James Suckling: 93 Points
Restrained green apple lemon bush and lime plus light brioche and chalk. Medium to full body with fine nicely persistent bubbles and good substance on the mid-palate. Almost biting yet polished at the end with long refreshing acidity. Lacks a bit of complexity at the moment but fresh. Best from 2025.
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Wine Advocate: 92 Points
Based on the 2020 vintage Louis Roederer?s NV Brut Collection 245 is stylistically somewhat comparable to the two previous editions which were based on the 2018 and 2019 vintages. Jean-Baptiste Lecaillon explains that the personality of the wine will change depending on the base year. By identifying the wine with a number they do not intend to produce the same profile year in and year out but rather they will embrace the singularity of each vintage accepting the different personalities of the base year. It is complemented by a perpetual reserve initiated in 2012 which is stored in large tanks without lees; the reserve provides balance to the warm years like this as the perpetual component did not go through malolactic fermentation. While a considerable portion of the fruit comes from Louis Roederer's own estates for this bottling the blend incorporates purchased fruit as well particularly Pinot Meunier which they do not own. Including approximately 43% Chardonnay the new Brut Collection offers notes of pear peach and candied orange zest. On the palate it is medium to full-bodied textural and fleshy laden with vibrant acidity and concluding with a nicely defined delicately saline finish even with 7.5 grams per liter dosage. This report covers the recent and forthcoming releases from Louis Roederer tasted with Jean-Baptiste Lecaillon in Reims earlier this year. Among these is the new Collection 245?a refined introduction to the house's evolving style it's a reimagined cuvée that has replaced their Brut Premier. The focus of this wine has now shifted to highlighting the base vintage rather than producing a consistently uniform style year after year. Other featured wines include the latest Blanc de Blancs Brut Vintage and Brut Vintage Rosé and various vintages of Cristal and Cristal Rosé. Among these is an embarrassment of riches from which to select such as the precise and incisive 2016 Cristal as well as the extraordinarily pure 2013 Cristal and 2013 Cristal Rosé. Both 2013 releases are now available in magnums (spoiler: they are even more complete than the standard-size bottles combining intensity with a graceful texture). The Coteaux Champenois continues its upward trajectory and the 2022 vintage shaped by a warm and dry growing season is well worth seeking out as well. It is difficult to pinpoint what is most impressive about Cristal?the fact that these Champagnes are crafted from meticulously farmed vineyards or that they are produced in volumes that proves high quality is not exclusive to small growers but can also be achieved on a larger scale. Cristal and Cristal Rosé based on organically certified farming since 2012 continue to deliver outstanding performances maintaining their reputation as two of the finest cuvées in the Grande Marque category. While I generally favor a lower dosage?since it can occasionally assert itself on the finish particularly as the wine warms?Lecaillon emphasizes that this very dosage is what will sustain these Champagnes far into the future. Notably the dosage has been reduced in recent years and contemporary vintages exhibit greater clarity than ever before. Under the stewardship of Jean-Baptiste Lecaillon who oversees both winemaking and viticulture Roederer has embarked on what could be described as a viticultural renaissance which for Roederer means pursuing massal selection harvesting fully ripened fruit planting fruit trees and encouraging biodiversity in and around their vineyards all with the goal of leaving the land in better condition than when they found it. Of Roederer?s 242 hectares which supply most of their needs an impressive 50% is now certified organic and is also managed following biodynamic practices. The only cuvée that includes some purchased fruit is the NV Collection. It's worth noting however that Cristal Rosé is sourced from only four lieux-dits while Cristal is informed by approximately 45 plots. The story of each wine is told in greater detail in the accompanying tasting notes. For more in-depth information on Cristal and the maison?s methodology I recommend referring to William Kelley?s article "Champagne: Louis Roederer?s Cristal 1996-2012" in the March 2020 Week 1 issue of?The Wine Advocate. Published: Apr 10 2025
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