Louis Roederer Brut Collection - 243

Today, I bring you a relatively new addition to the Roederer lineup, which they are calling Collection Cuvee.  

While my recent trip to France focused mostly on smaller, grower Champagne producers (a lot more about that soon!), I couldn’t resist a visit to the cellars of Louis Roederer. It really was spectacular. Not only was their presentation first rate, it was fascinating to learn that an estate of its size is as nimble and forward thinking as many of the smaller champagne producers I visited.  It’s no wonder that the House is crafting some of the finest wines it has ever produced in its almost 250 year history.

Collection Cuvee has replaced the Brut Premier. The new big idea is that instead of focusing on a consistent style from year to year, as most houses do with their entry level non-vintage cuvees, each collection would be unique based upon the characteristics the base year provides. This gives Roederer the freedom to craft the best possible wine each and every year. First introduced in 2021 (Col 242) it is a multi-vintage Champagne, meaning that the Louis Roederer team uses the art of blending multiple vintages, and grape varieties from the 242 hectares of vines they currently farm.

The majority of the grapes for Collection come from the Coeur de Terroir, or heart of the terroir, where sustainable viticulture is the focus. The blend comes from three of Louis Roederer’s historical estates—La Rivière, La Montagne, and La Côte—in equal parts, and the specific plots are carefully selected based on Collection’s identity and what is most appropriate for the year.

For Collection, Louis Roederer also introduced a new Perpetual Reserve, which was started with the 2012 vintage and is enriched each year with wines from the latest harvest. Composed of equal parts Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, this Perpetual Reserve is stored in stainless steel vats to prevent oxidation and preserve freshness, creating a harmonious, ongoing medley of the years.

The Perpetual Reserve’s freshness adds contrast and balance to a Louis Roederer hallmark—its oak-aged reserve wines. For Collection, the house increased the proportion of these reserve wines—which come from young plots on the Cristal estate and are aged in large foudres—in each blend to between six and 12 percent, adding intensity, minerality, and complexity.  More notes on the blend below.