Roederer Collection 246 NV

Roederer Collection 246 NV

The 246th harvest at Louis Roederer was a challenging, gruelling and in many ways confusing one. 2021 will be remembered as a year when the vineyard team showed unwavering commitment in the face of what was probably one of the most difficult winegrowing seasons since 1958, resulting in very low yields! 54% Chardonnay, 35% Pinot Noir and 11% Pinot Meunier.

1/3 from each of La Riviere, La Montagne and La Cote estates – 55% base of 2021, with the remaining 45% reserve made up from 35% perpetual reserve from 2012 onwards and 10% reserve wines aged in large oak foudre. 24% of the total wine was aged in oak. Bottled with a dosage of 7 g/L. 100% Biodynamically farmed fruit.

The NV Brut Collection 246 is positively stellar. It’s a terrific example of where Roederer is going with this cuvée stylistically. Brisk saline notes cut through a core of orchard fruit, mint, white pepper and slate. There are no hard angles or awkward contours. The 246 is based on 2021, an extremely tricky vintage for Champagne. Chef de Caves Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon bumped up the percentage of Chardonnay considerably and focused on Pinots from the Montagne de Reims. About 30% of the lots underwent malolactic fermentation to soften the edges. Twenty-four percent of the wines were fermented in oak, the rest in tank. The 246 is a blend of 55% base 2021 vintage wines described above, plus 30% perpetual reserve going back to 2012 (mostly from Cumières, Vertus and Verzy) in tank and 10% young-vine juice from Cristal plots aged in cask. The final blend is 54% Chardonnay (as opposed to the more typical 44%), 35% Pinot Noir and 11% Meunier. Dosage is 7 grams per liter. More importantly, the 246 is impeccably done and absolutely delicious. 93 Points – Antonio Galloni, Vinous