2018 Louis Roederer Starck Brut Nature Blanc [V95][WS94][D93][JS93][JG93]

Producer: Louis Roederer  
Region: Champagne, France  
Blend: Champagne Blend 
Year: 2018 

Vinous, 95 Points 

"Roederer’s 2018 Brut Nature Blanc is stellar. That is evident from the very first taste. There is something different about the 2018, a level of dimension and complexity that supersedes anything Roederer has achieved with this cuvée in previous releasees. Much of that comes down to changes in élevage. Early vintages were made using a similar approach as with the other Roederer Champagnes. Wines were taken off the lees in December and then bottled around March/April. That resulted in Brut Natures that were a bit austere in feel. For the 2018, Chef de Caves Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon opted to extend time on lees until spring, while also doing some stirring during that time to build texture, and then bottling in June, almost as if he was making a still wine. Bottling was done with 5/5.5 atmospheres of pressure, a bit less than for most Champagnes, which softens the mousse. But these are technical details. Where the 2018 truly shines in tasting. White flowers, lemon peel, chalk, slate and mint all race across the palate. This is Brut Nature, so bottled with no dosage, but that is not as evident here as it has been in previous editions, where the wine has at times felt a bit stark, no pun intended. The 2018 is a field blend of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Meunier, picked the same day and co-fermented. This is the first vintage that includes a tiny amount of Pinot Blanc (1%), which presages future vintages where the field blend will include Arbanne, Petit Meslier and Pinot Gris as well. The 2018 is the best Brut Nature yet. I loved it." 

Wine Spectator, 94 Points 

"A mouthwatering Champagne, with generosity to the flavors of juicy pear, nectarine, preserved lemon and grilled nuts. This is sleek and well-meshed, with a satiny mousse, plus an underlying streak of salinity that drives the racy finish. Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. Drink now through 2043." 

Decanter, 93 Points 

"A touch of yellow pear flashes up on the nose, immediately signalling both ripeness and the sense of juiciness that pervades the entire wine. This is accompanied by some ripe Mirabelle plum and only restrained hints of creaminess. The palate is pure, and even juicier than the nose, shining with as much clarity as roundness. The absence of dosage pushes both ripeness and structure centre stage and underlines a sense of clarity, while the finest phenolic frame corrals the fruit. Harvested from a south-facing, concave hillside in the village of Cumières that slopes down to the river Marne, this is clearly ripe, but also still embryonic. Beautifully juicy and clear right now, this will gain with further bottle age." 

James Suckling, 93 Points 

"Berries and dried grapefruit with hints of salty biscuits, toast and flint on the nose of this dry Champagne. Very savory yet rich, broad shouldered and textured, too, with a firm,chalky finish. From lieu-dit La Riviere in Cumieres. Drink now or hold." 

John Gilman, 93 Points 

"In the ripe vintage of 2018, the Brut Nature bottling from Maison Roederer possesses an uncharacteristic sensation of early generosity that already makes it very easy to drink. As has been the case since this bottling was first envisioned, the fruit hails entirely from the “sunbasket” of Cumières, with one of the three lieux à dits used for the bottling being the famous les Chèvres, from which Vincent Laval famously makes a single vineyard cuvée. The vins clairs do not go through malo for this bottling, with just under one-third barrel-fermented, and the still wines spend nearly a year of élevage prior to bottling up for secondary fermentation. The final cépages ended up being fifty-five percent pinot noir, twenty-five percent pinot meunier and twenty percent chardonnay, with a stray row or two of pinot blanc also finding its way into the blend. The wine offers up an excellent bouquet of apple peach, warm bread, a fine base of chalky soil tones, dried flowers, just a hint of buttery oak and plenty of upper register smokiness. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, focused and complex, with a superb core of fruit, a lovely spine of acidity, fine soil undertow, elegant mousse and a long, beautifully balanced and vibrant finish. Fine juice. 2025-2055+." 

Alcohol: 12.5% 

*Price and availability in store may vary. Vintage date may differ from pictured.