2018 Louis Roederer Champagne Vintage Brut Rosé 375ml
We had another bottle of this Champagne last week, and it is another stunning rosé from Louis Roederer. An old friend of mine, a serious Champagne collector, told me back in the 1990s that Roederer offered the best value for vintage Champagnes among the big houses, and I agree with him now more than ever. Over the last three vintages, Louis Roederer Rosé has been our best-selling rosé Champagne, and the 2018 looks to be the best yet. It is a beautifully timed new release from a warmer year that suits the house’s vinous rosé style especially well, giving the wine a little more richness and power than the prior vintages while still remaining impressively composed and fresh. Sourced from 35 sites in what Roederer calls the “La Rivière” vineyards, it blends Pinot Noir from the warmer Cumières terroirs with Chardonnay from cooler, limestone-driven Chouilly, and true to the house’s signature infusion method, a portion of Chardonnay juice is added to the Pinot Noir maceration so the two ferment together, bringing finesse alongside real Pinot depth. A portion of the base wines is raised in oak, and only partial malolactic is allowed, which keeps the richness in check and gives the wine both textural breadth and excellent freshness. The result is a serious, beautifully composed rosé Champagne with ripe red fruit, citrus, chalky lift, and a mouthwatering, structured finish. Like all of the Roederer rosés, it is excellent on release but also sneaky in the cellar, putting on more weight and complexity with time, which is one of the reasons it remains such a strong buy in vintage rosé Champagne year after year. The fact that it is also available in the great and rare 375ml format only adds to the appeal.
Jeb Dunnuck 95 points! "The 2018 Champagne Vintage Brut Rosé is based largely on Pinot Noir from Cumières, with additional Pinot Noir from Mareuil sur Aÿ that brings more intensity and drive to balance the upfront fruit of Cumières. Composed of 60 percent Pinot Noir, it offers a chalky, lightly saline profile with notes of apricot, fresh strawberry, and blood orange. Medium-bodied, it has more structure than expected in the vintage and finishes clean and mineral.
Description
We had another bottle of this Champagne last week, and it is another stunning rosé from Louis Roederer. An old friend of mine, a serious Champagne collector, told me back in the 1990s that Roederer offered the best value for vintage Champagnes among the big houses, and I agree with him now more than ever. Over the last three vintages, Louis Roederer Rosé has been our best-selling rosé Champagne, and the 2018 looks to be the best yet. It is a beautifully timed new release from a warmer year that suits the house’s vinous rosé style especially well, giving the wine a little more richness and power than the prior vintages while still remaining impressively composed and fresh. Sourced from 35 sites in what Roederer calls the “La Rivière” vineyards, it blends Pinot Noir from the warmer Cumières terroirs with Chardonnay from cooler, limestone-driven Chouilly, and true to the house’s signature infusion method, a portion of Chardonnay juice is added to the Pinot Noir maceration so the two ferment together, bringing finesse alongside real Pinot depth. A portion of the base wines is raised in oak, and only partial malolactic is allowed, which keeps the richness in check and gives the wine both textural breadth and excellent freshness. The result is a serious, beautifully composed rosé Champagne with ripe red fruit, citrus, chalky lift, and a mouthwatering, structured finish. Like all of the Roederer rosés, it is excellent on release but also sneaky in the cellar, putting on more weight and complexity with time, which is one of the reasons it remains such a strong buy in vintage rosé Champagne year after year. The fact that it is also available in the great and rare 375ml format only adds to the appeal.
Jeb Dunnuck 95 points! "The 2018 Champagne Vintage Brut Rosé is based largely on Pinot Noir from Cumières, with additional Pinot Noir from Mareuil sur Aÿ that brings more intensity and drive to balance the upfront fruit of Cumières. Composed of 60 percent Pinot Noir, it offers a chalky, lightly saline profile with notes of apricot, fresh strawberry, and blood orange. Medium-bodied, it has more structure than expected in the vintage and finishes clean and mineral.
