Roederer Hommage a Camille Les Charmonts

We identified a 43-ares plot lying in the Charmont lieu-dit in Mareuil-sur-Aÿ. The idea of creating a 100% Pinot Noir from a sunny terroir where the vines grow in direct sunlight came to us completely naturally. We were seeking a mature wine, a wine that pushes back the boundaries of the usual winegrowing practice in Champagne, illustrating another way of approaching this terroir.

After the harvest, the grapes are simply left to infuse. The juices are then transferred to French oak barrels where they will continue to integrate and become more refined over the ensuing year. The result is a very intricate and delicately-perfumed Pinot Noir with a touch of salinity, a lively, sappy backbone and a precise texture.

Story

This collection is the continuation of a quest for a totally different expression of the Champagne terroirs first initiated by Camille Olry-Roederer. It is a tribute to the bold spirit of this remarkable woman who left her mark on our Champagne House.

Camille was the ingenious widow at the helm of Louis Roederer from 1932 to 1975, successfully steering it through all the important events of that time. She had many strong cards up her sleeve: wines from the finest Champagne terroirs, a collection of crus that her husband Léon had shrewdly acquired after the phylloxera crisis. These exceptional plots in Aÿ, Avize, Cramant, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, Mareuil-sur-Aÿ and Cumières are the treasure troves and foundations of Louis Roederer’s unique style. Their still red and white wines are an authentic expression of the Champagne terroirs that Camille held so dear. Frédéric Rouzaud wanted to pay homage to the great-grandmother whose playful spirit he had so admired. He therefore decided to dedicate this collection of single-vineyard still wines to Camille, perpetuating the Champagne House’s inventive spirit.

Winemaker notes

Garnet red hue with bright tints. Elegant, concentrated Pinot noir bouquet: sweet red fruit (blood orange), forest fruit and peonies. Then come spices (cocoa bean) and dried leaves accompanied by smoky, bacon-like notes. A magical and complex nose of fresh, ripe Pinot noir. The palate is velvety smooth with fresh red fruit and a soft and silky texture with noticeable but round, creamy tannins. The typical freshness of the Champagne region has made the tannins fairly vertical but these are nicely coated by the juicy, velvety texture which lends them a unique character: firm but not austere and sappy with a saline, umami finish. Magical and complex nose of fresh, ripe Pinot noir.