Louis Roederer Collection 243 NV (375ML)

96 JM / 95 DE / 94 JS / 94 VP / 93 JD / 92 WA

#1 Decanter Sparkling Wine of 2023
#14 Jeb Dunnuck's Top 100 2022
#32 Vinepair 50 Best Wines of 2022

5 Star wine. In magnum format. A riot of toasty-ripe citrus fruit! Supreme balance and focus, and lovely dry extract lurking on the finish. Long and mineral, this needs a couple of years for the reductive character to fade in and out before we get to the real drinking window of this champagne. Complexity and precision on another level, and for me, the best Roederer Collection release in any format. I will not say much more than "Back up the truck folks"! Statistics: 40% Chardonnay, 18% Meunier, and 42% Pinot Noir. 59% 2018 vintage, 31% Perpetual Reserve (2012-2017), and 10% Reserve wines (2012-2017, aged in oak). Disgorged in summer 2023 with a dosage of 8g/l. Drink from 2026-2034. Tasted: January 2024. - Steven Pritchard, for Jasper Morris' Inside Burgundy

A crystalline and pure nose full of bright lemon, chamomile, green apple and soft honeysuckle. Crisp and dry, with racy acidity and tiny bubbles that lift the palate straight away. Mouthwatering but light and so fine in terms of texture with a chalky, long and softly salty finish. This really makes you want another glass straight away. A perfect aperitif wine still with lots of juice and fruity flavours but crisp and totally refreshing. The majority of this blend comes from the 2018 vintage.--Georgina Hindle, Decanter

Dried-lemon, apricot, green-apple, salted-almond, walnut and light caramel notes. Vinous and layered, with small and tight bubbles. Excellent focus and intensity. Based on 2018, with reserve wines going back to 2009. Dosage 8g/L. Drink now. - James Suckling

Louis Roederer inherited the estate from his uncle in 1883 and, like many houses at the time, sought to bring his family’s Champagne to the world. From Moscow to New York, the Roederer brand has been celebrated and survived wars and a U.S. Prohibition. And through it all, it has maintained its family-owned status. They show their enduring commitment to quality with this delicious bottle of wine. It has a nose of tart apple balanced by a slight earthy depth and some pastry dough lingering on the edges. The acidity is active, riding the bubbles to your sense. When American think of Champagne, this is what they are thinking of. It's easy to drink and is a wonderful introduction to the region. - Vinepair

The NV Champagne Collection 243 Brut is the third release and is based on the 2018 vintage, with the addition of 30% of the perpetual reserve started in 2012 and 10% reserve wine that has been aged in oak. It is ripe and balanced, with yellow flowers, honeycomb, and plum, and it has elegant concentration and underlying tension, precise mousse, and rich salinity, with lingering notes of croissant and delicate smoke. This will be an exciting wine in the range to follow. Drink 2022-2037. - Audrey Frick, JebDunnuck .com

Based on the 2018 vintage and complemented by reserve wines from a solera established in 2012, as well as younger foudre-aged reserve wines, Roederer's newly released NV Brut Collection 243 is a pillowy, enveloping Champagne evocative of crisp stone fruits, honeycomb, white flowers and buttery pastry. Medium to full-bodied, fleshy and generous, with an ample core of fruit, bright acids and a saline finish, it will offer demonstrative drinking on release. - WK, Wine Advocate

A vibrant Champagne that's fine and creamy on the palate, almost plush, but bright and well-balanced throughout. Reveals a chalky base note that underscores layers of ripe pear and nectarine fruit, mandarin orange peel, oyster shell and chamomile. Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Meunier. - AN, Wine Spectator