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Louis Roederer Champagne Collection 246 Brut NV 750ml
🇫🇷 Brisk saline notes cut through a core of orchard fruit, mint, white pepper
Louis Roederer · Collection 246 · Brut NV · Champagne · France
Louis Roederer is among the last great family-owned Champagne houses, and Collection 246 is its non-vintage flagship — a wine of uncommon ambition and transparency. Based on the 2021 base vintage, Chef de Caves Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon made a bold call: bumping Chardonnay to 54% (vs. the typical 44%) to navigate a challe...Show More >
Louis Roederer · Collection 246 · Brut NV · Champagne · France
Louis Roederer is among the last great family-owned Champagne houses, and Collection 246 is its non-vintage flagship — a wine of uncommon ambition and transparency. Based on the 2021 base vintage, Chef de Caves Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon made a bold call: bumping Chardonnay to 54% (vs. the typical 44%) to navigate a challenging year, blending in 35% Pinot Noir from the Montagne de Reims and 11% Meunier. The blend draws on 55% base 2021 wines, 30% perpetual reserve stretching back to 2012, and 10% young-vine juice from Cristal plots aged in cask — a Cristal pedigree at a fraction of the price. Triple 93 points from Wine Spectator, Vinous, and James Suckling.
The Collection 246 opens with white cherry, Honeycrisp apple, tangerine peel, and biscuit — precise and inviting. On the palate, brisk saline notes cut through a core of orchard fruit, mint, white pepper, and slate. The mousse is silky and soft, the finish creamy and chalky with delicate spice and floral accents. Harmonious, impeccably balanced, and built to drink beautifully now through 2030.
Expert Reviews
“A harmonious Champagne with impeccable balance, depth and focus. White cherry, Honeycrisp apple, tangerine peel and biscuit, retaining vibrancy and grace. Chalky underpinning on the creamy finish with delicate spice and floral accents. Drink now through 2030.”
— Wine Spectator · 93 Points
“Positively stellar. Brisk saline notes cut through a core of orchard fruit, mint, white pepper and slate. No hard angles or awkward contours — impeccably done and absolutely delicious.”
— Vinous · 93 Points
“Pretty and elegant aromas of pears, apple blossoms, grapefruit and chalk. Silky, fresh and beautifully balanced with very soft bubbles.”
— James Suckling · 93 Points
- Producer: Louis Roederer, Reims, Champagne, France
- Cuvée: Collection 246 (base vintage 2021)
- Blend: 54% Chardonnay, 35% Pinot Noir, 11% Meunier
- Reserve: 30% perpetual reserve (back to 2012) + 10% Cristal-plot cask-aged juice
- Vinification: 24% fermented in oak; ~30% malolactic fermentation
- Dosage: 7 g/L Brut
- Size: 750ml
- Tasting Notes: White cherry, Honeycrisp apple, tangerine peel, biscuit, orchard fruit, mint, white pepper, slate, chalky finish
- Pairings: Oysters, sushi, lobster, creamy risotto, Brie, Chaource
- Drink: Now through 2030
WS:93 · V:93 · JS:93 · Champagne — Cristal reserve wines, Chardonnay-forward precision, and triple 93-point acclaim from one of the great family houses.
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Wine Information:
Country: France
Region: Champagne
Sub-Region:
Appellation: Champagne
Variety: Chardonnay
Type: Sparkling
Size: 750ml
Choose when time is of the essence
Collection 245 Reviews
James Suckling writes: Restrained green apple, lemon bush and lime, plus light brioche and chalk. Medium to full body with fine, nicely persistent bubbles and good substance on the mid-palate. Almost biting yet polished at the end, with long, refreshing acidity. Lacks a bit of complexity at the moment, but fresh. Best from 2025. - James Suckling 93
Alison Napjus writes: A mineral-driven version, with an airy, chalky-textured mousse. Deftly integrates hints of smoke and oyster shell with flavors of yellow plum, Gala apple, honeysuckle and salted almond. Refined and persistent on the finish. Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Meunier. Drink now. - Wine Spectator 92
Audrey Frick writes: Part of a new collection that’s just reaching the market now, the NV Champagne Collection 245 is based on the 2020 vintage. (The trilogy of vintages in the collection are from the early ripening 2018, which is lighter and fruitier, the 2019, which is richer and more powerful, and the 2020, which is somewhere in between the other two.) The blend of the 245 is 41% Chardonnay, 33% Pinot Noir, and the rest Meunier. It has a reflective straw hue and offers notes of fresh almond, bread dough, and fresh flowers. Medium-bodied on the palate, with a fruity nature, it’s crunchy and fresh in the glass, with a lovely chalky texture, good refinement, a note of fresh nectarine, and a clean finish. Dry, but with a delicate rounded feel and some depth throughout, it opens to show more of its salinity and the delicate reductive smoke that frames the wine with oyster shell-like umami character. It’s approachable now but will age with ease. - Jeb Dunnuck 93
