Why it matters
The producer
Louis Roederer farms vineyards using biodynamic principles and remains one of the few independent, family run Champagne houses. Based in Reims, it produces sparkling cuvées under several named lines, including Cristal.
Dubois Père & Fils was founded in 1776. Louis Roederer inherited the company from his uncle in 1833 and renamed it after himself. The label changed from the family firm's original name to Louis Roederer, the name carried by the house today. The company remains one of the few independent, family run Champagne houses.
Place and vineyards
Where the wines begin
Reims is the house's home city in Champagne. The vineyard estate spans 244 hectares. Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Meunier form Champagne's principal grape framework, and the labels distinguish Collection, Vintage, Blanc de Blancs and rosé styles.
Louis Roederer farms 75 hectares using biodynamic principles. The estate is the largest biodynamic estate in Champagne. Biodynamic farming treats the vineyard as a living system, using preparations and timed field work to care for soil and vines.
In the cellar
Vineyards and cellar
The Blanc de Blancs cuvée is partly vinified in oak casks, with 28% of the wine receiving that treatment. It undergoes no malolactic fermentation, is bottle aged for 5 years, and rests for a further 8 months after disgorgement. Oak cask vinification allows gentle oxygen exchange and can broaden texture, while avoiding malolactic fermentation preserves malic acidity. Disgorgement removes the lees from a sparkling wine, and the cuvée is drawn off at low pressure to create rounder, smoother effervescence.
Wines to know
The range in view
The range is organized by bottle style. Collection, Vintage, Rosé Vintage, Blanc de Blancs Vintage, Carte Blanche, Cristal and Cristal Rosé make up the named lines. Vintage marks a harvest year, Blanc de Blancs names a white grape cuvée, and Rosé Vintage and Cristal Rosé are pink sparkling styles. Collection 246 is a sparkling cuvée with 7 g/L dosage, the sugar addition after disgorgement that sets final sweetness.
Cristal 2016 opens with salt, licorice, lavender, chamomile, macaroon and wild strawberries. The palate is savory, almost nutty, and closes with a stentorian, stony finish.