As the largest independent family-managed Champagne producer, Louis Roederer is amongst the region's finest producer. Established in 1776, the House today is managed by seventh generation family member Frédéric Rouzaud alongside long-time Chef de Cave and Champagne legend Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon. They own 242 hectares of vineyards many in chalk rich Grand Cru villages covering two-thirds of their grape requirements. Roederer have become pioneers in biodynamic farming and in 2012 all 78 hectares the “Cristal Estates” are farmed using biodynamic methods.
By 2021 Roederer have 115 hectares certified organic. All the grapes in Cristal & other vintage cuvee’s come from their own vineyards. The estate is made up of 410 plots which are fermented separately in one of the 450 stainless steel tanks in their Reims cellars.
All Louis Roederer vintage champagnes are made using grapes from their own estate. Louis Roederer use the structure and power of the Pinot Noir grapes from the Montagne de Reims to create their Brut Vintage blend. The character of the Pinot Noir in the champagne intensifies and becomes more refined through long ageing in wood. It is the Pinot Noirs from the Grand Cru rated village of Verzenay in particular that give the champagnes their velvety, creamy and elegant palate.
Today Cristal from Louis Roederer is widely recognised as the world's most awarded prestige cuvée champagne.
A great rosé champagne must be made from very ripe grapes, which are sometimes difficult to obtain in the Champagne climate. As a result, Louis Roederer has chosen to invest in one of the earliest Champagne crus, Cumières, for which the steeply-sloping, shallow clay and limestone soils face south and benefit from the additional light reflected from the river Marne, enabling phenolic maturity to be achieved. In these select terroirs, Louis Roederer applies the precise winemaking methods required for the production of a saignée rosé. The style of this rosé is elegant, full-bodied and with delicate fruitiness (red fruits). Louis Roederer Brut Rosé is 100% estate-bottled from the grapes of the historic family-owned vineyards.
An extraordinary vintage which is also the year in which the Champagne region was recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site! 2015 followed the continental trend of that decade: a mild, wet winter and a hot, dry summer. The summer, hot and sunny, brought record-breaking temperatures and water stress. The second half of August brought some very welcome rain, giving the vines some much needed relief. Thanks to this fresh finish, the vines produced juicy, ripe and concentrated grapes. Our ambition for this vintage? To capture the concentration which is the hallmark of this spectacular vintage!
The grapes are from 2 appellations; Cumières, Chouilly in the “La Rivière” Estate
« The lovely continental maturity of the vintage is expressed here in explosive, ripe fruit and dense, concentrated textures. »
Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon, Cellar Master
