Description & elaboration
The Hommage à Camille Rouge 2022 cuvée from Louis Roederer is a still wine paying tribute to the visionary spirit of Camille Olry-Roederer. It offers notes of crushed blueberry, black cherry and forest floor. On the palate, the attack is smooth and fleshy, making it an ideal companion for a dinner of roasted meats. Crafted by cellar master Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon from a micro-plot of 0.2974 hectares, this Coteaux Champenois remains a rare and exclusive production.
The Terroir
The vineyard of Louis Roederer covers the exact surface of the lieu-dit Milon (0.2974 hectares), in Dizy in the Marne Valley. This Pinot Noir plot faces west, an orientation that slows the vegetative cycle and pushes harvest back to mid-September in order to achieve the desired ripeness. The local geology consists of silt and clay overlying Campanian chalk — a bedrock that retains winter rainfall and directly structures the wine's acid backbone.
The estate manages its vines according to biodynamic principles, excluding synthetic inputs to stimulate the microbial life of the clay-limestone soils.
Vinification
The vines, sourced from a massal selection and planted in 2009, were harvested by hand on 10 September 2022. Vinification involves 100% whole clusters during a 21-day skin maceration (extended contact between the juice and the skins). The stems retained in the vat contribute a fresh, vegetal and spicy character. Alcoholic fermentation begins spontaneously through the action of indigenous yeasts.
This red Coteaux Champenois displays a dry profile with a natural alcohol content of 13.7%. Ageing in oak takes place over 16 months, using a combination of 33% new barrels and one-to-two-wine casks. This time in wood gradually softens the tannic structure. The wine was bottled on 13 February 2024.
Also worth discovering: Blanc de Pinots Noirs.
The 2022 vintage
The 2022 growing season was marked by a pronounced rainfall deficit. The Comité Champagne recorded five successive heatwaves during the summer. Stormy rains in June helped maintain moisture in the clay subsoil. A spell of showers in mid-August revived berry maturation just before harvest. The heat concentrated both sugars and acids in the pulp, resulting in very thick skins that favoured an intense extraction of dark fruit aromas.
Tasting Notes
Colour
The deep, garnet-tinged colour reflects the extended contact between the juice and the skins. The slow extraction in the vat has fixed the pigments in depth. The wine shows beautiful clarity and a bright, sharp appearance in the glass.
Nose
The nose opens on aromas of crushed blueberry and black cherry. The chalky subsoil of Dizy lends a minerality intertwined with forest floor notes. Hints of smoke join blonde tobacco, along with vegetal and spicy nuances.
Palate
The smooth, fleshy attack releases concentrated dark fruit flavours. The coating palate is underpinned by a firm structure imparted by the oak ageing. The chalky tension stretches the energetic finish.
Food Pairing Suggestions
- Gougères with aged comté
- Smoked duck breast crostini
- Pepper-spiced pâté en croûte
- Roasted pigeon with cherries
- Beef Wellington
- Braised veal sweetbreads
- Aged ewe's milk tomme
- Farmhouse Saint-Nectaire
- Thin fig tart
The Plus de Bulles Expert's Opinion
Why I love it
What moves me is its velvety attack and the enveloping palate with its notes of dark fruit and spice. I was captivated by its saline, chalky freshness, which gracefully extends this bouquet of dried flowers.
My recommendation
Serve it ideally at 15–16 °C in a wine glass to allow its full harmony to unfold.
Advice
How to store this Coteaux Champenois?
Plus de Bulles ships this bottle (75 cl) in reinforced cartons specially designed for champagne transport. Once received, store the bottle on its side, away from light — ideally in a cellar, or at the very least in a cool, not too dry environment with a relatively stable temperature.
Ageing potential
The Hommage à Camille Rouge 2022 cuvée from Louis Roederer is built for approximately 15 to 20 years of cellaring, thanks to its natural acidity and 13.7% alcohol. The tannins will soften over the years, and the aromatic profile will evolve slowly with time.
- Until 2032: the bottle will express primary aromas of fresh, crunchy dark fruits.
- From 2033: the evolution will reveal hints of blonde tobacco and gentle spice.
- Around 2042: tertiary notes will dominate, with nuances of leather and forest floor.
Serving advice
Serve this bottle (75 cl) between 14 and 15 °C. Decanting for thirty minutes before serving aerates the cuvée and relaxes the tannic structure contributed by the stems.
An anecdote about this cuvée
The vines of the lieu-dit Milon were planted in 2009. The team waited 13 years before harvesting the first fruit destined for bottling. This single-plot vinification of a still red wine stands in striking contrast to the art of blending that is the hallmark of Louis Roederer. Tasters often compare the acid backbone of this cru with a great vintage red wine from Champagne, to measure the influence of the Campanian chalk.
