Louis Roederer Collection 242 Champagne.

A NEW CHAPTER

Driven by a new ambition and freedom, with the creation of Collection, we are writing the next chapter of our story. The times we live in; climate change and the importance of practising a sustainable viticulture that respects the living environment in order to fully express the qualities of the terroir, these are all factors that must be taken into account.

The finest works are often forged by constraint and adversity. Driven by a new energy, we decided to reinvent our blends, reshape our know-how and rethink our methods in order to fall into step with Nature's new tempo. The creation of Collection was therefore something we had to do.

It is an evolution in structure, form and style. The start of a new chapter in the story of our Champagne House that we are continuing to write with passion.

SOURCED FROM THE "HEART OF THE TERROIR"

Collection is based on a selection of plots located in the heart of the Champagne region that are suited to its identity and where the emphasis is on sustainable growing practices.

We therefore carefully redefined all the plots for Collection, those on our Louis Roederer estates and those part of our historic partnerships, to retain only those plots rooted in this "Cœur de Terroir" (heart of the Terroir): lieux-dits, exposures, lands with strong identities, usually chalk soils, those most capable of giving us the best of their fruit, vintage after vintage.

THE ART OF BLENDING

Thus freed from any imposed formula, in a single-minded pursuit of the best wine each year, we are placing the art of blending even more at the heart of our approach; better still, it is becoming the prime element, as our ambition is to take the quality of our multi-vintage wines to the next level.

Today, this wine is entering a new, important phase. It is more than just an evolution in style, it is a change of template, a velvet revolution that gives birth to this multi-vintage Collection champagne, another important milestone in our quest for progress and absolute quality.

THE PERPETUAL RESERVE & OAK-AGED RESERVE WINES

To further enhance the freshness and to balance the superb maturity of the harvested grapes, we have created a "Perpetual Reserve".

Started with the 2012 vintage, enriched each year with wines from the latest harvest and stored in large capacity stainless steel vats, this Perpetual Reserve brings new tasting sensations, both tactile and gustatory: the wine acquires more breadth, depth, substance and contrast; its texture is fleshier and more enveloping, adding to the overall complexity.

In parallel to this Perpetual Reserve, we have greatly increased the proportion of oak-aged reserve wines that goes into the blends. These reserve wines nicely balance the freshness brought by the Perpetual Reserve wine and lend the wine greater intensity.

Collection thus acquires modernity and complexity and is graced with all the virtues of a very great champagne.

A FREE EXPRESSION

Created from the Perpetual Reserve and the oak-aged reserve wines, complemented by the finest wines from the most recent harvest, Collection is tied to our Champagne roots and the foundations of our Reims-based Champagne House. We therefore give ourselves the freedom to create the blend on the basis of whatever Nature gives us.

Each Collection blend therefore has its own identity which will gradually and fully reveal itself over time. Collection 242 represents the Champagne House's 242nd blend since its foundation.

VINTAGE

2017, the base vintage for Collection 242, was a year of living dangerously! An exceptionally warm and dry winter and spring, but the latter brought severe frosts from 17 to 29 April, setting the sorry record for 12 nights of frost. These were followed by a dull, wet and not particularly hot summer, which ended in an almost tropical (hot and humid) spell at the end of August. This sudden change led to a significant increase in grey rot on the ripening Pinot noir and Meunier grapes. The harvest was fastpaced and completed very quickly demanding precise and methodical selection work, of an unprecedented level even for Roederer.

The harvest took place from the 31st August to the 9th September 2017.

Each Collection is a change of gear, a new chapter in the Champagne House ' world of taste. Always unique, yet always decidedly Roederer!

TASTING NOTES

The Collection 242 blend is dominated by Chardonnay which was of exceptional quality in the 2017 vintage. The perfectly ripe Chardonnay grapes lend the wine its aromas of ripe, sweet fruit complemented by subtle oaky notes. The palate is rich and ripe with a luxurious texture that coats the palate, the signature of an outstanding Chardonnay. The Pinot noir and Meunier grapes from the Vallée de la Marne complete the wine’s broad, luscious, smooth and juicy character. The finish is energetic and fresh.