The finest rendition since 2013, the 2016 Cristal has turned out beautifully. A vintage that Lecaillon describes as “difficult in the vineyards but beautiful in the cellar,” it had suffered slightly in reputation due to the gloomy mood during the challenging growing season, but the results are indeed impressive. The fifth edition produced entirely from organically farmed and certified fruit, and heavily based on Pinot Noir, the 2016 represents the contemporary quality of Cristal, combining the concentration of 2002 with the precision and cut of 2013. Disgorged in July 2024 with a dosage of seven grams per liter, it opens in the glass to reveal a bouquet of lemon zest, white flowers and peeled almond, framed by youthful reduction. On the palate, it is bright and electric, with a pure core of fruit, pinpoint mousse and a textural attack, concluding with a long, saline finish. Drink it alongside the 2015, and it will illuminate its clarity and integration." - 96+ Points, Kristaps Karklins, Robert Parker Wine Advocate
- Also Available & on Special from Louis Roederer -
Rosé Vintage 2018 Half Bottle 375ml
$85 on special this week ($95 RRP)
Philippe Starck Brut Nature Rosé 2018
$189 on special this week ($210 RRP)
Collection 244 NV MAGNUM 1500ml
$265 on special this week ($295 RRP)
Vintage Rosé 1998 (Late Release)
$489 on special this week ($550 RRP)
*Very limited!
Vintage Rosé 1997 (Late Release)
$489 on special this week ($550 RRP)
*Very limited!
Cristal 2015
$529 on special this week ($595 RRP)
Collection 245 NV JEROBOAM 3L
$559 on special this week ($620 RRP)