Louis Roederer Champagne

I visited Louis Roederer three years ago, and I have to say it was one of the most informative and comprehensive winery visits I have ever had. To say I was impressed is an absolute understatement.

They own 250 hectares of vines across 420 plots, 135 of those hectares certified organic. For as large as this domaine is, they act with the same attention to detail you see in a grower farming just two or three hectares. Their forward-thinking approach to farming and viticulture can be squarely attributed to longtime cellar master Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon. Under his leadership, decisions he made 20-plus years ago are paying huge dividends today. With some of the best premier cru and grand cru vineyards scattered across Champagne, they have a canvas to work with that is almost unmatched by any Champagne producer today.

The vintage Blanc de Blancs is sourced from the heart of the Côte des Blancs, specifically the grand cru estate vineyards of "La Côte" in Avize. These plots are all farmed organically with some biodynamic techniques, harvested, and vinified separately to retain their own unique signature. They are prime, east-facing sites that allow for optimal maturity on the chalky soils that have made the Côte des Blancs the reference point for Chardonnay grown in Champagne.

2019 was a very warm, erratic growing season, but the chalky soils have a way of retaining water, allowing for full maturity while at the same time producing a wine of amazing freshness and energy. One of the keys to Roederer's success that isn't mentioned often enough is Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon's decision to block the malolactic fermentation. The result is a wine with a more taut, crisp palate that works perfectly with the mature ripeness being achieved. Twenty-three percent of the cuvée is vinified in oak casks, the remainder in stainless steel. It spends five years sur latte in the cave, allowing it to develop the bottle complexity that is the signature of the estate.

This is Chardonnay at its fullest expression: candied lemon and white flower scents with hints of toasted almond and hazelnut. On the palate there is excellent concentration that radiates freshness and salinity. The oak is present yet discreet, adding a grainy, vinous structure that is both generous and mouthwatering—almost giving it a white Burgundy feel rather than a Champagne.

We have not yet seen any real press from the major critics, as most of the top wines are still resting in the cellars. But the real insiders have long known the quality of this vintage and have quietly been scooping up the NV wines with 2019 in the base. This is going to go down as one of the all-time great Champagne vintages. If one word defines it, it could simply be summed up as exceptional!