The 2016 Cristal is a blend of 58% Pinot Noir and 42% Chardonnay with 7 grams per liter of dosage. No malo-lactic was performed here, and 31% of the base wines were aged in French oak. The nose begins with bright red berry notes of fresh raspberries and strawberries before opening out to a complex undercurrent of saffron, white chocolate, talc, baker’s yeast, and emerging wafts of citron blossom and pear tart. The palate is very dry and spicy, not needing even a touch more sweetness thanks to the abundance of ripe berry and citrus flavors, delivering beautifully knit acidity and typically tiny, persistent bubbles. It finishes with notes of effervescent chalkiness and saffron flowers, leaving you reaching for another sip.

The 2016 Vintage Brut is a blend of 68% Pinot Noir and 32% Chardonnay with 7 grams per liter of dosage. Only 5% of the blend underwent malo-lactic, and 33% of the base wines were aged in French oak. Showy notes of Red Delicious apples, ripe pears, honeycomb, and cashews prance out of the glass, giving way to underlying orange blossom and fresh ginger scents. To its credit, the palate is on the dry side, with its sweetness coming from ripe fruit as opposed to added dosage, offset by supportive yet skillfully balanced acidity, showcasing the ripe, nuanced, seductive fruit, finishing long and creamy. More gregarious than its 2016 Cristal counterpart, this is a flamboyant yet age-worthy Vintage Brut. Love it.

From the challenging 2017 vintage, a growing season plagued by severe spring frosts, a lackluster summer, and bouts of botrytis in the run-up to harvest, somehow comes the bright, breezy breath of fresh air! The 2017 Rosé Vintage is a blend of 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay from Roederer’s la Rivière estate. It reveals a very subtle salmon-pink color. Delicate scents of fresh raspberries, wild strawberries, and McIntosh apples languorously drift from the glass, followed by chalk dust and rose bud tea suggestions. The palate is understated and elegantly styled with a zippy line of freshness and tiny, persistent bubbles supporting the red berry and chalky layers, finishing with a quietly intense floral perfume. 29% was aged in oak, 24% went through malo-lactic, and it has 8 grams per liter of dosage, making for a very dry expression with great tension and finesse.

Roederer’s specialty multi-vintage house blend is the annual Collection creation, and this year’s Collection 245 is a finely woven, mineral-laced beauty. Composed of 41% Chardonnay, 35% Pinot Noir, and 24% Pinot Meunier, the backbone (55%) is from the 2020 harvest, while 35% comes from a Perpetual Reserve of 2012-2019 vintages, and 10% is Reserve Wines aged in oak (2010, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2018, and 2019). The dosage is just 7 grams per liter. Notes of citron blossom, lemon tart, and lime leaves slowly emerge from the glass, leading to hints of raising bread dough, fresh ginger, and sea spray, with a touch of coriander seed. The light-bodied, very dry, beautifully poised palate is elegantly crafted with intense citrus and mineral layers and a lively yet well-knit backbone, finishing long and chalky. I love the restraint here—unmistakably Roederer.

Complex nose of restrained strawberries and lemon zest, with macerated flowers and shortbread. Full body and plenty of concentration, with pinprick mousse, long and chewy, integrated acidity and amazing length. Pinot noir and chardonnay. Drink or hold.