Louis Roederer Collection 244 is the current Collection release from Louis Roederer and is a multi-vintage wine based on the warm 2018 vintage. It is a class act with lovely richness, texture and fine bubbles. The fruit is bright and open with dark lemon and floral notes along with a distinct fresh red fruit note from the Pinot Noir. It is smoky and toasty on the palate with great structure and a lovely saline note to finish. 243 is a blend of 42% Chardonnay, 40% Pinot Noir and 18% Pinot Meunier. 59% of the wine comes from the 2018 vintage along with a further 10% from oak aged reserve wines from the 2009, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016 vintages. The remaining 31% is from Roederer’s Perpetual Reserve which was created from the 2012 vintage and is enriched each year with new wines. This is an outstanding wine which is taking multi vintage Champagne to the next level and into the future with meticulous site selection, organic viticulture and sustainability. They even have an app in amongst all their marketing buzzwords!
Champagne Louis Roederer was founded in 1776 and has been owned by the same family since 1819. It is one of the few privately owned Champagne houses left and is free from interference from multinational companies and hedge funds that are more interested in the bottom line that the quality of the Champagne. The house has substantial vineyard holdings (240 hectares) which helps control quality, consistency and price as there is less reliance on buying grapes from growers on the open market. 90% of the vineyards are classed as either Grand or Premier Cru and come from superb sites in the Montage de Reims, Vallee de la Marne and Cote des Blancs. Farming is increasingly being done biodynamically.
