Louis Roederer Collection 243 NV 6L

Louis Roederer remains one of the last 100% independent, family-owned Champagne Houses, presided over by seventh generation Frédéric Rouzaud. Under the stewardship of Chef du Cave, Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon these past two decades, Louis Roederer has become the largest Biodynamic Domaine in Champagne with their 242 hectares located in the three most important sub-regions: Montagne de Reims (La Montagne); Vallée de la Marne (La Rivière) and Côtes des Blancs (La Côte). In March 2021, following 20 years of environmental transition, 115 hectares of the historic Louis Roederer family vineyard achieved organic certification.

2017, the base vintage for Collection 243, was a year of living dangerously! An exceptionally warm and dry winter and spring, but the latter brought severe frosts from 17 to 29 April, setting the sorry record for 12 nights of frost. These were followed by a dull, wet and not particularly hot summer, which ended in an almost tropical (hot and humid) spell at the end of August. This sudden change led to a significant increase in grey rot on the ripening Pinot noir and Meunier grapes. The harvest was fastpaced and completed very quickly demanding precise and methodical selection work, of an unprecedented level even for Roederer.

Light straw colour and a savoury bouquet of straw, dry grass, dried herb aromas with richness and ripeness: lemon, honey, subtle nutty overtones and smoky creamy notes. It's quite full in the mouth and very dry, savoury and well-structured, with evident tannins and acidity that call loudly for food. There is richness and amplitude on the palate, giving it the backbone that is needed for a food wine. The finish is long and insistent, the end-palate crisply dry and loaded with energy. The 8 grams per litre of dosage do not show at all, the wine tastes dry and savoury with a mineral grip that is extremely appetising. It's a wine that would also age very well. A new direction for Roederer, the Collection replaces Brut Premier from now on. - Huon Hooke, The Real Review, June 2021, 95 Points

The Finer Details
Style - Champagne
Varietal - Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier
Region - Champagne
Country - France
Vintage - Non-Vintage
Size - 6L Magnum
ABV - 12%
Closure - Cork