Louis Roederer Maison

Heir to the House of Champagne in 1833, Louis Roederer, esthete and businessman, makes the visionary decision to expand his vineyard to control all stages of wine production. This is how it forges a unique style, spirit and taste. In the mid-19th century, by acquiring vineyards chosen with instinct and eclecticism in the lands of the Grand Crus of Champagne, Louis Roederer acted against the grain of the uses and customs of his time.

While others buy grapes, Louis Roederer takes care of his vineyard, deciphers the character of each plot and methodically acquires the best ones. With the idea that a great wine has its origin in the land, with the love for tradition and the passion for the future, Louis Roederer thus traces an exceptional destiny for the House that, from that moment on, will bear his name. His successor, Louis Roederer II, is motivated by the same patient vision of champagne, the same heritage conception of the estate, the same instinctive audacity.

He also finds inspiration in his love of books and drawings, which he collects with talent. Starting in 1870, Louis Roederer Champagne wines traveled to the United States and Russia, to the table of Tsar Alexander II.

A man of taste, an inveterate seeker, Louis Roederer II created a new champagne for the latter and launched an innovative idea: the first “prestige cuvée”, which was born in 1876 under the name “Cristal”. Its subtlety and elegance forged the reputation of excellence of the Louis Roederer House from that moment on.

During the 1920s, the new heir of the House of Louis Roederer, Léon Olry Roederer, wanted to create a very balanced wine, a constant and delicate harmony of several vintages, the promise of irreproachable quality. This is how the future Brut Premier begins to take shape. This great assembly will contribute to the rebirth of the House.

After his death, starting in 1933, his wife Camille led the House with a brilliant temperament and extraordinary energy, until achieving absolute success. A lover of horse racing, owner of one of the most famous stables in the world, he is also a skillful patron, elegantly restoring the festive dimension and pleasure of champagne. Thus, Camille Olry Roederer multiplies the receptions at the family mansion in Reims. These evenings will mark the history of the House and will add a new generation of fans to the tasting of champagne.

Oenologist, agronomist, his grandson, Jean-Claude Rouzaud, will ensure, in turn, the integrity of the estate. He will undertake work inspired by the concentration of vineyard plots. Working with passion in the very essence of the craft, he cultivates more than ever the inventive demand that contributes to the personality of the House.

Still independent, still family-owned, the Louis Roederer House is currently run by his son, Frédéric Rouzaud, who represents the seventh generation of the family. With the same patience and unwavering fidelity to its creative vocation, the Louis Roederer House currently ships more than three million bottles per year to the entire world.

The 3 historical Champagne strains coexist on the Louis Roederer estate. Chardonnay, appreciated for its minerality, its finesse and its elegance. Pinot noir, whose solid constitution structures the blends and prepares them wonderfully for aging. Pinot Meunier, a sweet and more discreet variety, whose ability to adapt helps to harmonize and soften certain cuvées.

The grapes from our plots are harvested by hand with great care, accumulated in baskets and pressed in the same harvesting sites. Pressing is an extremely delicate operation, since the color of the grain must not dye the juice, which must retain its clarity and blonde color.

Precise selection and “parcellar” vinification guarantee respect for the origin, traceability of the grapes and perfect knowledge of the fruit of almost each row of the vineyard. They also offer the possibility of preserving the natural balance of each plot. Thus, the vineyard is protected from any influence: each of our wines naturally offers the best of itself.

At the heart of each barrel, the wine becomes a fundamental actor, with its qualities, and also its weaknesses, that the winemakers allow to express themselves, one by one. At this stage, all the richness and diversity of the fruits is revealed... Every day, the contents of the vats are tested and classified by families of aromas, flavors, temperaments... All the observations of our tasters are carefully recorded. Thus, our wines are continually re-tasted and classified so that they continue to evolve towards the full revelation of their personality.