Louis RoedererBrut Nature 2012

Intensiv arom av ren mineralitet med syrliga inslag av citrus, lime och blomsteräng. Frukten vi fångar upp i gom är ursprungsrik och koncentrerad med en torr och frisk struktur, fin stringens, elegant och klar diskant som växer mer och mer ju längre tid vinet får i glaset. Fräschören är slående samtidigt som champagnen besitter ett bra djup och avslutet med sitt vackert torra temperament bär med sig frukten länge. Det här är en finlirande champagne som ger små vindar av flaggskeppet Cristal i modell yngre. Det borde säga det mesta…

This is the second release of the collaboration between Roederer and Philippe Starck, a blend of pinot noir, pinot meunier and chardonnay grown in the deep clay soils of Cumières, harvested and fermented together. It’s a wine that requires a sunny vintage, as it’s captured without malolactic and without dosage. And it’s not a wine for the timid; one of our tasters described it as “sadistic,” while others were captivated by its energy, by the details embedded but not yet shared, by the naked, spherical intensity of the wine. The flavors stick to the lips, extending their lasting complexity. Give this time to rest in your cellar before opening, and perhaps decanting, a bottle.

The clarity of chalk and white almond is striking. Gentle perfume with some light cherry fruits, peach, grapefruit and lemon citrus. The palate has a piercing burst of lemon and grapefruit flavor on the front and builds into gently biscuity and more savory flavors through the middle. Holds on to bright zesty acidity into the finish. Smooth, resolved and balanced. Really detailed. Drink now to 2020+.

The 2009 Brut Nature is only the second release for this wine (the first was the 2006). Powerful, rich and impeccably layered, the 2009 possesses remarkable depth and all of the pedigree of these vineyards in Cumières. Apricot, brioche, dried flowers and chamomile take on striking shades of translucence in this beautifully expressive Champagne. The radiance and ripeness of the vintage gave Roederer the ideal conditions to make a Champagne with no dosage, and here it is, in all of its splendor. Roederer has made the decision to price this wine very modestly in Champagne terms. I can not imagine that is going to last too long. To be sure, the Brut Nature style might come as a bit of a shock to readers used to the Roederer house palate, but the wine is magnificent. It is as simple as that.