Named after one of the most remarkable figures in the history of Champagne Louis Roederer, Camille Charmont allows wine enthusiasts to discover another facet of the unique winemaking expertise of this family-owned House, today headed by Frédéric Rouzaud, Camille Olry-Roederer's great-grandson.

A resourceful widow at the helm of Louis Roederer from 1932 to 1975, Camille brought the House into the modern world as she successfully steered the it through all the important events of that time. Camille, the widow of Léon Olry-Roederer, gave the House a new energy and direction, acting as its most brilliant ambassador. She enjoyed inviting her most loyal customers to dine with her, not only to unveil her latest champagnes but to surprise them… toying with codes and conventions, she used to serve the multi-vintage brut at the apéritif and some still wines from Roederer’s finest vineyards with the meal. Her guests were amazed by these still wines from Avize or Cumières and she was delighted to have found an original way to showcase Roederer’s quality and success.

Behind the creation of Camille, we find the natural, virtuous viticulture that has been practiced by the House for over 20 years, but here we see it taken in a new direction, daring to break with Champagne tradition through the absence of bubbles. It allows Louis Roederer to take what Nature has offered and render it even more beautiful, revealing another facet of the Champagne terroirs.

Sourced from a 1.06-acre plot in the Charmont lieut-dit (Mareuil-sur-Aÿ), the Pinot Noir grapes are sorted three times and separated according to the ripeness of their stalks. 30% whole clusters are vatted immediately and the rest of the fruit is then added. The grapes are simply left to infuse with very little interference in order not to hurry the juices—the maceration lasts about two weeks. The juices are then transferred to French oak barrels (1/3 new, 1/3 one-year old, 1/3 two-years old) where they will continue to integrate and become more refined over 14 months. A total of 1,687 bottles were produced. 

Garnet red hue with bright tints. Elegant, concentrated Pinot noir bouquet: sweet red fruit (blood orange), forest fruit and peonies. Then come spices (cocoa bean) and dried leaves accompanied by smoky, bacon-like notes. A magical and complex nose of fresh, ripe Pinot noir. The palate is velvety smooth with fresh red fruit and a soft and silky texture with noticeable but round, creamy tannins. The typical freshness of the Champagne region has made the tannins fairly vertical but these are nicely coated by the juicy, velvety texture which lends them a unique character: firm but not austere and sappy with a saline, umami finish. Magical and complex nose of fresh, ripe Pinot noir.

The 2020 season followed a similar trajectory to that of 2019: a mild, wet winter followed by a dry summer with several heatwaves, admittedly less extreme than in 2019, but which had an impact on the vines. Fortunately, a rather dull month of June brought us a wet interlude between two dry periods. Despite the hot spells and the impression of constant sunshine, the 2020 campaign ended up with relatively normal temperatures and sunshine levels. These continental weather conditions, but with "normal" annual averages, allowed us to produce ripe and well balanced wines!