This is a stunning bottle of Grand Marque quality. Has some development and is starting to show some lovely secondary character. This is not too far off the quality of the 2015 Cristal. Awesome juice!
The vintage Champagnes from Roederer are exceptional and are some of the best buys when considering Grand Marque Champagne. They have managed to do it again, and 2015 is an excellent example of their much-loved vintage cuvee. The Vintage Brut, as The House explains it, is meant to show off the Pinot Noir From their La Montage estate, focusing on some of the original viens purchased by Roederer, which are biodynamically grown. The heavy dose of Pinot Noir in this cuvee (70%) is an excellent choice for a vintage like 2015, where Pinot was King and is complimented by some excellent Chardonnay. While 2015 was a warmer vintage with riper, more concentrated fruit, there is lovely elegance and energy here that provides an excellent dynamic. It's an incredible buy for vintage Champagne from a top House like Roederer, and at about a third of the price of Cristal, it's a fantastic buy and not that far off in quality. This is drinking great now, and a few cases are arriving later this week.
James Suckling 96 points! "A great 2015 vintage champagne! Super-elegant synthesis of pinot noir and chardonnay character with a dazzling interplay of complex red apple, citrus and delicate floral aromas with racy acidity and chalky minerality, that is animating for mind and body. Unusually graceful finish for the vintage. 70% pinot noir from Verzy, the highest point of the Montagne de Reims, that’s also very close to the forest. 30% chardonnay from Chouilly, another rather cool location. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drink or hold."
Decanter 94 points! "From the hot 2015 vintage which produced uneven results across the Champagne region comes this bright and fruity Champagne which benefited from grapes at the highest elevation in Verzy adding freshness and coolness to the palate. Brioche and strawberry patisserie notes on the nose with a touch of black pepper. Filled with red summer fruits on the palate, raspberries and strawberries from the majority of Pinot Noir in the blend (70%), this has a slightly full texture with crisp edges and juicy core. Fun, lovely freshness and exciting acidity but remaining round and wide. A gourmet style and one that Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon calls a ‘climate change’ vintage yet this keeps focus with tang and a touch of spice on the finish too."
John Gilman 93+ points! "Louis Roederer’s beautiful 2015 Brut Millésime is crafted this year from a blend of seventy percent pinot noir and thirty percent chardonnay. All of the pinot noir hails from the cool Montagne de Reims grand cru village of Verzy and the chardonnay from the excellent Côte des Blancs village of Chouilly. One-third of the vins clairs were barrel-fermented and raised in oak barrels, with the remainder done in stainless steel. One quarter of the still wines went through malolactic fermentation and the wine was given at least five years aging on its fine lees prior to disgorgement and a finishing dosage of eight grams per liter. The wine nicely shows its pinot noir pedigree on the nose, wafting from the glass in a complex blend of white peach, apple, chalky minerality, fresh-baked bread, dried flowers and incipient notes of smokiness in the upper register. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, focused and complex, with a beautiful core of fruit, excellent mineral undertow and grip, elegant mousse and excellent length on the poised, complex and impeccably balanced finish. Fine, fine juice. (Drink between 2023-2060)"
Wine Advocate (William Kelley) 93 points! "Roederer's newly released 2015 Brut Vintage is a strong effort, offering up aromas of freshly baked bread, citrus oil, pastry cream, dried white flowers and verbena, followed by a medium to full-bodied, fleshy and pillowy palate framed by bright acids and concluding with chalky grip. This can't quite match the tension or plenitude of fruit of the last few releases, but it is a lovely Champagne. It's a blend of Pinot Noir from Verzy and Chardonnay from Chouilly."
2015 Louis Roederer Champagne Vintage Brut
2015 Louis Roederer Champagne Vintage Brut
This is a stunning bottle of Grand Marque quality. Has some development and is starting to show some lovely secondary character. This is not too far off the quality of the 2015 Cristal. Awesome juice!
The vintage Champagnes from Roederer are exceptional and are some of the best buys when considering Grand Marque Champagne. They have managed to do it again, and 2015 is an excellent example of their much-loved vintage cuvee. The Vintage Brut, as The House explains it, is meant to show off the Pinot Noir From their La Montage estate, focusing on some of the original viens purchased by Roederer, which are biodynamically grown. The heavy dose of Pinot Noir in this cuvee (70%) is an excellent choice for a vintage like 2015, where Pinot was King and is complimented by some excellent Chardonnay. While 2015 was a warmer vintage with riper, more concentrated fruit, there is lovely elegance and energy here that provides an excellent dynamic. It's an incredible buy for vintage Champagne from a top House like Roederer, and at about a third of the price of Cristal, it's a fantastic buy and not that far off in quality. This is drinking great now, and a few cases are arriving later this week.
James Suckling 96 points! "A great 2015 vintage champagne! Super-elegant synthesis of pinot noir and chardonnay character with a dazzling interplay of complex red apple, citrus and delicate floral aromas with racy acidity and chalky minerality, that is animating for mind and body. Unusually graceful finish for the vintage. 70% pinot noir from Verzy, the highest point of the Montagne de Reims, that’s also very close to the forest. 30% chardonnay from Chouilly, another rather cool location. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drink or hold."
Decanter 94 points! "From the hot 2015 vintage which produced uneven results across the Champagne region comes this bright and fruity Champagne which benefited from grapes at the highest elevation in Verzy adding freshness and coolness to the palate. Brioche and strawberry patisserie notes on the nose with a touch of black pepper. Filled with red summer fruits on the palate, raspberries and strawberries from the majority of Pinot Noir in the blend (70%), this has a slightly full texture with crisp edges and juicy core. Fun, lovely freshness and exciting acidity but remaining round and wide. A gourmet style and one that Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon calls a ‘climate change’ vintage yet this keeps focus with tang and a touch of spice on the finish too."
John Gilman 93+ points! "Louis Roederer’s beautiful 2015 Brut Millésime is crafted this year from a blend of seventy percent pinot noir and thirty percent chardonnay. All of the pinot noir hails from the cool Montagne de Reims grand cru village of Verzy and the chardonnay from the excellent Côte des Blancs village of Chouilly. One-third of the vins clairs were barrel-fermented and raised in oak barrels, with the remainder done in stainless steel. One quarter of the still wines went through malolactic fermentation and the wine was given at least five years aging on its fine lees prior to disgorgement and a finishing dosage of eight grams per liter. The wine nicely shows its pinot noir pedigree on the nose, wafting from the glass in a complex blend of white peach, apple, chalky minerality, fresh-baked bread, dried flowers and incipient notes of smokiness in the upper register. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, focused and complex, with a beautiful core of fruit, excellent mineral undertow and grip, elegant mousse and excellent length on the poised, complex and impeccably balanced finish. Fine, fine juice. (Drink between 2023-2060)"
Wine Advocate (William Kelley) 93 points! "Roederer's newly released 2015 Brut Vintage is a strong effort, offering up aromas of freshly baked bread, citrus oil, pastry cream, dried white flowers and verbena, followed by a medium to full-bodied, fleshy and pillowy palate framed by bright acids and concluding with chalky grip. This can't quite match the tension or plenitude of fruit of the last few releases, but it is a lovely Champagne. It's a blend of Pinot Noir from Verzy and Chardonnay from Chouilly."
