Champagne Louis Roederer was established in 1776 and is now run by the 7th generation of the family, Frédéric Rouzaud. With over 240 hectares of vineyards located exclusively in the Grands and Premiers Crus villages, Champagne Louis Roederer is self-sufficient for approximately 70% of their non-vintage production and 100% of their vintage champagnes.
Pioneers in sustainable farming, Louis Roederer use organic practices in all their vineyards, and are certified organic in 115 hectares, with the remainder of the estate in conversion. The whole estate uses biodynamic practices and is inspired by the concepts of permaculture. Working hand in hand with nature, respecting terroir and the pursuit of taste underpins everything they do.
A great Rosé champagne must be made from very ripe grapes – something difficult to obtain in the Champagne climate. As a result, Louis Roederer has chosen to invest in one of the earliest Champagne curs villages, Cumières, for which the steeply-sloping, shallow clay and limestone soils face south and benefit from additional light reflected from the river Marne, enabling great phenolic maturity to be achieved. Pinot Noir grapes are now also drawn from Hautvillers, Dizy, Mareuil-sur-Ay adding a more complex array of aromas. In these select terroirs, Louis Roederer applies the precision wine-making methods required to craft a siagnée rosé. The Chardonnay is from the north facing slopes in Chouilly, bringing bright and fresh notes.
Over the years Louis Roederer has developed a unique technique for the production of its rosé champagnes. This process, referred to by Roederer as the ‘infusion’ technique, allows us to bring out the juicy, ripe character of the Pinot Noirs whilst preserving their exceptional freshness. A small amount of Chardonnay juice is added to the Pinot Noir maceration which then ferment together and integrate harmoniously.
The cepage of 2018 is 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay, 15% of the wine was fermented in oak, 21% went through Malolactic Fermentation and it has a dosage of 7g/l and was aged on lees for 4 years.
With the 2018 vintage, our vintage rosé champagne is taking a new direction. Climate change and the successively drier and sunny summers have altered the profile of the Cumieres grapes. This change convinced us of the need to look for Pinot Noir grpaes that would provide additional intensity and aromatic freshness, as well as adding more tannic structure due, in particular, to slower ripening… without losing the charming, juicy hallmark character of the “Riviere” vineyards’ south-facing slopes. So, in the early 2010’s, we embarked on a deeper exploration of the Mesoclimate found in our vineyards at the mouth of the River in order to locate grapes with this profile. We carried out numerous trials in which we infused the Pinot Noir grapes from different plots until, in 2018, we found our future direction! The result is our 2018 vintage rosé Champagne, which retains a good proportion of the taste-filled Cumieres grapes (around 40%) but is now complemented by a wider, more complex array of aromas originating from plots in Hautvillers, Dizy and Mareuil-sur-Ay (60%). Our rosé champagne boasts a deeper colour; its palate remains juicy, but a more tannic structure adds depth and a mouth-watering, textured mouthfeel that lengthens the finish.
An intense Pinot Noir bouquet of zesty citrus (Etna oranges) and red fruit (wild raspberries) with a fresh, reductive edge, which is something of a feat in a sunny year such as 2018. We have the sensation of a vinous, powerful Piont Noir in a wine that is fresh, broad and juicy on the palate. The minerality imparted by the soil is in balance with the sunny nature of the vintage: We have the impression of velvety breadth and chalky freshness. The tannic structure is there, lending the wine depth and endowing it with a full-bodied, savoury and mouth-watering quality. Freshness then takes over, giving way to some dynamic, powdery sensations that are almost chalky and ferrous in character. We have the impression of a firm, vinous wine, perfect for gastronomy. The champagne crescendoes to a magnificently saline and savoury finish.
Champagne, France
60% Pinot Noir
40% Chardonnay
Cork
12.5%
7g/l
