LOUIS ROEDERER

2010 Rose won World Champion Classic Brut Rose at the 2016 Champagne and Sparkling Wine World Championships. Winemaker's notes (Nov 2016)

The viticulture here takes its cues from Burgundy with lower yields (40hl/ha), leaf removal, ripe picking and cooling overnight and some cold soaking and skin contact. The chardonnay juice is added to bring the acidity and balance into play, but this also has attractive rose-like florals that really speak of pinot noir. There's orange zest and some pink grapefruit and even handy nutty elements that creep in. This is every bit as terrific as the 2008. The palate has roundness, flesh and smoothly arranged phenolics. An almost saline chardonnay influence provides a vinous attraction here. Super silky, and the chardonnay finishes it fresh but with a punch. Drink now. Rating: 95 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Oct 2016)

The 2010 vintage was not suitable to produce a Cristal or a Vintage, but it was good enough to create the rich and full-bodied 2010 Rosé Vintage; this Champagne blends truly ripe and concentrated Pinot Noir from south-facing, wind-protected plots on clay and chalk soils in Cumières with the freshness, elegance and finesse of Chardonnay from north-facing vineyards in Chouilly (Côte des Blancs). "Since we are looking for round and silky tannins, we need to have ripe fruits," says Lécaillon. That's why he produces his Pinot like red wine, which means high density plantings (10,000 to 12,000 mass selection vines per hectare), short pruning, leaf removal already ten days after the flowering, sorting table, cold maceration with 5-10% of the stems and a very reduced extraction. After ten days, the must is racked and blended with the juice of Chardonnay. "The idea is to 'acidify' our Pinot Noir, which has a ripe fruit with soft and silky tannin,s but a low acidity," explains Lécaillon. The resulting blend (65% Pinot and 35% Chardonnay) was partly raised in large oak casks and 20% underwent malolactic fermentation. The 2010 is round, dry and elegant, with a silky texture, and ripe and intense fruit flavors. It has a fine grip and stimulating freshness in the finish. This is an excellent Rosé. Rating: 92 Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate, www.RobertParker.com (May 2016)