2012 Louis Roederer

Roederer’s 2012 Brut Vintage will give readers a very good idea of what to expect in this vintage. Racy and voluptuous, with striking resonance, the 2012 is ample, creamy and wonderfully inviting. Baked apple, brioche, pastry, spice and light tropical notes all flesh out in a radiant Champagne that drinks well right out of the gate. There is plenty of vintage 2012 concentration and ripeness, and yet the Chef de Caves Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon managed to retain considerable energy here as well. This is such a compelling Champagne.

Roederer’s white golden 2012 Vintage is a classic Millésime. Based on 70% cool-climate Pinot Noir from Verzy and Verzenay (Montagne de Reims) and 30% Chardonnay from a very warm, south/southwest-facing vineyard in Chouilly (Côte des Blancs), the 2012 represents the mineral terroirs of its origins beautifully—pure, refined and fresh. Fermented 8% in oak and with just 16% of the volume having done malolactic fermentation to make the Roederer Vintage Brut a classic gastronomic wine, the 2012 shows a deep, rich and ripe but also fine, precise and elegant chalky nose with hazelnut, toasted almond and blossom flavors. The palate is profound, round, highly elegant and fresh, and the long, remarkably salty finish is very complex and terribly fresh in its persistent mineral expression. This is an impressive, ripe and almost creamy textured but precise and finessed 2012 with power, body and structure. A true, highly stimulating classic. Just love it! Disgorged in January 2017 after four years of bottle aging (dosage: nine grams per liter). Tasted in Reims in May 2018. "2012 was one of the most challenging and complicated years ever experienced in Champagne," says Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon. "However, difficult conditions often lead to great things..." The yields were low, and the continental climatic conditions toward the end of the season, gave unusual levels of maturity, resulting in rich, full-bodied and structured wines.

Just over two-thirds pinot noir (Verzenay) and the balance southeast-facing chardonnay from Chouilly. This has 30% of oak fermentation which has compressed the wine, lending it an air of extreme concentration. The nose is gently spicy, offering peaches and cherries as well as neat autolysis edge. The palate has a powerful, long and assertive feel, with peach and lemon pith, chalky minerals, and some grapefruit. A powerful vintage for Roederer.