Champagne Louis Roederer - Brut Nature 2012 (Starck)

Bettane & Desseauve

About the estate:

Founded in Reims in 1776, Roederer remains in 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, an eminent cellar master and agronomist, never ceases to impress with his intimate knowledge of every plot on the estate and the decisions he makes. The exceptional Cristal 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 more clay-rich. Wines intended for extended aging do not undergo malolactic fermentation, which requires harvesting the grapes at peak ripeness, often close to 11° Brix. The current wines are certainly the most remarkable ever produced, including the astonishing red and white Coteaux-Champenois, alongside the highly exclusive Camille cuvées.

Guide Hachette des vins

About the estate:

A house founded in Reims in 1776. Louis Roederer took over as owner in 1833, expanded the business, and acquired vineyards. In the 1870s, the house, which produced 2.5 million bottles, had Russia as its main client, where Tsar Alexander II asked Louis Roederer to create a prestigious champagne for him: the famous Cristal cuvée was launched (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 descendants of its founders. The latest, Frédéric Rouzaud, now heads a group that owns Deutz Champagnes and numerous prestigious wines, from the Médoc to Provence, from Portugal to California.

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

RVF - La Revue du Vin de France / Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France

About the estate:

Here is one of Champagne’s finest standard-bearers. This family-run estate is built upon a vineyard comprising 420 plots, predominantly planted with Pinot Noir, with 70% 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 account for 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 major international vineyards. With foresight, he entrusted the reins of the group early on to his son, Frédéric Rouzaud, the current president. Here, malolactic fermentation is only partial and selective (between 25% and 50%). The juices are aged on lees in tanks and oak casks to give them body.

Vinous

James Suckling

About the wine:

It has a very fresh and pure citrus nose and is full-bodied on the palate. It then becomes refreshing, settles down, and reveals a refined character, with notes of flint, defined by crisp acidity all the way through to the finish. Super refreshing and briny. Made from biodynamically grown grapes—55% Pinot Noir, 25% Chardonnay, and 20% Pinot Meunier. Drink now or cellar.