Louis Roederer Collection 246 Champagne

Originally founded in 1776 as Dubois Pere et Fils, would go on to be inherited by Louis Roederer and renamed. They reached international intrigue in 1876 Imperial Russia when Louis Roederer created the very first prestige cuvee, the now iconic Cristal for Tsar Alexander II, who under fear of multiple assassination attempts, requested that the wine be bottled in transparent glass. Today the winery is still family owned and farming the majority of estate owned vineyards. Louis Roederer remains a benchmark producer celebrated for their monumental prestige cuvee, and their innovative approach to NV Champagnes.   The "Collection" series was first introduced in 2021, where it took over and reimagined the role of the NV Champagne. Rather than focusing on an absolute consistent style year in year out, each expression is crafted to showcase the unique character of a specific harvest, while being enriched by Roederer's perpetual reserve system, which was initiated in 2012, and their extensive library of oak-aged reserve wines. The number itself corresponds to the chronological sequence of blends produced by the house since its founding.   Collection 246 is based on the challenging, yet exceptional 2021 harvest, which yielded a wine defined by freshness, precision, and remarkable enerygy. Composed of primarily Chardonnay (54% Chardonnay, 33% Pinot Noir, and 13% Meunier), with a generous addition of reserve wines. The wine opens with expressive aromas of citrus blossoms, white peach, mirabelle plum, and the classic scent of freshly baked rich brioche. The palate is dense, vibrant, and textured, with a pronounced minerality and a fine mousse. Wonderful aperitif wine to serve alongside oysters, or light sashimi.