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Wine Description
The Story
Fascinated by the aromatic diversity of Pinot noir in Champagne, Louis Roederer uses the structure and power of the Pinot noir grapes from the Montagne de Reims to create its Cuvée Vintage. Exposed to the north-east, the grapes mature more slowly. The character of this great wine intensifies and becomes more refined through ageing in wood and time.
Composed of around 70% Pinot noir and 30% Chardonnay, 30% of which is wine matured in oak tuns, the Vintage cuvée is generally matured on lees for 4 years and left for a minimum of 6 months after dégorgement (disgorging) to attain perfect maturity.
The palate is characteristic of Louis Roederer’s vintages: the attack is ample and dense; a rich and winey fullness is refined by the sweetness, acidity and tight blend of the Pinot noir grapes of Verzenay. The ensemble is perfectly integrated into a subtle texture. Tasting reveals sparkling suggestions of candied fruits, almond paste, toast, white chocolate, and carame
Wine Information
Refined and assertive, robust and rich.
ELABORATION:
70% Pinot noir - 30% Chardonnay - 30% of the wine is matured in oak casks with weekly batonnage. No malolactic fermentation. Vintage Brut is matured for at least 4 years in the cellars and rested for 6 months after disgorgement to finish it perfectly. Dosage of between 8 and 10 g/l is adapted to each vintage.
TASTING NOTES:
Golden tones with light amber highlights, typical of the Pinot Noir. Exuberant mousse with a lively stream of bubbles.
Subtle, nutty-citrus nose - scents of orange and hazelnuts punctuated by those warm, fruity notes typical of predominantly wood-aged Pinot Noir. Swirling the glass releases a flurry of richer, riper fragrances: crystallized fruit, baked apples, toast, Tarte Tatin and caramel.
The palate is characteristically vintage Roederer: deep and full on first attack, showing rich, rounded vinosity but with all the refined sweetness, acidity and tight-knit texture of Pinot Noir fruit from the Verzenay vineyard. Perfectly integrated overall, with an elegant, almost feminine feel and flavours that evolve towards the sweet, palate-caressing texture of candied fruit, marzipan, toast, white chocolate and caramel.
A classic vintage Brut: all the traditional flavours of Champagne expressed with a refinement, precision, purity and harmony that is quintessentially Roederer.

Vintage 2004
A great example of how large yields do not necessarily mean poor quality in Champagne. As a reaction to the previous year's low yields, the vines produced one of the largest crops on record. The growing season proceeded without major difficulties but the bumper crop called for bud thinning. August brought about cooler weather and some rains, increasing the risk of rot. The massive crop, averaging 13,990 kg/ha, was picked from September 18th onwards. The quality was a pleasant surprise; vibrant wines with appropriate intensity, refined charm and refreshing lightness. This vintage impresses me more and more, and I feel tempted to give it the full five stars. It comes with a rare balance of freshness, lightness, yet fine aromatic intensity. Post-release, this vintage has proven to be slow to age, and elegant wines are likely to keep on ageing gracefully. Dom Pérignon and Louis Roederer Cristal both excelled.