Champagne Louis Roederer - Brut Nature 2012 (Starck)
94/100
James Suckling
94/100
Vinous
“It has a very fresh and pure citrus nose and is full on the palate. Then it becomes refreshing, settles, and reveals a refined character, with notes of flint, sharply defined by dry acidity all the way through the finish. Super refreshing and briny. Made from biodynamically grown grapes—55% Pinot Noir, 25% Chardonnay, and 20% Pinot Meunier. Drink now or celller.” (James Suckling)
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Eye
A golden-yellow color with green highlights. Delicate, dense, and slow effervescence.
Nose
A rich, juicy bouquet. Hints of ripe fruit—vine peach and candied lemon—blend with toasty hazelnut notes. The fruit’s ripeness is reflected in baked apple and apple tatin, along with caramelized spices reminiscent of fresh wood and benzoin.
Palate
A juicy, textural attack. Intense, briny freshness; the savory notes are enhanced by the overwhelming freshness and lovely bitter notes. The palate is clean, crystalline, and refined.
Serve
At 10-12°C
Drink before
2030+
Food and Wine Pairings
Enjoy it as an aperitif or with oysters as an appetizer...
Bettane & Desseauve
Rated estate (2026 guide): 5*Stars (Exceptional producers who represent the absolute pinnacle of quality in France and around the world)
About the estate:
Founded in Reims in 1776, Roederer is still owned by the same family, represented today by Frédéric Rouzaud. In recent years, the estate has been a pioneer, being the first to gradually convert its vast 242-hectare vineyard to organic and biodynamic farming (126 hectares). Jean-Baptiste Lecaillon, a renowned cellar master and agronomist, never ceases to impress with his intimate knowledge of every plot on the estate and the decisions he makes. “Cristal,” an exceptional prestige cuvée, comes exclusively from vines growing on chalky soils. The vintage wines and the core of the non-vintage brut—now called “Collection,” with a number indicating the base year of the blend—come from soils that are still calcareous but contain more clay. Wines intended for extended aging do not undergo malolactic fermentation, which requires harvesting the grapes at high ripeness—often close to 11°. The current wines are certainly the most remarkable ever produced, including the astonishing red and white Coteaux-Champenois, along with the highly exclusive Camille cuvées.
Guide Hachette des vins
Rated Estate: Award-Winning Wines (This producer’s wines regularly receive awards from the guide)
About the estate:
A house founded in Reims as early as 1776. Louis Roederer became its owner in 1833, expanded the business, and acquired vineyards. In the 1870s, the house—which produced 2.5 million bottles—had Russia as its primary customer, where Tsar Alexander II asked Louis Roederer to create a prestigious champagne for him: the famous Cristal cuvée was launched in 1876. With a vineyard of 240 hectares (comprising Premier Cru and Grand Cru plots) accounting for two-thirds of its supply, the company is still run by the founders’ descendants. The most recent, Frédéric Rouzaud, now heads a group that owns Deutz Champagnes and numerous prestigious wines, from the Médoc to Provence, and from Portugal to California.
Robert Parker - Wine Advocate
Estate rated "Recommended" (Wine producer recommended by Robert Parker—The Wine Advocate)
RVF - La Revue du Vin de France / Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France
Rated estate (2026 guide): 3*Stars (These represent the pinnacle of French winemaking. The finest terroirs cultivated by the greatest winemakers. Tasting their wine is always a magical experience.)
About the estate:
Here is one of Champagne’s finest standard-bearers. This family-owned estate draws on a vineyard comprising 420 plots, predominantly planted with Pinot Noir, 70% of which are classified as Grand Cru. Viticulture is a true priority here, particularly through the transition to biodynamic farming. Soil management practices are becoming widespread. Only a vineyard as exceptional as this can explain the unique level of harmony and concentration found in such large volumes. It is no coincidence that the cellar master, Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon, is not only an oenologist but also an agronomist—just like Jean-Claude Rouzaud, who built the current empire of Roederer’s great international vineyards. In a wise move, he entrusted the reins of the group early on to his son, Frédéric Rouzaud, the current president. Here, malolactic fermentation is only partial and varies (between 25% and 50%). The juices are aged on lees in tanks and oak casks to give them body.
Vinous
Wine rated 94/100
James Suckling
Wine rated (2019 guide) 94/100
About the wine:
It has a very fresh and pure citrus nose and is full on the palate. It then becomes refreshing, settles, and reveals a refined character, with notes of flint, sharply defined by dry acidity all the way through the finish. Super refreshing and briny. Made from biodynamically grown grapes—55% Pinot Noir, 25% Chardonnay, and 20% Pinot Meunier. Drink now or celller.