Champagne Louis Roederer Brut Vintage

Description

Champagne Louis Roederer Brut Vintage is only released in vintages that are of high quality enough to be bottled as Vintage Champagne.

Champagne Louis Roederer, established in 1776, is one of the few remaining completely independent, family owned Champagne houses. By 1886 the House had achieved such a reputation for quality that the second Louis Roederer was asked by Tsar Alexander II to create Cristal for the exclusive use of the Russian Tsars, and in so doing created the first Cuvée de Prestige. Roederer owns just over 200 hectares of vineyards located in the finest areas of Champagne – Montagne de Reims, Vallée de la Marne and Côte des Blancs. Each vineyard is situated in the finest sites, with the plots ranking between 95% and 100% on the Echelle des Crus. This makes Roederer self sufficient for 100% of its vintage styles. Such a high proportion of estate grapes is very unusual in Champagne, and ensures superior quality at all stages from grape to glass.

Fascinated by the diversity of aromatic expression of the Pinot noir grape in Champagne, Louis Roederer decided to base the Vintage Brut on the structure and power of the Pinot Noirs of the Montagne de Reims, where the north-northeast facing vines are slower to ripen. In 1850, Roederer decided to buy more than 15 hectares of prime Verzenay vineyards.

The blend for Champagne Louis Roederer Brut Vintage 2009 is 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay, with 37% of the wine vinified in oak tuns with weekly bâtonnage (stirring by hand); it is not subjected to malolactic fermentation. The Vintage cuvée is aged, on average, for four years in Louis Roederer’s cellars and left for six months after dégorgement (disgorging) to attain optimal maturity. The dosage is 9 g/l.