The 2014 Roederer Rosé Reveals the Charm of Its Vintage
The 2014 vintage in Champagne is one that all Champagne lovers should take note of. For me, it is only the second time since 1988 (the other harvest being 2004) that the region has produced wines of such streamlined and relaxed elegance. While the big points always seem to go to the ripest vintages, I find that criteria less important than the “100-point” guys seem to. I don’t drink Champagne to be knocked over the head—we have plenty of other wine around for that! For those of you who remember the trio of excellent vintages that we were treated to in 1988, 1989, and 1990, time has shown that the least ripe of the three—1988—has been the one with the longest legs. These wines are still gaining complexity, three decades later.
Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon has just released his first 2014, and I could not have been more excited than I was to taste the 2014 Louis Roederer Brut Rosé at home with food. This wine, like all of the vintage-dated Champagne from Louis Roederer, is entirely estate, and is also farmed specifically from plots selected to create rosé. It is composed of 67% Pinot Noir from the south-facing slopes of 1er cru of Cumières, which benefits from sitting directly on the banks of the Marne. The powerful Pinot Noir is tempered with an infusion of 37% Chardonnay, mostly from north-facing plots in the grand cru of Chouilly. In 2014, chef de cave Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon used 17% oak-cask-fermented lots when creating the blend. All of the Pinot Noir is macerated together with a small amount of Chardonnay juice; a unique method for producing rose. Mr. Lécaillon explained to me that he “acidifies” the ripe Pinot of Cumières with the north-facing Chouilly Chardonnay. I am always impressed with the results!
I made homemade blini, which I served with smoked salmon, crème fraîche, chopped hard-boiled egg and chives from our herb garden to pair with this bottle. The color of the wine was a beautiful orange-tinged pink and had generous aromas of cherry and pie crust. In the mouth, this is clearly a long-distance runner, sleek but powerful, with great depth of Pinot Noir flavor, but no baby fat. The wine has minerality and drive that would make many blanc de blancs blush, but without austerity or harshness. It is a masterpiece, and while it drinks exceptionally well today, especially with food like we had, it will develop for decades, adding complexity and texture.
While vintage Champagne from Roederer is not cheap, I think this is a great value on the world stage. This is a great cellar candidate, and will be the “wine of the night” next to much more expensive bottles for many years to come. I hope that you have a chance to enjoy it—this was a special bottle for me.
A toast to you,
- Gary Westby