The Story
This limited-edition white wine (debuted in February 2021) is an exciting representation of the vitality and finesse of Louis Roederer's wines, in a single-varietal and single-vineyard wine with an identity of its own.
Variety: 100% Chardonnay (single-vineyard)
Vineyard: 0.55 hectares plot of old historic Chardonnay vines planted in 1997 in the Volibarts lieu-dit in Le Mesnil-Sur-Oger
Vinification: Skin contact maceration for a third of the grapes followed by a vertical pressing. Spontaneous fermentation. 15 months ageing on its lees in sandstone vats (35%), stainless steel barrels (44%) and French oak barrels (21%).
"To craft this Chardonnay single-vineyard white wine, we needed to find the most suitable hillside that would give us an elegant wine with depth, structure and great style. Our historical 55-ares, southeast-facing plot in Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, where the old vines grow gently and slowly, seemed to be the ideal choice. Our quest for complexity and a certain tannic character can only be achieved through bespoke vinification. This Chardonnay strikes just the right balance between depth and purity, resulting in a sophisticated composition that draws itself out with exceptional freshness."
Named after one of the most remarkable figures in the history of the Louis Roederer Champagne House, this wine allow fine wine drinkers to discover another facet of the unique winemaking expertise of this family-owned Champagne House.
Frédéric Rouzaud wanted to pay homage to this great-grandmother whom he so admired. Camille is thus a new expression of the spirit of invention, creativity and freedom that has characterised Louis Roederer since its creation and which this remarkable woman embodied so brilliantly.
This collection of single-vineyard wines is the result of a long process of observation and experimentation which reveals a different expression of the Champagne terroirs. It is thus in perfect keeping with the approach taken by Camille Olry-Roederer whose bold spirit left its mark on the Champagne.
At its core, the wine is mineral, fresh and powdery, reminiscent of a lump of chalk that exudes freshness, purity and energy.
TASTING NOTES:
Yellow hue with clear, bright tints. Characteristic of Chardonnay on the nose in which subtle notes of flowers and white fruit are smoothly woven with wheat and roasted almonds. Its delicate nose is filled with promise and evolves into scents of white truffles after a few minutes in the glass. Chalky, saline and incredibly pure palate. Its gentle ripeness creates a delicate sensation of sweetness that subtly coats the palate. This is an exceptionally taut, pure and lively wine. The sappy, taut finish lingers thanks to the wine’s savoury notes and slightly bitter, vegetal overtones reminiscent of fresh ginger.
Wine Information
VINTAGE 2018:
A very unusual year in more ways than one. After an exceptionally rainy winter, spring was very mild. The warmth brought with it stormy and sometimes destructive weather as well as variable rainfall throughout the appellation. Summer was very warm, dry and sunny and surpassed even the record breaking temperatures of 2003. 2018 is therefore a new benchmark for the Champagne region in terms of the heat, drought and sunshine levels.
Vintage 2018
CHAMPAGNE: With record rainfall in winter, many hours of sunshine in spring and summer and the earliest harvest on record, the 2018 harvest in Champagne was truly unique. Its prematurity, abundant volume, ripeness and wholesomeness have left many growers singing its praises to the harvest. After a wet winter, budburst took place in April, from which time growth was accelerated. The exceptional conditions led to vigorous vegetative growth and an abundance of healthy clusters. The hot summer continued throughout July and August, and the harvest officially began on August 20 (although the first grapes were picked on August 17 by André Beaufort in Ambonnay – the earliest harvest never recorded). An average of 12,361 kg/ha was produced, but the agronomic yield was actually much higher, varying widely between 16,000 and 19,000 kg/ha. Wineries throughout the region were packed, with the biggest challenge for most producers being finding containers for all the wines. Therefore, the 2018 harvest was also used to replace less impressive wines in the reserves, which was particularly welcome due to the disastrous results of 2017. Even though it was an extraordinary year for the winemaker and winemaker, the jury still didn't take into account its quality. The wines are perfectly clean and mellow but particularly low in acidity (average total acidity 5.9 g/l), giving them a distinct sweetness. However, some producers (like Louis Roederer) have been able to produce wines with commendably low pHs (an average of 2.8 for Roederer) and these wines certainly do not lack dynamism or liveliness.
