Louis Roederer Champagne Collection 242 NV (France)

Louis Roederer Champagne Collection 242 NV (France)Off dry style Rich & ripe fruit Luscious & smooth Fresh finish "This first release of Roederers new Collection is based on the 2017 harvest, the 242nd for the house. This wine replaces Brut Premier. Jean Baptiste Lcaillon bases the Collection blend on a perpetual reserve, held in stainless steel since 2012, with wine added in each vintage: half pinot noir, half chardonnay, none of it having undergone malolactic conversion. For the 242 blend, he

• Off-dry style
• Rich & ripe fruit
• Luscious & smooth
• Fresh finish

"This first release of Roederer’s new Collection is based on the 2017 harvest, the 242nd for the house. This wine replaces Brut Premier. Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon bases the Collection blend on a “perpetual reserve,” held in stainless steel since 2012, with wine added in each vintage: half pinot noir, half chardonnay, none of it having undergone malolactic conversion. For the 242 blend, he included some oak-aged reserve wines before selecting individual parcel wines from partner growers, focusing on chardonnay, along with some meunier and pinot noir from the Marne Valley. The final blend is 34 percent perpetual reserve, 10 percent oak-aged reserves, and 56 percent from the 2017 harvest. While Brut Premier was a more spherical wine in the mouth, Collection 242 is finer, with greater length of flavor and more energy. The scent is floral and seashell-mineral, the texture caressing, then tense. My notes and the comments from the panel are all about the wine’s harmony and structure, without a word about fruit. It’s an exciting wine to taste and to drink" Josh Greene, Wine & Spirits

"Softly shimmering straw gold, green tints, with a delicate filigree dancing at will around the glass. The nose is gently authoritative; spring flowers garlanding stone fruit, a hint of hawthorn maybe, then lemongrass. The palate has encyclopaedic depth, the intricacies of the Perpetual Reserve weaving their early magic; almond, sloe, gingerbread and apples; the finish has a pleasing twist of bitterness, courtesy of the small percentage of oak-aged reserve wine. Maybe the dosage (8g/L) can come down even further, such is the engaging and subtle complexity harnessed elsewhere?" Simon Field, Mater of Wine, Decanter

"This debut release is very impressive indeed, wafting from the glass with notes of pear, peach, ripe citrus fruit, toasted almonds, fresh pastry and white flowers. Medium to full-bodied, pillowy and textural, it's concentrated and layered, with lively acids, an enlivening pinpoint mousse and a long, sapid finish. Brut Premier was already a very persuasive wine, but the new Brut Collection nevertheless represents a step up" William Kelley, The Wine Advocate

"A bright, harmonious Champagne, layering well-cut acidity and a chalky underpinning with flavors of white cherry, crunchy pineapple, green almond and beeswax. The finely detailed mousse carries hints of saffron and spring blossom on the lingering finish. Drink now through 2024" Alison Napjus, Wine Spectator

The Collection 242 blend is dominated by Chardonnay which was of exceptional quality in the 2017 vintage. The perfectly ripe Chardonnay grapes lend the wine its aromas of ripe, sweet fruit complemented by subtle oaky notes. The palate is rich and ripe with a luxurious texture that coats the palate, the signature of an outstanding Chardonnay. The Pinot noir and Meunier grapes from the Vallée de la Marne complete the wine’s broad, luscious, smooth and juicy character. The finish is energetic and fresh.

42% Chardonnay, 36% Pinor Noir and 22% Meunier grown in La Rivière, La Montagne and La Côte Vineyards. Collection 242 is a blend of 34% Perpetual Reserve (2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016), 10% Reserve Wines aged in oak (2009, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016) and 56% 2017 vintage.

2017, the base vintage for Collection 242, 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 fastpaced 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.

Each Collection is a change of gear, a new chapter in the Champagne House world of taste. Always unique, yet decidedly Roederer!