A great rosé champagne must be made from very ripe grapes, which are sometimes difficult to obtain in the Champagne climate. As a result, Louis Roederer has chosen to invest in one of the earliest Champagne crus, Cumières, for which the steeply-sloping, shallow clay and limestone soils face south and benefit from the additional light reflected from the river Marne, enabling phenolic maturity to be achieved. In these select terroirs, Louis Roederer applies the precise winemaking methods required for the production of a saignée rosé. The style of this rosé is elegant, full-bodied and with delicate fruitiness (red fruits). Louis Roederer Brut Rosé is 100% estate-bottled from the grapes of the historic family-owned vineyards.

VINTAGE

2017 was a year of living dangerously! An exceptionally warm and dry winter and spring, but the latter brought severe frosts from 17 to 29 April, setting the sorry record for 12 nights of frost. These were followed by a dull, wet and not particularly hot summer, which ended in an almost tropical (hot and humid) spell at the end of August. This sudden change led to a significant increase in grey rot on the ripening Pinot noir and Meunier grapes. The harvest was fast-paced and completed very quickly demanding very precise and methodical selection work of an unprecedented level even for Roederer.

TASTING NOTES

On the eye: Lovely pink hue with light copper tints. Steady flow of fine bubbles.

On the nose: An immediate bouquet of forest fruit (wild strawberries and raspberries) and citrus (blood orange) with some zesty and powdery petal-like notes (rose-flavoured macaroons). Upon aeration, the citrus fruit gives way to iodised and chocolate nuances with a few spicy and resinous (cedar) overtones.

On the palate: The palate is caressingly soft, delicious, delicate and elegant. We have the sensation of a silky texture that softly evaporates to give way to a cloud of delicate and slightly spicy perfumes. The fruit is concentrated and almost liqueur-like on the mid-palate where it is energised by the fresh and iodised flavours. On the finish, the delectable chocolate nuances combine with the chalky freshness to create a lingering and pure impression of salinity.

TECHNICAL INFORMATION

Varietals: 60% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay

Appellation: Cumières and Chouilly