I’ve been reading glowing reviews of the last 3 iterations of Roederer’s Collection from trusted sources on WineBeserkers and somehow avoided ever tasting one let alone buy some. It took one more recommendation before I finally opted to get some and the first bottle was outstanding.
NV LOUIS ROEDERER COLLECTION 244 BRUT- based on 2019 of which 54% {5% aged in oak} make up the blend that includes reserves from 2012-2018, of which 10% of the 46% were aged in oak; 1/3 of the fruit was sourced from their “la Rivière” Estate, 1/3 from “la Montagne” Estate and 1/3 from “la Côte” Estate; only 35% went through ML; the varietal breakdown is 41% Chardonnay, 33% Pinot noir and 26% Pinot Meunier; it was dosed at 7 gpl; the color was a light yellow and the nose offered pleasant citrus fruit with lemon most prominent; on the palate, honeyed lemon, pear, honey dew melon, green apple, white peach and a mild accent of ginger likened to ginger ale provided a savory treat; it had a mellow mousse with just a little weight, a nice streak of acidity running through and finished with everything elegantly coming together; I’m impressed, it’s a great QPR and I’m getting more.
Thanks for the note Blake, not sure how I had a bottle before you but totally agree about the qpr and the note. It will be fun to see what some age does to these but I’m very happy to follow along.
Great note, Blake. And you weren’t late, just intuitive - you waited for the best one, the 244.
P.S. I already had a bottle of this in the frodge for this evening’s al fresco dining. Not too many Indian Summer days left in Massachusetts before we hunker down for the winter.
Thanks Dan. Good point regarding how this will mature and evolve. I’m guessing it will gain some energy and develop some yellow apple character in a few years and I want to track it to see if that is so.
That brings up the question as to how the other iterations have evolved and within what period of time? Hopefully, some others on this site can provide some insights.
I went through a couple of magnums of the 241 that I scored for a steal ($120 each) and really enjoyed them. I’m so tempted by the 244, but after spending some time in the cellar today, I’ve realized I probably don’t need to be buying more Champagne—unless, of course, I’m planning on living past 150!
Magnum 244 should already be available on the American market. Collection 245 in 750 ml bottle has been available here in Europe for a few months now; I have no idea how 245 is.
I finally ordered some 244 as I haven’t been able to find it locally (and if I did, the price would probably be at least 40% higher, based on the prices I’m seeing for 243). My larger order was pre-arrival, but I ordered a couple of bottles from K&L so I don’t have to wait too long. K&L appeared to be one of the few retailers in the US (at least, according to wine-searcher amateur) with 245 in stock. I grabbed a few 375s to give it a try soon.
$49-$50 for 750s is the lowest price I’m currently seeing for 244. B-21 is one store offering it at that level. I’ve never done business with them but recall some discussions here. My biggest concern was the high temps in the southeast are still in the mid-high 80s, at least through the next 10 days, and I didn’t want to risk shipping.
I ended up ordering from SommPicks in San Francisco at roughly the same price.
