A magical vintage Champagne!

2015 was an excellent vintage in Champagne in many ways: firstly, the area was included on UNESCO's famous World Heritage List, and secondly, the right weather conditions in terms of heat and rain were experienced, which gave the wines a perfect balance between concentration and freshness. The summer was one of the hottest and driest on record, but fortunately the end of August brought reasonable amounts of rain, which added acidity, freshness and bite to the grapes. The task for the team was then to bring out all the details in this fantastic vintage.

The 2015 is made from 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay from the Cru vineyards near Verzy and Chouilly in Montagne. After the alcoholic fermentation, 24% of the wine underwent malolactic fermentation, and then 34% of the wine was aged in wooden barrels. The second fermentation in the bottle lasted for 4 years.

The wine has a beautiful golden color and small, persistent bubbles. In the aroma, the Pinot Noir character dominates, with classic notes of currants, raspberries and bird cherries, which the famous vineyards in the Montagne area are known for. This is followed by Chardonnay nuances of apricots, white peaches and white pepper. In the taste, 2015 has great body and meatiness, but also nerve and freshness. In the aftertaste, you can catch notes of bitter chocolate, roasted coffee but also beautiful notes of red berries. As always, this Brut Vintage has a wonderful balance between freshness, firmness, body and minerality. The wine belongs to the powerful champagnes at Roederer and can therefore be easily served both as an aperitif and with, for example, white meat.

The manufacturer
Founder Louis Roederer set the highest standards, and subsequently his heirs, who still control the company, have never wavered from his ideals. Louis Roederer decided that the only way he could ensure that his wines were of exceptional quality was to control every process in the production of Champagne, including owning and operating the vineyards.

When you have 214 hectares of the best vineyards in the Champagne region at your disposal – even classified as “Premier and Grand Cru” – and can be almost self-sufficient in grapes from year to year, you are undoubtedly in a privileged situation. But the privilege is not something that comes easily. The exceptional quality and elegance of Louis Roederer Champagne is the result of two centuries of experience in making only the finest wines. Appreciated by Champagne lovers worldwide where the consistently high quality stands as a landmark among Champagnes.

Today, Jean-Claude Rouzaud, himself a trained oenologist, is responsible for and owns Champagne Louis Roederer. Getting to know Jean-Claude Rouzaud quickly convinces one that the high quality standards that the founders and their successors set for their Champagne company are still upheld to this day.

The house of Louis Roederer covers 80% of its needs with grapes from its own vineyards, which are harmoniously distributed in the 3 best regions of Champagne: Montagne de Reims, Vallée de la Marne and Côte des Blancs. 97% of Louis Roederer's vineyards are classified as Grand Cru or Premier Cru. The same distribution is found in the purchased grapes from Bouzy and Ambonnay, and both clearly offer quality opportunities.

Vinification takes place in modern stainless steel tanks of 60-100 hl. This provides the best hygiene and complete control over all processes. A few floors underground are Roederer's very famous Vins de Réserve. It is a warehouse of old wines, which are stored in 60 hl oak barrels that have been used for many years. Remuage - turning the bottle - is still done by hand, and at Louis Roederer the bottles are stored for at least 6 months after "dégorgement", i.e. the final cork is attached. A detail that ensures even greater quality, because a Champagne that has just been "disgorged" must have time to settle down again.