2008 Louis Roederer Blanc de Blancs Brut Millesime

• Already wonderful to drink
• Has the style of Cristal, though not quite the minerality

The Rouzaud family, who own Roederer, prefer to drink Blanc de Blancs at family celebrations. In 2025, they will open the 2008 vintage, as Frédéric Rouzaud has revealed to us.

The fruit of ripe lemons, lemon zest, peach and lemon meringue pie is complemented by vanilla brioche and lightly toasted nuts. The palate is very delicate with precise minerality and ultra-fine perlage.

The grapes for this fine Blanc de Blancs come from the two best Chardonnay Grands Crus in Champagne: Avize and Le Mesnil sur Oger. The vineyards are owned by the house. Even though certification was not yet complete, the vineyards were no longer treated with chemicals in 2008. A Blanc de Blancs in Champagne does not automatically have to be a Chardonnay, as other white grapes, such as Pinot Blanc, are also permitted. However, this is a pure Chardonnay. Twenty percent of the base wines were aged in oak barrels and the yeasts were stirred to give greater fullness, a process known as bâtonnage. Malolactic fermentation was prevented. The 2008 vintage matured on the fine lees for five years. The Blanc de Blancs is disgorged at a lower pressure. This makes the carbon dioxide less intense and the palate becomes round and creamy earlier.

94(92) Just as expected, Roederer has managed to resist the temptation to make a wine that is too generous and grand. We are only allowed to imagine the greatness and the time in the glass is extremely important in the current situation. Wonderfully elegant creaminess and citrus-scented elegance.

750 mL

12.5

Champagne

Chardonnay

Sulphites

• Brut

France

Champagne Louis Roederer, Boulevard Lundy 21, 51100 Reims, France