TASTING (Roederer’s food-pairing suggestions in italics.)


1990 Roederer Late Release Vintage (magnum)


1990 was a warm year, continental, hot and dry, which very much suits Pinot Noir. It was the third of the great trilogy of 1988, 1989, and 1990. The blend is 58 percent Verzy Pinot Noir and 42 percent Chouilly Chardonnay. There was no malolactic fermentation, 4 percent of the base wine was oak-fermented, and while the original 1990 Vintage received 12g/l, this iteration received 8g/l by way of dosage. Disgorged October 28, 1998, this is pale gold


uniqueness lies in the altitude and the forest surrounding the vineyards. This cool northerly hillside turns gradually south, to a more southerly exposure. Lieu-dit Les Bayons, covering 1.71ha (4.2 acres), is the main plot at the heart of the estate and reflects the character of the Pinot Noir grown in Verzy. According to JBL, “Here the Pinot Noir has the finesse of Chardonnay—it’s more alive, more energetic, and with the freshness coming from the forest. The old cellar master who started at Roederer in 1936 talked about the bouquet de la montagne.” It’s here that Roederer decided in 1850 to purchase the vines. The magic of the post-disgorgement aging in Roederer’s cellars is to create uniquely gastronomic wines capable of “pushing the boundaries of taste.” “We decided to pair these wines with a chef to discover these wines with food because they are gastronomic. So, this is the first chapter. We looked at the Vintages in the cellar and decided which of them were the most interesting. We are targeting restaurants and wine lovers with these wines.” There are 500 magnums of each (approximate retail price £550), and more than 1,000 75cl bottles of each (approximate retail price £270). At some point in the future, Roederer will offer Late Release Vintage Rosé and Blanc de Blancs, the latter based on Avize. 


Above: Roederer’s cellars in Reims, where the Late Release Vintage series was disgorged at the same time as the Vintages but held back till now.


in color, with a magnificent bouquet, showing ripe peach and toasty notes, combined with a hint of truffle and savoriness. It’s mouthwatering before you even taste it, with the silkiness and stone-fruit softness a link in character to the 1980s. A good, refreshing mousse brings plenty of explosive rich flavors to counteract the soft fruit, with its firm incisive blade of remarkably fresh acidity. Almost more vinous Burgundy than Champagne. | 94 Match: A lamb tagine or mature Comté.


1995 Roederer Late Release Vintage (magnum)


1995 was a classic year, halfway between oceanic and continental. It was very balanced between Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, and this blend is 53 percent Verzy Pinot Noir, 47 percent Chouilly Chardonnay. Some 22 percent of the wine underwent malolactic fermentation, and 7 percent fermentation in oak. The original was disgorged at 12g/l dosage, while for this series it was 9g/l. Deeper gold than the 1990 (possibly due to


more botrytis and also 20 percent malolactic), this blend—disgorged December 4, 2011—is ripe, almost exotic in aroma, perfumed and smoky, with a lovely buoyant texture of bubbles. There’s a light, salty-smoky iodine touch that makes the mouth water with its vivid, salty freshness and fine balance. This is a crowd-pleasing, balanced style that’s impossible not to enjoy. | 95 Match: Seared langoustines or veal sweetbreads in a morel mushroom sauce.


1996 Roederer Late Release Vintage (magnum)


1996 was another Pinot Noir year, cold and dry, with the acidity well integrated in a blend of 65 percent Pinot Noir from Verzy and 35 percent Chardonnay from Chouilly. It was a “10/10”—that is, 10% alcohol and 10% acidity—a wine bursting with energy. In light of the ripeness and bright acidity, JBL decided not to do the malolactic fermentation and to ferment 7 percent in oak with 9g/l dosage instead of the original 12g/l. Mid-gold in color, this blend—disgorged March 23, 2004—shows gorgeous, complex stone-fruit aromas, with some marked toast and biscuit notes and a hint of farm butter and nuttiness. There’s an explosive, youthful fresh mousse on the tongue, richly concentrated fruit in a texture that dissolves effortlessly in a mouthwateringly dry, saline finish, like a tongue on cold steel, with that level of crisp


THE WORLD OF FINE WINE | ISSUE 79 | 2023 | 75


acidity, and yet still showing fine balance. 97 Match: Turbot, a scallop carpaccio, or unsweetened cocoa deserts.


1997 Roederer Late Release Vintage (magnum)


Ripeness was difficult in 1997, due to a cold and rainy summer, but it finally arrived in a warm and sunny September. There is 30 percent malolactic fermentation, 9 percent oak fermentation, and 9g/l dosage instead of the original 12. It’s what JBL called “a singular profile, citrusy, metallic, cold. It took time for the potential to be realized, and it remains austere.” A blend of 62 percent Verzy Pinot Noir and 38


percent Chouilly Chardonnay—disgorged March 31, 2005—this is pale gold in color and fresh and citrusy in aroma. Classic Roederer: a light, toasty touch, with a citrusy freshness of fragrance and stone fruits. Behind the expansive mousse, there’s a mid-palate praline-like richness dissolving on the palate and an incisively fresh pineapple-citrus fruit quality. A tad austere, with that touch of bitterness, but this is nonetheless finely balanced overall, leading to a satisfying, dry finish. | 95 Match: Roasted poultry or goat cheese.


1999 Roederer Late Release Vintage (magnum)


1999 was a stormy, windy year of sunshine and rain, the lowest in acidity since 1959. Many were afraid that it wouldn’t last and would lack freshness, but “freshness is more than just acidity,” insists JBL. The blend is 60 percent Verzy Pinot Noir, 40 percent Chouilly Chardonnay; there is no malolactic fermentation and 21 percent oak fermentation, with 8g/l dosage in place of the original 12g/l. Mid-gold, rich and ripe, displaying an exotic ripeness of aroma, with an almost white Burgundy- like nuttiness. It is vinous, with an expansive mousse on the tongue bringing both an energy and a soft caressing texture to the wine. The bubbles contained in the plump, peachy fruit dissolve gently, and the light, toasty aromas and flavors slowly dissipate, in an opulent, balanced Champagne that retains its balance and freshness. | 97 Match: A creamy risotto combining saline flavors with crunchy green asparagus.


All photography courtesy of Champagne Louis Roederer


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