Champagne Louis Roederer "Carte Blanche" Demi Sec NV

Notes - Established in 1776, Champagne Louis Roederer is one of the few remaining completely independent, family owned Champagne houses. By 1886 the House had achieved such a reputation for quality that the second Louis Roederer was asked by Tsar Alexander II to create Cristal for the exclusive use of the Russian Tsars, and in so doing created the first Cuvée de Prestige. Roederer owns just over 200 hectares of vineyards located in the finest areas of Champagne - Montagne de Reims, Vallée de la Marne and Côte des Blancs. The new Louis Roederer Carte Blanche is slightly sweet, smooth and creamy; an ideal dessert wine. A sugar dosage gives the wine a pleasant sweetness without masking its complexity and elegance. The dosage for this blend is 42 grams per litre, so essentially the Carte Blanche is a Demi-Sec. During blending approximately 10% of reserve wines are added, this gives Carte Blanche its extra dimension. Reserve wines are made up of the best wines from at least 3 former vintages, which are set aside to age in large oak casks in the Reserve Wine Cellar. After blending and the addition of the ‘liqueur de tirage’ (this starts off the secondary fermentation, which creates the ‘sparkle’ in champagne) the wines are left to mature for at least four years. This is in excess of the legal minimum. This is where the sediment formed by the secondary fermentation is removed to give a clear liquid. At this stage the ‘liqueur de dosage’ is added. These liqueur wines are the result of a meticulous selection of wines that have been aged for six to ten years in casks. They are added to compensate for the natural acidity of the champagne and to determine the style of the champagne. The Carte Blanche is a pale golden colour. The inclusion of oak-aged reserve wines of four to 10 years in age is more apparent than in the “Brut” Champagnes. The reserve wines give complexity and roundness characteristic of Louis Roederer Champagnes. 34% Chardonnay, 56% Pinot Noir and 10% Pinot Meunier.
 
     

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