Louis Roederer Blanc de Blancs 2015 Magnum

As the largest independent family-managed Champagne producer, Louis Roederer rank amongst the region's absolute finest. 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 an astounding 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 & by 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. 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. Today Cristal is, widely recognised as the world's most awarded prestige cuvée champagne.

In the heart of the Côte des Blancs, where Chardonnay expresses itself with such incredible finesse on the famous limestone soils, Louis Roederer selected one plot from their vineyards in Avize Grand Crus for their Blanc de Blancs 2015. This plots in Avize have distinct characteristics and in the difficult vintage only grapes from the south facing slopes attained the required level of ripeness. This pure-Chardonnay champagne quickly became the favourite wine of the Roederer family for major events and is 100% estate-bottled from the grapes of their historic vineyards. Fermented at a slightly lower pressure for ideal balance with the fresh acidity, 16% of the wines were fermented in wood casks.

Weather: 2015 is remembered for its classic growth cycle. The particularly mild winter gave way to a varied spring with a period of freezing temperatures followed by intense heat. The vines reached full bloom at the usual times, during a sunny and dry month of June. It was a glorious summer with plenty of sunshine and little rain. The ripening of the Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays was given a boost at the end of August by some long-awaited rainfall. The crops were harvested in mid-September under the cool autumnal skies, giving rise to elegant, fresh and fruity wines, worthy of labelling as true “classics”.

Technical Information:
Vineyards: 100% Grand Cru | La cote in Avize (Detailed map)
Grape Varieties: 100% Chardonnay
Lees Ageing: 6 years
Disgorged: Spring 2021
Pressure: 5 bars - most champagne is 6 bars & lower pressure creates a softer mouthfeel
Wine in Oak: 16%
Malolactic Fermentation: 0%
Dosage: 8 g/l
Drink: Now to 2036

Tasting Note: The bouquet is precise and mineral with notes of ripe citrus fruit and white, almost vanilla-like blossoms (pollen) and notes of freshly harvested wheat and almonds. The freshness of the bouquet comes through in the form of minty and iodised aromas (sea spray) which slowly evolve towards warmer notes of smoke, hot butter and toast. The palate is creamy and soft yet concentrated on entry. The wine, underpinned by the delicate bubbles, unfolds majestically. It offers us the sensation of ripe, concentrated juice carried by an incredibly powdery texture with a distinctly saline finish. Oaky and smoky notes continue to draw out the wine, giving it extra length and concentration, an indication of its exceptional cellar-ageing potential. The finish is pure, refreshing and mouth-watering.