What does it take to be the most admired Champagne brand in the world?
With a strong commitment to both consistency and envelope-pushing practices, Louis Roederer, a Champagne house with nearly 250 years of history, still draws reverence from the industry’s leading opinions
Words: Josh Lee
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Long stretches of seemingly uninterrupted success can often bring about a feeling of envy among those on the outside. Yet, for Louis Roederer, the Champagne house founded almost 250 years ago, and one of the last great independent family-owned ventures in its industry, a long-running commitment to excellence has led to it being honoured as the Most Admired Champagne Brand for the sixth year in a row. The recipient of the esteemed title, awarded by Drinks International magazine, was decided by a fine cuvée of wine connoisseurs, including writers on the subject, sommeliers, importers and masters of wine, and it’s seen as a solid testament to a label’s ability to balance consistency with new ideas and a deep, deep respect for the terroir it distills into the glass.
For Giles Fallowfield, a wine journalist who oversees the awards: “Getting to the top of the pile in the Most Admired Champagne Brands survey is quite an achievement. Staying there for six consecutive years is another level of challenge, requiring constant vigilance, unwavering investment and a real capacity for innovation.”
Established in 1776 in Reims, France, and still located there today, the house has been imbued with innovation since its early years, with Louis Roederer himself, in 1841, championing what was an envelope-pushing practice back then: to buy his own vineyards so that each stage of the wine production could be controlled. (Still, to this day, many houses rely heavily on bought-in grapes.)
That “unwavering investment” that Fallowfield mentions is evident in Louis Roederer’s holdings today, which comprise 250 hectares, 135 of which are certified organic – and, it must be noted, that a large part of the label’s appeal is its portfolio of grandes cuvées, the most notable of which is Cristal Rosé, a creation that our wine editor, Guy Woodward, labelled as a ‘unicorn’. It recently celebrated its 50th anniversary, having been originally conceived by Jean-Claude Rouzaud, in 1974, and though most rosé Champagnes have chardonnay and pinot vinified separately then brought together, Cristal is celebrated for co-fermenting the two. The result is profound and elegant, and a paean to both the house’s innovative approach and the land on which it works.
Frédéric Rouzaud
On scooping the gong, chief-exec Frédéric Rouzaud, the seventh generation of his family to own the company, said that: “To receive such a prestigious award once again is a fabulous recognition of the work of our entire team. It honours our unwavering commitment to preserving the soul of our Champagne house, while constantly pushing the boundaries, reinterpreting our terroir and refining our expertise to create grands vins de Champagne, wines of emotion that offer a singular taste experience.
“More than ever, we remain true to our vision: sustainable winegrowing, respectful of the environment and dedicated to the pursuit of taste.”
Want more wine content? Read about the history behind the label’s Cristal Rosé…
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