Louis Roederer Blanc de Blancs

Inspired by the Champagne House’s savoir-faire in the harvest of a single year, this pure Chardonnay is grown on hillside plots in the Avize terroir in the heart of the “La Côte” estate. This champagne draws its strength from the intense chalkiness of these limestone soils which lend it its infinite freshness. With time, this champagne reveals the power and identity of these great terroirs.

Carried by the saline freshness of the limestone, this Blanc de Blancs is a slender, straight, luminous wine, with a caressing and powdery texture, where the minerality is finely linked to the substance. It is the triumph of Chardonnays!

Winemaker notes

Golden yellow hue with bright highlights. Magnificent, soft and even bubbles. Bouquet of white flowers (jasmine, orange blossom), citrus zest (lemon) and wheat complemented by an impression of iodine freshness, sea spray, sea breeze and powdered chalk. A few smoky notes and a reductive, calcareous quality, reminiscent of grilled almonds, emerge after aeration. The palate is creamy and caressing, revealing softness and finesse; coated velvet-like textures that quickly give way to fresh, marine, powdery and concentrated sensations. One has the impression of biting into a ripe, juicy fruit bursting with a lingering and mouth-watering zesty freshness. The finish is smooth, saline and stretches out like a shaft of sunshine, luminous and drying yet never brittle.

2016

Wine Advocate 94: Produced from four plots in Avize, the 2016 Brut Blanc de Blancs was disgorged in February 2022 with seven grams per liter dosage. Unwinding in the glass with aromas of citrus oil and peach mingled with toasted almonds, buttery pastry, iodine and white flowers, it's medium to full-bodied, ample and fleshy, with a deep and layered core of fruit, racy acids and a long, succulent finish, it stands out once again as the insider's choice in the Roederer range.

James Suckling 96: Enveloping nose of fresh wheat and white tree fruits plus lemon zest freshness and a touch of flint. Stunning balance of creaminess from sur lie maturation with elegant and mineral acidity. Very long finish that’s simultaneously pristine, chalky and silky. From four plots in the Grand Cru village of Avize. Finished at just 4.5 atmospheres of pressure, which is deliberately below the norm of six. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drink or hold.

Vinous 94: The 2016 Brut Blanc de Blancs Vintage is laced with hints of tropical fruit, lime, mint, passionfruit and crushed rocks. Intensely aromatic and light on its feet, the 2016 impresses with its gracious, understated personality. Sourced from plots in the mid-slope Grand Cru vineyard of La Côte in Avize, readers will find a Blanc de Blancs endowed with tons of energy and nuance. Dosage is 8 grams per liter.

Decanter 94: Roederer’s lesser-known blanc de blancs comes from estate vineyards in the village of Avize. It’s a cuvée that captures all of the fragrance and clarity of this classic chalky terroir, presenting a compressed, compact sense of mature orange fruit – clementines, apricots – through a smooth mousse and fine citric bitterness. This luminously bright, transparent blanc de blancs sidesteps creamy, toasty or nutty richness, instead focusing on pure fruit tethered to mineral restraint.

Wine Enthusiast 95: Intensely perfumed, the Champagne has great citrus fruit and minerality that has now intensified and matured into a perfect age. Drink now.