Louis Roederer et Phillipe Starck Brut Nature Champagne 2012 Limited Edition

From iconic producer Louis Roederer, we have the remarkable collaboration between winemaker Frederic Rouzaud and Philippe Starck: Brut Nature Starck Edition. The winery talks about their 3 tenets for this cuvee below. In a nutshell, this Champagne is a stunning style of evervescence, without any dosage, or sugar. Think dry, deliciously so. It is a study of the purity of the wine, the winery's terroir, and the snapshot of that day's harvest - with the added bonus of bubbles. We are spellbound. They fine-tuned this method in 2003, 2004 and 2005 before finally selecting 2006 as the vintage for bottling. And then Philippe Starck designed the label...

The tenets are:Authenticity and Truth - Emphasized by the distinctiveness of a producer's wine, resulting in an unusual and summery vintage, from a unique soil-clay and stony-characterized by optimal maturity. Abstraction - A difficult notion to translate into technical reality, but Roederer aims to refine and simplify their processes in various ways including harvesting the estate's vineyards on the same day; blending all the grapes directly on the press; removing minimal sludge and encouraging spontaneous fermentation; avoiding chaptalization; ensuring that 100% of the fermentation process occurs in wooden tanks; allowing the wines to age over a long period, without racking (soutirage), and ensuring they are produced in accordance with biodynamic rhythms. Elegance - Reflected in the quest for optimal purity through a balanced proportion of about 2/3 Pinot Noir and 1/3 Chardonnay, an absence of malolactic fermentation, a soft and sensual effervescence, and no dosage.

Wine Enthusiast:  “Six years on the lees before disgorgement has produced a Champagne that is just approaching perfect maturity. It is dry but that dryness has now softened with the developing nuttiness. This wine, developed as a collaboration with designer Philippe Starck, is now ready to drink.” Dec 2020. 94 Points.

Winery: "The golden and deep yellow hue sparkles with luminous highlights as the bubbles rise. The bouquet is intense and precise, and notes of spring flowers, Williams pear, and citrus peel gradually emerge. Aeration produces a crescendo of aromas consisting of dried fruits (lightly grilled hazelnuts), a warm-stone character, smoky flavors, and cocoa beans. In the mouth, the wine is impressive, the palate is a rich array of flavors, youthful energy, and dynamism, with a wonderful blend and juxtaposition of acids, salinity, stones, fruit, and a creamy texture. Wave after wave of sensations produce an impression of sudden acceleration, followed by serenity and elation. The mineral freshness returns with renewed intensity, before receding, and finally merging into an elegant velvety texture. This is followed by hints of bitterness and slight astringency, which introduce an element of gastronomy and vinosity-nonetheless, elegance and purity remain the predominant characteristics."