Champagne Louis Roederer, founded in 1776, remains one of the very rare family Champagne businesses. For two centuries, six succeeding generations have been inspired by the same concern for quality. Frederic Rouzaud took up the reins in early 2006 from his father Jean-Claude Rouzaud who remains Chairman of the Board. Jean-Claude, grandson of Madame Camille Olry-Roederer and himself a trained Oenologist had led the company for 38 years, and is referred to as the 'Sage' of Champagne (the wise man of Champagne).

For the warm and dry vintage this has tremendous freshness and elegance. The complex nose of citrus blossom, mint, lemon and lime zest opens up slowly as this aerates in the glass. The wine’s ample structure is still quite firm, which is a vintage characteristic, the mousse very fine but also very lively for an eight-year-old champagne. Cristal fans will love this as it is, but a year or two more in the bottle will do a lot for the very long mineral finish of this youthful masterpiece. A cuvee of 60% pinot noir and 40% chardonnay, picked from all 45 Cristal vineyard plots. Tasted at the Cristal vertical tasting at the champagne house on July 6th, 2023. Drink from release. Rating: 97 Points; James Suckling

The winter was wet and cold, summer record-breaking hot – and rain in August saved the vintage. The usual 60/40% pinot noir chardonnay split, 25% fermented in oak, disgorged in November 2022, the dosage 7g/l. A contrast of freshness and richness, the fruit concentrated and complex. Eternal life. Date: Nov 2023; Price: $560.00; Rating: 98 Points & Top 100 Wines for 2023; James Halliday Wine Companion