Louis Roederer Collection 242 Champagne N.V.

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.

Driven by a new ambition and freedom, Champagne Louis Roederer is taking an uninhibited and bold approach to writing the next chapter of its story with the creation of Collection series.

In 2020 Roederer replaced Brut Premier with “Collection” allowing each years non-vintage blend to be identified and “re-engineering” the non-vintage cuvee to maintain freshness in the light of global warming on the Champagne region.

Each Louis Roederer Collection blend has its own identity which will gradually and fully reveal itself over time. The Collection number will allow champagne lovers, like collectors, to choose their champagne according to their preferred degree of youth or maturity allowing Champagne Louis Roederer to take its perpetual quest for excellence to the next level—and create a worthy successor to Brut Premier.

The Collection 242 blend is dominated by Chardonnay which was of exceptional quality in the 2017 vintage.

The grapes are from 3 appellations; 1/3 "La Rivière" vineyards, 1/3 "La Montagne" vineyards, 1/3 "La Côte" vineyards.

242rd BLEND

Perpetual Reserve: 34% (2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016)

Reserved wine aged in oak: 10% (2009, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016)

2017 vintage: 56%

"This is the first in a new series of nonvintage Champagnes that replaces the producer's well-known Brut Premier. Based around the 2017 vintage and blended with wines from six other years, the wine is dry while also having a rich, toasty character alongside mineral, white fruit and spice flavors. Drink now. "

Roger Voss" - 94/100, Wine Enthusiast