2018 Louis Roederer Brut Nature Deluxe, Champagne

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.

93 points jamessuckling.com

Brut Nature from Louis Roederer is one of Champagne’s most intriguing modern expressions, created from a bold collaboration between cellar master Jean Baptiste Lécaillon and designer Philippe Starck. The idea was simple yet radical. Craft a Champagne with no dosage that still feels complete, harmonious and deeply drinkable. The 2018 vintage delivered beautifully ripe fruit thanks to warm conditions balanced by careful picking and thoughtful vineyard work across Roederer’s biodynamically farmed estate parcels. Pinot Noir leads the blend with Chardonnay and Meunier providing lift and texture, all vinified with minimal intervention to allow the character of the season and the chalky soils to shine through.

The wine gleams pale gold with flashes of silver, a lively stream of ultra fine bubbles racing to the surface. Aromatically it feels open and vibrant with notes of baked apple, lemon peel and white peach alongside toasted grain, almond skin and a gentle saline freshness. There is an almost tactile purity here that speaks to the zero dosage style. Across the palate it is both generous and razor focused, orchard fruit and citrus layered over a chalk driven backbone that keeps everything taut and precise. Subtle spice and savoury pastry nuances carry through a long, clean finish that feels energising rather than austere.

This is a Champagne that seems made for food and conversation. Imagine a long lunch that stretches into evening, platters of oysters, grilled prawns or tempura vegetables arriving as glasses are quietly refilled. It also suits quieter moments when you want something refreshing yet thoughtful, perhaps a simple bowl of olives and good bread within reach. Drinking beautifully now yet capable of developing deeper nutty and honeyed complexity over the next eight to ten years. A strikingly contemporary take on Champagne that still honours the enduring finesse of the Roederer house.