Louis Roederer Camille Milnon Pinot Noir Coteaux Champenois Rouge 2022

Louis Roederer Camille Milnon Pinot Noir Coteaux Champenois Rouge 2022 is a single-vineyard expression from the Dizy terroir, showcasing the potential of Pinot Noir in Champagne. This inaugural release, from 13-year-old vines, underwent 21 days of whole-bunch maceration and aged for 16 months in a mix of oak barrels. The wine reveals a pronounced mineral character, complemented by concentrated black fruit and subtle vegetal notes. Blend: 100% Pinot Noir.

As the largest independent family-managed Champagne producer, Louis Roederer rank amongst the region's absolute finest. Established in 1776, the House is currently managed by seventh generation family member Frédéric Rouzaud alongside long-time Chef de Cave and Champagne legend Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon. Today, Champagne Louis Roederer own an astounding 240 hectares of vineyards in the very best locations that cover two-thirds of their grape requirements and are pioneers in biodynamic farming, having converted a total of 78-hectares to accommodate production using biodynamic methods. Their portfolio begins with Brut Premier, one of Champagne's most seductive non-vintage cuvées and ends with Cristal, perhaps the world's most recognised prestige cuvée champagne.

Champagne is 300 kilometres north of Burgundy where Chardonnay and Pinot Noir thrive producing richly flavoured still red and white wines. Those few hundred km’s make quite a difference and sparkling wine is best suited to the cooler Champagne region. A few have made still wines in Champagne called Coteaux Champenois or Champagne Hillsides, typically in the warmer years when the grapes get a little more ripe. Louis Roederer set out on their mission more than 25 years ago by identifying specific plots and altering pruning and training to give wines of the vitality and finesse in a single-varietal and single-vineyard wine with an identity of its own.

Paying tribute to the great grandmother of the family, Camille Orly-Roederer, Frederic Rouzaud decided to dedicate this collection of single- vineyard still wines to her in admiration of her bold character. Inspired by the remarkable quality of a surviving 1961 vintage. Expressing all the power of the Dizy terroir, the Milnon lieu-dit reveals a new identity for Roederer's Côteaux Champenois, first produced in 2022, this powerful, concentrated wine boasts a pronounced mineral signature and reflects the exceptional maturity of the vintage. This cooler site, west of the village of Ay has been recognized for the distinctive character of its expression: here, ripening is so slow that the grapes must be harvested late, with low yields per vine, and risks must be taken to capture the full depth of the fruit and a concentration in which the Pinot Noir expresses a freshness tinged with vegetal notes alongside a pronounced black-fruit character. 2022 is the first year of production from these 13-year-old vines!

Weather: The 2022 vintage brought us record levels of sunshine, with July the sunniest since 1959, and no fewer than five heat waves between spring and summer. It was a -generally dry- growing season, because, although the drought did not go unnoticed, we must not forget that there were some welcome, and sometimes unexpected, oceanic storms in June, which ensured the vines never suffered from a lack of water. And then came the -final gift-: the last rainy spells in mid-August, arriving at just the right time to ensure an exceptional ripening.

Technical Information:
Grape: 100% Pinot Noir from a 0.73 acre plot lieu-dit in Dizy
Lieu-dit: Milnon
Ageing: 16 months in a thoughtful mix of barrels, with one-third new oak, one-third once-filled, and one-third twice-filled
Planting date: 2009
Bottling date: 13th February 2024
Maceration: 21 days with 100% whole bunches Spontaneous fermentation
Wine Growing: Organic

Tasting Note: Intense and powerful bouquet with a pronounced mineral signature. With its blend of rock, liquorice and smoke, there is something almost volcanic about this wine. Tobacco aromas then follow before the concentrated black fruit (blueberry) finally emerges, accompanied by some vegetal nuances from the whole-bunch maceration. The palate is soft, textured and coated on entry, before becoming concentrated, firm and energetic. There is a lovely concentration of substance, with a strong sense of identity – untamed and mineral. Once again, the soil prevails over the fruit. The texture is distinctly savoury, with a firm, fresh structure clearly built for long ageing.