Louis Roederer Blanc De Blancs 2016 Vintage Champagne 75cl

"An ode to the passing of time, to the brilliance of the Chardonnay Grands Crus growing in limestone soil, to Louis Roederer’s distinct, vinous and subtle style." - Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon, Cellar Master

Inspired by the Champagne House’s savoir-faire in the harvest of a single year, this pure Chardonnay is grown on hillside plots in the Avize terroir in the heart of the “La Côte” estate. This champagne draws its strength from the intense chalkiness of these limestone soils which lend it its infinite freshness. With time, this champagne reveals the power and identity of these great terroirs.

Composed of 100% Chardonnay, the Blanc de Blancs Vintage cuvée is generally matured on lees for five years and left for a minimum of 6 months after dégorgement (disgorging) to attain perfect maturity.

Carried by the saline freshness of the limestone, this Blanc de Blancs is a slender, straight, luminous wine, with a caressing and powdery texture, where the minerality is finely linked to the substance. It is the triumph of Chardonnays!

TASTING NOTES

Golden yellow hue with bright highlights.

Magnificent, soft and even bubbles.

Bouquet of white flowers (jasmine, orange blossom), citrus zest (lemon) and wheat complemented by an impression of iodine freshness, sea spray, sea breeze and powdered chalk. A few smoky notes and a reductive, calcareous quality, reminiscent of grilled almonds, emerge after aeration.

The palate is creamy and caressing, revealing softness and finesse; coated velvet-like textures that quickly give way to fresh, marine, powdery and concentrated sensations. One has the impression of biting into a ripe, juicy fruit bursting with a lingering and mouth-watering zesty freshness. The finish is smooth, saline and stretches out like a shaft of sunshine, luminous and drying yet never brittle.

VINTAGE

The 2016 vintage was characterised by particularly marked weather variations: spring was cool, wet and relatively late whereas summer was warm and dry with a heatwave in late August followed by dry and sunny weather over the harvest period which was highly beneficial to the ripening of the grapes. Our Pinot noirs thrived in these dry, sunny conditions and the heat has given them an intensely fruity character and silky smooth texture. The Chardonnays are just as outstanding although more chiselled and saline in character. Harvests from 15 September to 1 October 2016