Louis Roederer Collection 243 Brut Champagne

- The signature blend of Champagne Louis Roederer

- Fresh, rich and elegant brut

- 42% Chardonnay, 40% Pinot Noir and 18% Pinot Meunier

Collection 243 is a 100% biodynamic brut champagne, made with 59% of 2018 base wine. It is the 243rd blend of the house since its establishment in 1776.

Louis Roederer is blurring the lines between vintage and non-vintage champagne as each year, the house will release their brut champagne with a new name and a different base wine. Following Collection 243 and its 2018 base wine will be Collection 244 with a 2019 base wine.

By adding 31% of perpetuelle reserve and 10% of Roederer reserve wine aged in oak, the house is able to maintain freshness that is reminiscent of the vintage Blanc de blancs.

To the Eye: Bright, golden hue with shimmering highlights. Fine, lively mousse with lingering threads of bubbles.

The Nose: The bouquet is open and rich yet also wonderfully fresh. It offers an explosion of ripe, delicate fruit with intense notes of yellow fruit (mirabelle plum) from the Pinot noir complemented by sweet citrus fruits (lemon meringue pie) and delicate notes of white flowers (jasmine) from the Chardonnay. The nose opens up to reveal autolytic characters and evolves towards smoky, roasted notes and freshly baked pastries.

The Palate: The palate is deep and dense with a big, well-structured backbone. The texture is simply mesmerising with its fleshy mouthfeel from the Pinot noir that coats the palate before giving way to an incredible saline freshness with a pleasant hint of bitterness. This wine combines the strength, intensity and power of the delectably ripe Pinot noirs which are balanced to perfection by the chalky freshness and density from the Chardonnay which forms the majority of the blend.

This house has serious pedigree and a long history of making outstanding wines. Roederer is still family owned and run and has a significant land holding of over 230 hectares allowing them to supply 70% of their grape requirements with excellent fruit. We are impressed by Louis Roederer’s increasing commitment to exploring biodynamics both with treatment of their vast vineyard holdings plus the recent acquisition of a 15 hectare biodynamic parcel from Leclerc Briant. A relatively small 3 million bottles per annum of production are exported, largely to the USA.

Collection 243 consists of 42 %Chardonnay, 40% Pinot noir and 18% Meunier.

Grape varieties originate from one third "La Rivière" vineyards, one third "La Montagne" vineyards and one third "La Côte" vineyards.

Collection 243 is a blend of:

59% 2018 Base wine.

31% Perpetual reserve (a mix of 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017 vintages).

10% Reserve wine aged in oak (signature of Louis Roederer - vintages 2009, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017).

8g/L dosage. 3 years ageing.

Finesse and power are juxtaposed in this stunning cuvee. Enjoy this wine on its own or serve with an almond crusted halibut fish drizzled with a garlic and lemon sauce.