
Conceived as an exchange and shaped by friendship, this wine is first and foremost a result of the free-thinking that came out of a meeting between Louis Roederer’s CEO Frédéric Rouzaud, his cellar master Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon and the designer Philippe Starck. Their conversations led to the creation of the very first Brut Nature in 2006 and the relationship continued to grow over the years to give us the 2009 and 2012 vintages. The Brut Nature was born from an idea of the dreamed-for, perfect champagne. It is a wine that captures the freshness of the clay soils in a sunny year, a wine of truth, the testimony to an encounter, a soil, a year, free spirits and the independent spirit that runs through the Champagne House. It is a champagne that perfectly encapsulates this new exploration of a Louis Roederer terroir.
Yellow hue with shimmering highlights and an even flow of lively bubbles. The bouquet is pure, elegant, vertical, rich and concentrated. Nuances of ripe fruit combined with exceptional finesse: fine, delicate citrus peel (lemon, orange) and vanilla (Madagascar bourbon vanilla) along with warmer notes of baked apple and Tarte Tatin that gradually give way to aromas of nougat. The palate offers a marked and singular contrast: it is very expressionist thanks to the broad, juicy, almost sensual texture of the Cumières clay soils in a sunny year, yet distinctly minimalist due to a fresh, pure, mineral and mouthwatering backbone associated with its zero dosage. Ripe citrus fruit combines with warm stone notes further accentuating the mouthwatering, umami sensation. The finish is light, energetic and ethereal.
James Suckling 93: 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.
Decanter 93: 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.
Wine Enthusiast 95: This expression embodies grace, with aromas of fresh pear, white peach, jasmine and violet framed by a subtle vein of pulverized seashell and chalk. The palate is guided by mouthwatering acidity and fine mousse, carrying citrus oils and crushed stone with quiet precision into a long, elegant finish. Proper aeration allows the mineral edges to open fully, delivering an irresistible and finely tuned sip.