There are few things in the vinous world which excite as much as a chilled glass of Champagne and when the chilled champagne in question harks from the house of Louis Roederer, one’s smile is noticeably broader. Last night we were treated to an evening in the presence of Mark Bingley MW of Maison Marques et Domaines Ltd, the UK agent for this prestigious house, together with five cuvees of Roederer Champagne to enjoy. Sometimes working in the wine trade can be a real slog..... Honest!
The first wine by right should always be the house ‘non-vintage’. The benchmark wine is so key to the success of any Champagne house and as such, more effort is placed on this release than of any other cuvee in the range. When an enormous 80% of the Champagne produced at Roederer is intended to be the non-vintage, it is clear that attention to detail is of paramount importance. Using a decent slug of reserve wines, the NV is approximately two thirds Pinot Noir and Meunier with the remainder Chardonnay. In a sea of house Champagnes, it reminded us just how serious, focused and complete the ‘basic’ wine is from Louis Roederer. This wine is superior to many houses’ vintage releases and an absolute dream to behold. How wonderful it would be to enjoy a glass every night after a hard day.....? I think Winston Churchill had it just about right when he commissioned pint size bottles of Pol Roger. What a wonderful format - not too little and not too much. Take note Louis Roederer!
Following the NV we tasted a pair of vintage releases. The 2005 and 2002 (in that order), both extremely well reviewed vintages of real substance. The 2005 was very alive in the glass, and extremely vivacious. The 2002 was a heavily concentrated and taught wine which appeared to just be closing down a touch. Given the depth of fruit and delightful acidity, a wine to enjoy over the next decade and a half for sure.
Next to show was the 2006 Vintage Rosé. Catching me out completely, this wine carried a faint salmon pink hue yet carried a punch of masculine richness and weight I just wasn’t expecting. If all Rosé Champagne was like this the world would be a better place!
Finally, the ultimate Roederer cuvee; 2004 Cristal Brut. Forgetting the hype for a moment and concentrating on what was in the glass, I can confirm that 2004 Cristal is a luxury Champagne in every sense of the word. Though I have tasted Cristal several times previously, there was something about 2004 which set it apart from the 1999, 2000 and 2002 for me. Simply, just how serious and backward it was. For me Cristal tends to be about immediacy, not least perhaps because so much of it is consumed painfully early in its lifetime. What was pleasing with 2004 was just how backward and brooding it appeared. Though it has the telltale depth of fruit and ultra clean lines, it arrived on the palate in phases. The acidity (of which there is a great deal) was very separate from the red berried fruit. It is lean and taught and a thoroughbred in every sense, yet one which needs time to show its full potential. I for one can’t wait for it to finally hit its stride... And I’d love to be invited to its first race!
Tasting notes
A mature nose of honey and brioche. Butter toast notes and crème brulée combine with caramel and cream, together with vanilla essence. The nose also displays an attractive brown sugar note. The palate is toasty and fresh with crisp honey and lemon flavours. Wonderful concentration for a NV. Extremely impressive. £32.34 per bottle
2005 Louis Roederer Brut Vintage
An unusual (and delightful) nose of lemon sherbert, rhubarb and custard! Toasty, toffee and cream notes give way to a taught, tightly wound palate. The fruit is concentrated, broad and extremely elegant. It is refined with fresh acidity and a lightness of touch. Still youthful and vivacious on the palate it displays a wonderful mineral character. £59.85 per bottle
2002 Louis Roederer Brut Vintage
The nose has a faintly woody, smoky hint. Hot stone minerality and scorched earth lead to a taught and lean mid palate. The flavours are broad and rich, though the energy of the 2005 is somewhat muffled. Given the strength of 2002 as a vintage the feeling amongst the team was that the wine is starting to head towards a dormant phase. When this finally comes back around it should be truly stunning as all of the required attributes are there. Tasting only
2006 Louis Roederer Brut Rosé
Salmon pink with a nose of wild strawberry and red berried fruit. Quite opulent and forward, there is nothing reserved about this wine! On the palate there is a real weight and presence, with the wine displaying characteristics of a more masculine nature than one had initially anticipated. Very rich fruit is followed by a bone dry finish. Opulent, decadent and bold; this is a five star Rosé. £59.85 per bottle
2004 Cristal Brut
An initially reticent nose starts hinting at pink and purple flower petals. Bold and concentrated on the palate, there is an immediacy to this wine. The depth of fruit is huge though it finishes with a punch of extreme freshness, balancing the palate superbly. This is very regal. I love the weight of red fruit on the palate, the multi dimensional character and the way the wine ends with such freshness and precision. This is what Cristal is all about and surely nothing can match this? Backward, difficult and slightly out of sync at this juncture, this wine will be a fantastic member of the Cristal family in the future but as yet is very much an infant. Fabulous and more akin to a bottle of Grand Cru Red Burgundy than Champagne! £150 per bottle
Written by Martin Wheatley, Fine Wine Sales
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