Louis Roederer Hommage a Camille Les Volibarts Blanc
Louis Roederer Hommage a Camille Les Volibarts Blanc
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To craft this Chardonnay single-vineyard white wine, we needed to find the most suitable hillside that would give us an elegant wine with depth, structure and great style.
Our historical 55-ares, southeast-facing plot in Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, where the old vines grow gently and slowly, seemed to be the ideal choice.
Our quest for complexity and a certain tannic character can only be achieved through bespoke vinification. This Chardonnay strikes just the right balance between depth and purity, resulting in a sophisticated composition that draws itself out with exceptional freshness.
This collection is the continuation of a quest for a totally different expression of the Champagne terroirs first initiated by Camille Olry-Roederer. It is a tribute to the bold spirit of this remarkable woman who left her mark on our Champagne House.
Camille was the ingenious widow at the helm of Louis Roederer from 1932 to 1975, successfully steering it through all the important events of that time. She had many strong cards up her sleeve: wines from the finest Champagne terroirs, a collection of crus that her husband Léon had shrewdly acquired after the phylloxera crisis. These exceptional plots in Aÿ, Avize, Cramant, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, Mareuil-sur-Aÿ and Cumières are the treasure troves and foundations of Louis Roederer’s unique style. Their still red and white wines are an authentic expression of the Champagne terroirs that Camille held so dear. Frédéric Rouzaud wanted to pay homage to the great-grandmother whose playful spirit he had so admired. He therefore decided to dedicate this collection of single-vineyard still wines to Camille, perpetuating the Champagne House’s inventive spirit.
Deep golden yellow hue. Bouquet of yellow fruit (Mirabelle plums), dried nuts (almonds), wheat and roasted hazelnuts. The oaky notes are delicately interwoven into the wine's bouquet, giving an impression of a delicious, noble reduction. The palate is concentrated and caressingly soft with a big, rich, rounded and oily texture. The mid-palate reveals a delicate, sappy texture combined with the lovely mineral acidity that is the hallmark of this wine, while the texture of the oak lengthens the palate and creates a very savoury finish. Oaky notes delicately interwoven into the wine's bouquet, giving an impression of a delicious noble reduction.
James Suckling 96: This is so fragrant and spicy, brimming with aromas of cloves, balsamic, blood orange, rust, dried flowers and burnt rosemary. And then silky on the palate, medium-bodied, with supple and gorgeously sleek tannins, complementing the ethereal and lightly estery character. Long and elegant. Pinot noir from lieu-dit Charmont in Mareuil-Sur-Ay. Vinified with 40% stem inclusion. Delightful already but better after 2024.
Vinous 93+: The 2020 Camille Hommage Le Mesnil-sur-Oger Coteaux Champenois is nuanced and polished. Lemon confit, white flowers, mint and white pepper are all finely delineated. The Chardonnay is quite a bit more reticent than the Pinot at this stage. Perhaps that reflects a move towards more large format oak. My impression is that the Roederer team is still figuring out this wine. Even so, the 2020 is pretty tasty.
Wine Advocate 92: Sourced from the lieu-dit Volibarts and aged 40% in ceramic amphorae, 20% in stainless steel and the remainder in new oak (from Tonnellerie Seguin Moreau), the 2022 Coteaux Champenois Le Mesnil-sur-Oger Hommage à Camille wafts from the glass with an expressive bouquet of dried flowers, ripe citrus fruit and roasted nuts, framed by élevage in new wood. On the palate, it is medium to full-bodied, concentrated and textural, with a generous core of fruit supported by vibrant acidity, concluding with a long, sapid finish.