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.

The story of Brut Nature began in 2003. This exceptionally sunny year revealed for the first time that certain vineyards in the heart of the Louis Roederer estate had remarkable potential. The clay hillsides of Cumières, Hautvillers and Vertus had no difficulty in resisting the heat and drought in the summer of 2003, producing intense and balanced grapes despite the weather. Moderate yields, a quick harvest and less racking due to the hot temperatures combined with fermentation in wooden casks led to the production of wines with incredible freshness. This prompted Roederer to carry out a series of bottling trials, fine-tuning the wines in 2003, 2004 and 2005, culminating in the selection of the 2006 vintage for the first Brut Nature creation. Produced solely from vineyards located on the Cumières terroir, these Pinot Noir grapes have such intense vinosity and exceptional maturity that no dosage is added to this cuvée.

The collaboration between Frédéric Rouzaud and French designer, Philippe Starck encouraged the Louis Roederer team to be innovative, leading to the creative design of the Brut Nature label. Louis Roederer Brut Nature 2006 is the first ever production of this unique cuvée.

Weather: The 2006 vintage was a year of mixed weather. It began with a rainy spell and late spring, but with little or no frost in the vineyards. Early summer was positive, with the months of June and July creating perfect conditions for flowering. Although there were some storms in late-July, the overall health of the vines was great since the weather remained hot through to the harvest with spells of rain in August promoting even healthier grapes.

Technical Information:
Vineyards: 100% Premier Cru | Pinot Noir & Chardonnay: Cumières
Grape Varieties: 66% Pinot Noir, 33% Chardonnay
Ageing: 7 years on the lees
Disgorged: 2014
Dosage: 0 g/l
Drink: Now to 2028

Tasting Note: On the nose, Brut Nature 2006 has fruity aromas of pear and citrus. On the palate it really shines, bursting with a rich array of flavours, youthful energy and a delightfully creamy texture. This is a champagne that will benefit from decanting, gaining depth and roundness and really displaying the dry apple cider and red fruit flavours.