Louis Roederer Vintage and Cristal at Alfavin

Louis Roederer is among the most renowned and independent Champagne houses. Founded in 1776 in Reims as Dubois Père & Fils, the house has borne its current name since 1833, after Louis Roederer took over the company from his uncle. To this day, the house remains family-owned – it is currently run by Frédéric Rouzaud, now in the seventh generation.

History, innovation and international orientation

Louis Roederer was a visionary: he built up his own high-quality vineyards instead of mainly purchasing grapes from elsewhere. In doing so, he focused on the Grands Crus of the northern Montagne de Reims, which, like Verzy and Verzenay, stand for finesse and minerality. He established international export markets early on, such as Russia, where he became the preferred Champagne supplier of the Tsar’s court. Historical milestones are closely linked to the Cristal cuvée: created in 1876 at the request of Tsar Alexander II, Cristal was the first prestige Champagne and was bottled in crystal with a flat base to prevent poisoning. Cristal was produced with a high dosage. After the Revolution, Roederer was left sitting on large quantities of Champagne which, due to their sweetness, were difficult to sell in other markets. After the Russian Revolution, Cristal disappeared. The first vintage in which Cristal was no longer a special commission but generally available was the 1945 vintage.

Brut Premier emerged in the 1920s, when Léon Olry Roederer systematically further developed consistent quality and the assemblage of several vintages – a concept that shapes many non-vintage Champagnes today.

Vineyards and sustainable cultivation

Louis Roederer is one of the few major houses that is still fully independent. The house owns around 240 hectares of vineyards, mainly in Grand Cru and Premier Cru sites. Sustainable and biodynamic viticulture is central. Control over the entire production process, from grape to bottling, guarantees the high quality of the Champagnes.

Range and style

The style of Louis Roederer is characterised by mineral freshness, complexity and creamy elegance. The wines have less power and body than Bollinger. Like Pol Roger, the house relies on minerality and charm. Notes of vanilla are added: on the one hand from maturation in oak barrels, on the other hand developing after many years of ageing. For connoisseurs, Cristal, Vintage Blanc de Blancs and sometimes also the regular vintage Champagne are particularly interesting. Cristal generally ages for six years on the lees. Over three million bottles are produced each year and exported worldwide. Cristal accounts for 300,000 to 500,000 bottles.

Quality and innovation

Roederer has only counted among the very best houses for a few decades. Crucial to the quality of the Champagnes are the excellent grapes from top sites. Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon, Chef de Cave since 1999, has particularly optimised vineyard work and increased grape quality. More and more of the vineyards are being converted to organic cultivation. Since the 2012 vintage, Cristal has consisted solely of organically grown grapes. Jean-Baptiste is highly innovative and detail-obsessed. He increasingly uses new oak barrels of various sizes and more frequently avoids malolactic fermentation. However, there are no simple formulas here – for each site and each wine it is decided whether it will be fermented and matured in tank or oak, and whether malolactic fermentation will take place.

Conclusion – Buying Louis Roederer at Alfavin

Those wishing to buy Louis Roederer Champagne will find at Alfavin a carefully selected range of the best vintages of Cristal, Vintage 2008 and Blanc de Blancs 2008.