Louis Roederer Champagne Tasting Monday, February 27th 7:30pm and all the Louis Roederer Champagne on SALE!!
Graham Greene
Champagne is my favorite wine and we drink Champagne every day at Wine Watch but we start out the week partying like a rock star on Monday, February 27th with our friends from Louis Roederer Champagne. We will be tasting all the bubbles below which includes the 2008 Louis Roederer Cristal out of Magnum and the 2013 Louis Roederer Cristal Rose along with a special five couurse tasting menu. The price of this special event is less than the cost of a single bottle of Cristal Rose!
Join us as we welcome our friends from Champagne to the Wine Bar for a special evening of Louis Roederer Champagne including a five-course tasting menu. The fee for this tasting which includes dinner is only $495 + tax, for reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com .
LOUIS ROEDERER CHAMPAGNE TASTING FEATURING CRISTAL AND CRISTAL ROSE
Monday, February 27, 2023
7:30 PM
NV CHAMPAGNE LOUIS ROEDERER COLLECTION 243
2015 LOUIS ROEDERER BLANC DE BLANCS BRUT CHAMPAGNE
2015 LOUIS ROEDERER ROSE BRUT CHAMPAGNE
2015 LOUIS ROEDERER ROSE BRUT NATURE CHAMPAGNE
2013 LOUIS ROEDERER CRISTAL ROSE BRUT CHAMPAGNE
2014 LOUIS ROEDERER CRISTAL BRUT CHAMPAGNE
2008 LOUIS ROEDERER CRISTAL BRUT CHAMPAGNE MAGNUM
Menu
Truffle Parmesan Shoestring Fries with Lemon Gremolata
George Blanc Potato Cakes with American Sturgeon Caviar, Bermuda Onion and Crème Fraiche
Pacific Salmon Carpaccio with Candied Pink Grapefruit and mint Aioli
Roasted Duck with Plum Sauce
Macadamia Crusted Goat Cheese Salad with Walnut Citrus Champagne Vinaigrette
Petit Fours
The fee for this tasting which includes dinner is $495 + tax, for reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com. Please let us know when you make your reservations if you have any food allergies and chef Toni will be happy to accommodate you.
A bit about Louis Roederer Champagne
Very little is known about the early days of the Louis Roederer Champagne House apart from the fact that the firm was founded in 1765 by a Monsieur Dubois and that it was owned and managed by a Monsieur Schrieder in the early 1800's. In 1827 Schrieder asked his young eighteen year old nephew, Louis Roederer, to help him run the firm. Schrieder was extremely impressed by the young man's ability; and when Schrieder, who had no sons, died in 1833, he left the business to Louis. Louis Roederer wasted no time in giving the House his own name; he then set about to make the rather inconsequential firm of Louis Roederer a powerful name in Champagne. The markets on which he concentrated were Russia, the United States, and Great Britain. The Tsars and the aristocracy of Russia had an unquenchable thirst for Champagne, and up until the 1830's that country was the exclusive preserve of Veuve Clicquot, Moët, and Dom Ruinart. By 1836 the Tsar himself was drinking Louis Roederer Champagne and sending his wine steward to Reims to taste the annual cuvées. Shortly thereafter, the monarch's wine steward began to complain that there was nothing to distinguish the Louis Roederer Champagne served at the Tsar's table from the Louis Roederer Champagne consumed by his subjects. Louis Roederer immediately arranged for special "Cristal" bottles to be made. Although they were the same shape as the ordinary bottles, they were so strong that the punt (the "push-up" in the bottom of the bottle) could be eliminated - a feature particularly appreciated by the Tsars, for they always feared that terrorists could plant a bomb in the punt of a Champagne bottle. The "Cristal" bottle became the exclusive Champagne of the Russian Court and the first of the great deluxe Champagnes such as Dom Pérignon etc. that are now produced in limited quantities by almost every Champagne House. When Louis Roederer died in 1870, he had fulfilled the ambitions of his youth. He was famous in Russia; his Champagne firm had grown from an annual production of 100,000 to two and half million bottles; and he was the third or fourth largest supplier of Champagne to the United States.
The fortunes of the House of Roederer took a disastrous downturn at the end of the Russian Revolution. At the time of the outbreak of the First World War, almost three quarters of Roederer's production was being shipped to Russia. The war and the ensuing Russian Revolution meant that little Champagne was going to Russia, and it nearly bankrupted the firm. When the Revolution concluded, the communists, who were eager to destroy every last vestige of Tsarist influence and culture, declared that Champagne was too "bourgeois". Because of this new political attitude and because of the close link with the former Tsar, the importation of Louis Roederer Champagne to Russia ceased. A catastrophe of this magnitude would probably have destroyed most businesses, but fortunately there was an appreciative and eager market in the United States, England, and Belgium.
During the thirties and forties, the firm was run by the colorful and determined Roederer widow, Madame Camille Orly-Roederer, who expanded the firm's holdings and reestablished Roederer's position as a powerful Champagne House. She earned great respect from the male Champagne magnates for her business acumen and was the talk of the world social scene, as she was known to strut into gala parties larger than life and "dressed to the nines" in fabulous diamonds and Dior gowns...and order Roederer Champagne for everybody in the house! It is interesting to note that the "new Tsars" of Russia may not consider Louis Roederer Champagne as bourgeois as Lenin once did. When Brezhnev visited President Nixon in Washington in 1972, he wired ahead and requested that several well-chilled bottles of "Cristal" be placed in his stateroom prior to his arrival!! We are sure that the new capitalist leaders of Russia will soon be toasting their successes once again with Roederer.
Today Louis Roederer supplies over 80% of its production from its own vineyards which are classified at an average rating of 95%. (All Champagne vineyards are quality rated from 80% to 100% by a special committee; very few vineyard areas get the top 100% (Grand Cru) rating.) This is an enviable position to occupy, for most of the major Champagne firms have to purchase more than half their grape needs from independent growers and therefore do not exercise as much control over the growing process - an extremely important aspect. The house style at Roederer - best exemplified by their superb non-vintage known as "Brut Premier" - is notably smooth, full-bodied, and mature. Roederer also produces a non-vintage Rosé, a vintage Brut, an extra-dry, and of course the renowned luxury cuvée, "Cristal", and its fabulously expensive sibling "Cristal" Rosé.
All the Champagne from Louis Roederer available at Wine Watch :
NV CHAMPAGNE LOUIS ROEDERER COLLECTION 243
Price: $57.75 Your Price: $50.82 Quantity in Stock: 3
(92 Points) Based on the 2018 vintage and complemented by reserve wines from a solera established in 2012, as well as younger foudre-aged reserve wines, Roederer's newly released NV Brut Collection 243 is a pillowy, enveloping Champagne evocative of crisp stone fruits, honeycomb, white flowers and buttery pastry. Medium to full-bodied, fleshy and generous, with an ample core of fruit, bright acids and a saline finish, it will offer demonstrative drinking on release. Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
NV LOUIS ROEDERER BRUT PREMIER 3 LITER
Price: $360.00 Your Price: $316.80 Quantity in Stock: 2
A blend of around 40% Pinot noir, 40% Chardonnay, and 20% Pinot Meunier, Brut Premier comprises wine matured in oak tuns produced from three Champagne grape varieties that originate from various crus selected by Louis Roederer. It is aged for 3 years in Louis Roederer’s cellars and left for a minimum of 6 months after dégorgement (disgorging).
2015 LOUIS ROEDERER ROSE BRUT CHAMPAGNE
Price: $105.25 Your Price: $92.62
The Roederer Estate Brut Rose is full and round with smooth flavors and fine persistent bubbles. The extra measure of Chardonnay contributes elegance and austerity, which balance nicely with the delicate fruitiness of the Pinot Noir.
2015 LOUIS ROEDERER BRUT NATURE CHAMPAGNE
Price: $99.00 Your Price: $87.12 Quantity in Stock: 11
(94 points) The most compelling rendition of this bottling that Roederer has produced to date, the 2015 Brut Nature exhibits inviting aromas of golden orchard fruit, clear honey, dried white flowers and wet stones. Medium to full-bodied, layered and vinous, with a fleshy, concentrated core of fruit, chalky structure and a long, precise finish, it's a Pinot Noir-dominant blend from Cumières that's slightly lower in pressure, making for a more delicate mousse. (WK)" (8/2022) Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
2015 LOUIS ROEDERER BLANC DE BLANCS BRUT CHAMPAGNE
Price: $105.00 Your Price: $92.40 Quantity in Stock: 18
Inspired by the Champagne House’s savoir-faire in the harvest of a single year, this pure Chardonnay is grown on hillside plots in the Avize terroir in the heart of the “La Côte” estate. This champagne draws its strength from the intense chalkiness of these limestone soils which lend it its infinite freshness. With time, this champagne reveals the power and identity of these great terroirs.
Composed of 100% Chardonnay, the Blanc de Blancs Vintage cuvée is generally matured on lees for five years and left for a minimum of 6 months after dégorgement (disgorging) to attain perfect maturity.
Carried by the saline freshness of the limestone, this Blanc de Blancs is a slender, straight, luminous wine, with a caressing and powdery texture, where the minerality is finely linked to the substance. It is the triumph of Chardonnays!
2006 LOUIS ROEDERER CRISTAL BRUT CHAMPAGNE
Price: $427.50 Your Price: $376.20 Quantity in Stock: 1
(97 points) Fantastic from the start. A colossal power of beautiful rumbling Pinot maturity. It’s like chewing on the ripest grapes from Aÿ and Verzenay. At the same time ultra stylish: unmistakable Cristal essence of peach and mango sweetness, pineapple, coconut, vanilla, sprightly acidity and citrus blossom. Many similarities with 2002 but with a clearer Pinot touch. (RJ) Inner quote mark (9/2014) Decanter
2008 LOUIS ROEDERER CRISTAL BRUT CHAMPAGNE 1.5L MAGNUM
Price: $1100.00 Your Price: $968.00 Quantity in Stock: 6
(100 Points) The 2008 Cristal is a perfect wine, and Champagne simple does not get any better. This incredible wine offers a beautiful perfume of clean, crisp fruits, layers of complexity in its toasted spice and white flowers, and an utterly seamless, yet powerful style on the palate. This is a rich, decadent expression of Cristal yet it’s still crystalline and elegant, with no sensation of weight, and it just glides over the palate. Haut Couture at its finest and this majestic, profound, legendary Cristal can be drunk anytime over the coming 2-3 decades. Jeb Dunnuck
2014 LOUIS ROEDERER CRISTAL BRUT CHAMPAGNE
Price: $388.50 Your Price: $341.88 Quantity in Stock: 2
(98 Points) This vivid Champagne has upfront and linear definition, thanks to rapierlike acidity, with finely meshed flavors of ripe black cherry and mandarin orange fruit, raw almond, anise and cardamom spice as well as a touch of honeycomb, which all unfurl and expand on the fine, creamy palate. Sleek acidity continues through to the finish, with additional racy character provided by a streak of minerally saline and chalk, which gains momentum through the midpalate and rings out on the well-cut, lasting finish. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Drink now through 2040. Wine Spectator
2013 LOUIS ROEDERER CRISTAL ROSE BRUT CHAMPAGNE
Price: $795.00 Your Price: $699.60 Quantity in Stock: 6
Blend: 63% Pinot Noir, 37% Chardonnay
A great rosé champagne must be made from very ripe grapes, which are sometimes difficult to obtain in the Champagne climate. As a result, Louis Roederer has chosen to invest in one of the earliest Champagne crus, Cumières, for which the steeply-sloping, shallow clay and limestone soils face south and benefit from the additional light reflected from the river Marne, enabling phenolic maturity to be achieved. In these select terroirs, Louis Roederer applies the precise winemaking methods required for the production of a saignée rosé. The style of this rosé is elegant, full-bodied and with delicate fruitiness (red fruits). Brut Rosé is 100% estate-bottled from the grapes of the historic family-owned vineyards.
2002 LOUIS ROEDERER CRISTAL BRUT CHAMPAGNE SPECIAL EDITION JEROBOAM
Price: $25500.00 Sale Price: $19950.00 Quantity in Stock: 1
Luxury has always been a necessity for most of us but for those with a flair for the extraordinary, the cuvee Cristal 2002 should satiate. Luxury designer extraordinaire Philippe di Meo has teamed up with Champagne Louis Roederer to produce a limited edition Jeroboam design for the cuvee Cristal 2002. The appearance of the bottle itself screams luxury and one might as well imagine how luscious the inner content is going to be. In this day and age where appearance is everything, Cristal’s distinctive clear glass bottle encased in a lattice of 24-carat gold provides the ultimate in luxury wine tasting.
Each bottle takes four days to create by two master goldsmiths and the result is described as being “inspired by the greatest traditions of jewellery.” The limited edition Jeroboam design for the cuvee Cristal 2002 is indeed a jewel in the real sense. A precious jewel to gift to someone special or even better, a gift of luxury to your own taste buds.
Jean-Claude Rouzaud, former president of Champagne Louis Roederer, understood that first-rate estate vineyards create exceptional sparkling wines, which is why he selected the 580-acre Anderson Valley vineyard and winery site in 1982. Jean-Claude, who has since handed down the family tradition and position to son Frédéric Rouzaud (pictured), believed that estate-owned vineyards were essential to ensure the highest quality wine, spending several years exploring California’s diverse regions for ideal growing conditions. The vineyards were planted in 1984, the winery was built in 1986, and the first Roederer Estate MV Brut cuvée was introduced in 1988.
Rooted in viticulture, Roederer Estate is the California outpost of a French family. Family-owned, farmers and winemakers at heart. Since its debut in 1988, it has established its reputation as one of California’s premier sparkling wines remaining true to the excellence and style of its French heritage.
Relying on age-old traditions and empirical knowledge of our estate vineyards allows winemaker Arnaud Weyrich to craft his best interpretation of Anderson Valley sparkling wines. Far beyond chemistry and science is the artistic element: the tasting and blending of aromas, textures, creating a tactile and aromatic feel of length and balance — measured only by one’s senses.
NV ROEDERER ESTATE BRUT ANDERSON VALLEY MAGNUM
Price: $67.50 Your Price: $59.40
NV ROEDERER ESTATE BRUT ANDERSON VALLEY
Price: $30.00 Your Price: $26.40 Quantity in Stock: 15
Roederer Estate Brut, the first California sparkling wine produced by Champagne Louis Roederer, builds upon a 200-year tradition of fine winemaking that has made Roederer champagne among the most sought-after in the world.
Roederer's winemaking style is based on two elements: ownership of its own vineyards and the addition of oak-aged reserve wines to each year's blend or cuvee. All the grapes for the Anderson Valley wines are grown on the Estate.
Each year, the winemaker selects a portion of the best wines for aging in Center of France oak casks. Aged from one to three years, wines from this reserve cellar are added to the blend, creating a multi-vintage cuvee in the traditional Roederer style, known for its body, finesse and depth of flavor.
NV ROEDERER ESTATE BRUT ROSE ANDERSON VALLEY MAGNUM
Price: $84.00 Your Price: $73.92
NV ROEDERER ESTATE ROSE BRUT ANDERSON VALLEY
Price: $34.50 Your Price: $30.36 Quantity in Stock: 7
The Roederer Estate Rosé is full and round with smooth flavors and a fine, persistent mousse. The extra measure of Chardonnay contributes elegance and austerity that balance nicely with the delicate fruitiness of the Pinot Noir.
2015 ROEDERER ESTATE L'ERMITAGE ANDERSON VALLEY
Price: $65.00 Your Price: $57.20 Quantity in Stock: 33
Fine tiny bubbles and a long lasting mousse are the usual footprints of the L’Ermitage cuvée. Aromas of hazelnut and roasted pecans opening to some clove spiciness. Vibrant acidity, with notes of Asian pear, baked green apple. Creamy mid palate and clean acid with a dry finish.
Blend: 52% Chardonnay, 48% Pinot Noir
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