Louis Roederer Collection 247
Deep, luminous champagne-coloured robe, crossed by a very delicate, regular and restrained bubble. The nose impresses with its intensity: mirabelle plum and William pear from the Meunier and Pinot Noir, ripened by the 2022 sun, then the Chardonnay bringing pollen and white flowers with vanilla…
ALL CHAMPAGNES FROM LOUIS ROEDERERThe expert verdict
The structure of this champagne
TASTING NOTES
Deep, luminous champagne-coloured robe, crossed by a very delicate, regular and restrained bubble. The nose impresses with its intensity: mirabelle plum and William pear from the Meunier and Pinot Noir, ripened by the 2022 sun, then the Chardonnay bringing pollen and white flowers with vanilla accents. On aeration, chocolatey spices appear, along with a toasted touch and baked apple. The palate is both full-bodied and fresh: juicy fruit, a creamy, caressing volume, without heaviness, like ripe fruit bitten into just after picking. The gentle effervescence lightens it, a small tannic, bitter edge gives it energy. The finish lingers, concentrated, with chalky, saline, mouth-watering accents. Serve between 8 and 10°C. The house intends it "to be collected and savoured around a fine table".
The composition
Terroirs
Collection 247 carries the number of Louis Roederer's 247th harvest since the house's founding in 1776: that of 2022, which makes up 68% of the blend. The grapes come one third from each of the house's three vineyards, "la Rivière" in the Vallée de la Marne, "la Montagne" on the Montagne de Reims and "la Côte" in the Côte des Blancs, complemented by "Cœur de Terroir" plots from partner winegrowers, with priority given to sustainable viticulture. The blend brings together 44% Chardonnay, 30% Pinot Noir and 26% Meunier. 2022 was the exact opposite of 2021: a year under continental influence, sunny and largely dry, harvested from 29 August to 13 September. To the wine of the year is added 27% Réserve Perpétuelle, the blend of ten harvests, from 2012 to 2021, which the house has kept in its cellars since 2012, and 5% reserve wines aged in French oak foudres (2013 and 2017 to 2021). 23% of the wines are aged in wood and only 23% undergo malolactic fermentation, which preserves the freshness. Dosage: 7 g/L.
About this house
Founded in Reims in 1776, Louis Roederer is one of the last great Champagne houses to have remained family-owned and independent: Frédéric Rouzaud, seventh generation, runs it, and Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon signs the wines as cellar master. Its name remains linked to Cristal, created in 1876 for Tsar Alexander II.
A symbol of the freedom of the Roederer style, Collection took over from Brut Premier: a multi-vintage blend that the cellar master recomposes each year around a harvest, numbered after it, and which the Réserve Perpétuelle links to the previous ones. "Each Collection is a 'step aside', a new chapter in the House's world of taste. Each time unique but always resolutely Roederer!" says Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon. The 247 gives a sunny, generous version of it, rated 17/20 by JancisRobinson.com.
The perfect pairing
Aperitif
The iodised sweetness of the prawn echoes the wine's saline, mouth-watering finish; its delicate bubble lightens the puff pastry.
Starter
The pearly, sweet flesh of the scallop meets the juicy fruit of the mirabelle plum; the wine's creamy texture envelops it, its chalky freshness lifts it.
Main course
A delicate fish in brown butter: the pear, baked apple and vanilla touch of the Chardonnay accompany it, the wine's slight bitterness keeps the palate clean.
