LOUIS ROEDERER COLLECTION 244 BRUT CHAMPAGNE NV MAGNUM 1.5 LITRE

Gold Medal – New Zealand International Wine Show 2019
Double Gold Medal – New Zealand International Wine Show 2020

Winery notes (NV)
"Louis Roederer has been synonymous with the world's great Champagnes since 1776. Brut Premier is the House's flagship multi-vintage Champagne and its most popular and best-selling wine. It's the Champagne that sets the house style for this esteemed producer.

Brut Premier characterizes the timeless Louis Roederer style with the combination of fresh, youthful fruitiness and the vinous qualities of a fully matured wine. It is a structured wine with a lively attack and a smooth palate. Brut Premier comes in antique-colored bottles that filter out nearly 100 percent of light and are light weight."

5 Stars & Number 1 Cuisine Champagne Over $100 Tasting, October 2019 (NV)
"Louis Roederer inherited the house in 1833 and committed to identifying and acquiring the best vineyard land, an unusual strategy as, at that time, farming grapes held little value. But his foresight paid dividends and in 1876 he crafted the first ever prestige cuvée named ‘Cristal’, specifically for Tsar Alexander of Russia. Sadly, more than half of the vineyards were destroyed during WWI, however with typical determination they rebuilt. Roederer now owns 240 hectares of vineyard encompassing 410 parcels across a range of crus and varietals. They remain fiercely independent and deeply committed to crafting exceptional wines, producing three million bottles annually. To ensure continuity of style and quality during periods of uncertainty, Roederer has created a signature blend from multiple vintages comprising 40% pinot noir, 40% chardonnay and 20% pinot meunier. Aged for three years before disgorgement, this blend is labelled Brut Premier and is Cuisine’s top Champagne over $100 for 2019.

A classic style that is fresh and energetic yet powerfully complex. Warm toasty, yeasty aromas lead to rich flavours that are layered and creamy. A long structural line and textural finish adds to the sensual architecture that is seductive and delicious."

92/100 Wine Enthusiast (NV)
"The famous nonvintage from Louis Roederer has evolved and become just that little bit drier. This bottling emphasizes white fruits and crisp acidity as well as mineral texture. It is a complete wine, all the elements there."

90/100 Decanter, October 2017 (NV)
"Known for its high percentage of estate vineyards, this excellent non-vintage only uses approximately 10% of bought-in Pinot Meunier – the remainder is a rough 50/50 split between Pinot Noir and Chardonnay estate fruit. It has a zesty lemon and fresh apple character, with a steely mineral note and some wood and cream in the background. This is fresh, but nicely rounded."

90/100 Stephan Reinhardt, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (NV)
"Roederer's NV Brut Premier is a classic and blends about 40% Pinot Noir (from Bouzy and Ambonnay), with 20-25% Meunier (whose share is declining in this blend) and Chardonnay. Two-thirds of the grapes come from estate vineyards, one-third is purchased. (Mind you that all the other Roederer cuvées are sourced exclusively form their own vineyards!). Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon holds 160 vats of reserve wines that are stored blank, so without lees, which otherwise would dominate the taste, says Lécaillon. "I don't like the reductive yeast flavours. Instead I am searching for a slightly oxidative and oaky style in my reserve wine." Lécaillon's youngest Premier did not undergo malolactic fermentation. The wine opens very bright, precise and refined, with toasty and white chocolate flavours. Absolutely delicate and elegant on the palate, this is a light, silky textured and remarkably finesse-full Champagne that is fresh on the palate, thanks to its structure and slightly oaky flavours. Excellent."