LOUIS ROEDERER

(Reduced from £68.95) Golden yellow hue with clear, bright tints. Elegant, dynamic and softly integrated effervescence. The nose is initially subtle and quite restrained. It gradually opens up to reveal a bouquet of orchard fruits such as apples and pears, and evolves towards slightly sweet floral and honeyed notes, before giving way to concentrated citrus aromas and zesty redcurrant fruit.
The attack is rich, concentrated, broad, deep and fruity. It reveals the strength and maturity of the Pinot noir from Verzy through its concentrated body, fresh herbal notes and hint of spice and ginger. The unique Verzy terroir, in which the Pinot noirs are grown, is combined with traditional ageing methods with a high proportion of French oak barrels to create a myriad of smoky, spicy and mineral notes. The palate is structured by a herbal freshness that makes it well suited to gastronomy and results in a sensation bordering on umami.
2013 was characterised by a particularly late growing cycle. The never-ending winter was followed by a very cool, late spring. We had to wait until the start of July for flowering to begin - something we hadn’t seen in Champagne for quite some time! Fortunately, summer was glorious with plenty of sunshine, record high temperatures and very low rainfall, ideal for the ripening of the Pinot noirs and Chardonnays. The temperatures were cool for the October harvest and the resulting wines are elegant and fresh - the signs of a “classic” vintage. Winemaker's notes (Oct 2020)