COLLECTION 242:
A NEW EXPRESSION OF LOUIS ROEDERER’S ART OF BLENDING
COLLECTION IS A LOGICAL STEP IN THE EVOLUTION OF THE HOUSE

Driven by a new ambition and freedom, with the creation of Collection, we are writing the next chapter of our story. The times we live in; climate change and the importance of practicing a sustainable viticulture that respects the living environment in order to fully express the qualities of the terroir. Anticipating future seasons and adapting to the present are our ongoing challenges; we felt we had to take our quest for excellence in our blends to the next stage.

CHANGING THE TEMPLATE
Thus freed from any imposed formula, in a single-minded pursuit of the best wine each year, we are placing the art of blending even more at the heart of our approach; better still, it is becoming the prime element. Each Collection blend has its own identity which will gradually and fully reveal itself over time.

The Collection number—representing the number of blends created since the House’s founding—will allow champagne lovers, like collectors, to choose their champagne according to their preferred degree of youth or maturity. "This is the end of the era of brut sans année, this is a new era, the multi-vintage of the 21st century."  - Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon

Created from the Perpetual Reserve and the oak-aged reserve wines, complemented by the finest wines from the 2017 harvest, Collection is tied to our Champagne roots and the foundations of our House, a winemaking approach founded on the long aging required to craft remarkable wines.

Going deeper in our blending experiments, raising the intensity of flavor and aromas—all the while maintaining freshness and finesse that defines the Roederer style. The freedom to create the blend on the basis of whatever Nature gives us.

There is no one recipe: the blend proportions change every year, with much more identity tied to the vintage (242, 243...). The 2017 harvest makes up 56% of the Collection 242 blend.

TYING OUR CHAMPAGNE ROOTS
A Louis Roederer hallmark, the reserve wines are made from grapes sourced in young Cristal vines that are under 20 years old and aged in large oak foudres (casks) for up to 10 years, an oxidative environment that gives the wine depth and intensity and balances the freshness brought by the Perpetual Reserve. The proportion ranges from 6-12% depending on the year.

A HIGHER PROPORTION OF RESERVE WINES
Representing up to 35% of the Collection blend, Roederer’s Perpetual Reserve is a 50/50 Pinot Noir and
Chardonnay blend. It is enriched each year with wines from the latest harvest and stored in custom-built
stainless steel vats that promote slow aging and maintain freshness. The Perpetual Reserve was first started with the 2012 vintage and has since been complemented by additional vintages. Five vintages compose Collection 242's Perpetual Reserve assemblage. This blending element adds breadth, depth, substance and contrast—its texture is fleshier and more enveloping, adding to the overall complexity.

THE CREATION OF “RESERVE PERPETUELLE”
Carefully redefining all the plots for Collection—from Louis Roederer estates and those part of our historic partnerships—to retain only the plots rooted in this “Cœur de Terroir”: lieux-dits, exposures, lands with strong identities, usually chalk soils, those most capable of giving us the best of their fruit.

TASTING NOTES

On the nose: The Collection 242 blend is dominated by Chardonnay which was of exceptional quality in the 2017 vintage. The perfectly ripe Chardonnay grapes lend the wine its aromas of ripe, sweet fruit complemented by subtle oaky notes.

On the palate: Rich and ripe with a luxurious texture that coats the palate, the signature of an outstanding Chardonnay. The Pinot noir and Meunier grapes from the Vallée de la Marne complete the wine’s broad, luscious, smooth and juicy character. The finish is energetic and fresh.

12% ABV