Champagne Louis Roederer Collection 242

Tasting Note

Aromas of ripe, sweet fruit are complemented by subtle oaky notes. The rich, ripe palate has a luxurious texture - the signature of outstanding Chardonnay. The Pinot Noir and Meunier grapes complete the luscious, smooth and juicy character through to a lively and fresh finish.

Producer Note

When Louis Roederer inherited the Champagne House in 1833 he took a visionary approach to enriching his vines, aiming to master every stage of the wine's creation. Louis Roederer acquired some of Champagne's Grand Cru vineyards as he believed all great wine depends on the quality of the soil. While other Houses bought their grapes, Louis Roederer nurtured his vineyards, familiarised himself with the specific characteristics of each parcel, and methodically acquired the finest land. Louis Roederer’s guiding principle was that all great wine depends on, is the quality of the soil, a passion for tradition and an astute vision of the future. The Louis Roederer House remains an independent, family-owned company and is now managed by the seventh generation of the lineage. 

Vintage

2017, the base vintage for Collection 242, was a challenging year. An exceptionally warm and dry winter and spring, was punctuated by severe frosts from 17 to 29 April, setting the unfortunate record for 12 nights of frost. A dull, wet and not particularly hot summer followed, culminating in a hot and humid spell at the end of August. The harvest was fast-paced and completed very quickly demanding precise and methodical selection work, of an unprecedented level even for Roederer. The harvest took place from the 31st August to the 9th September 2017.

Vineyard

The Collection Champagne has been created to reflect modern times, with sustainable viticulture, respecting the living environment and fully expressing the qualities of the terroir being of paramount importance. ‘Collection 242’ comes from a selection of plots located in the heart of the Champagne region, where the emphasis is on sustainable growing practices. The plots are located on the Roederer estates and those that form part of their historic partnerships, which are rooted in the ‘Cœur de Terroir’ (the heart of the terroir). The plots are ‘lieux-dits’, those with the best exposures and vineyards with strong identities that are often planted on chalk soils. All of which are capable of giving the best of their fruit, vintage after vintage. The fruit for this cuvée comes from 1/3 ‘La Rivière’ vineyards, 1/3 ‘La Montagne’ vineyards and 1/3 ‘La Côte’ vineyards.

Winemaking

Traditionally vinified, the final blend was predominantly from the 2017 vintage, with 10% reserve wines aged in oak from the 2009, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016 vintages; and 34% of perpetual reserves from 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016. 34% of the wines underwent malolactic conversion. The final dosage was 8g/l. 

Grape

Chardonnay 42%, Pinot Noir 36%, Pinot Meunier 22%