Louis Roederer - About Us

The History of the Louis Roederer Champagne House

The Champagne Louis Roederer is a Champagne house founded in Reims in 1776. It is one of the few large Champagne houses still owned by the founding family. With an annual production of 4.5 million bottles distributed in over 100 countries, Louis Roederer is a reference in the world of champagne.

250 Years of History

The Champagne house Louis Roederer has a rich and fascinating history that dates back several centuries. Founded in 1776 under the name Maison Dubois Père & Fils, it was in 1833 that Louis Roederer inherited the house from his uncle and decided to give it his own name. Unlike the practices of the time, Louis Roederer decided to buy plots of vineyards to guarantee the quality and consistency of his supplies.

In 1870, Louis Roederer II succeeded his father and continued the expansion of the house. In 1873, shipments reached 2.5 million bottles, or 10% of the total production of Champagne at the time, with Russia as the main market. In 1876, at the request of Alexander II, the house created the Cristal cuvée for the exclusive consumption of the Tsars of Russia, thus marking the first "prestige cuvée" in history.

In 1880, Léonie Olry-Roederer succeeded her brother Louis Roederer II at the head of the company. In 1908, the house Théophile Roederer was bought by Louis Roederer. The Cristal cuvée temporarily disappeared from the rates, but Tsar Nicholas II paid tribute to the house by awarding it the title of "Official Supplier to the Court of His Majesty the Emperor", allowing the house to display the tsar's coat of arms on the bottles, a symbol that still exists today.

In 1932, Léon Olry-Roederer died, leaving the house on the brink of bankruptcy due to the First World War, the Russian Revolution, the prohibition in the United States in 1922, and the crisis of 1929. His wife, Camille Olry-Roederer, took over the house for more than 40 years and restored its luster.

In 1975, Jean-Claude Rouzaud succeeded his grandmother Camille. He is one of the few heads of Champagne houses to have a training in oenology. He proceeded to exchanges of plots to give coherence to the vineyard and bought bare land in the Anderson Valley, in California, in 1980, thus creating Roederer Estate.

Since January 1, 2006, Frédéric Rouzaud, succeeding his father, has been running the family business. Under his leadership, Louis Roederer continues to prosper by maintaining a balance between tradition and innovation.

An Exceptional Vineyard

The 240 hectares of the Louis Roederer vineyard are spread over the three main production areas of Champagne: the Montagne de Reims, the Vallée de la Marne, and the Côte des Blancs. The house emphasizes Pinot Noir, which is the majority. 140 hectares are cultivated in organic farming and 100 hectares in biodynamics, making Roederer the largest biodynamic estate in Champagne.

The vineyard covers two-thirds of the house's grape needs, allowing for great control over the quality. This independence is a major strength for maintaining the consistency and excellence of their champagnes.

Reserve Wines

Like all champagnes, Louis Roederer blends wines from different terroirs. Some of these wines are kept in reserve in oak barrels to maintain the consistency of the Roederer style. These "reserve wines" mature for many years in more than 150 oak barrels, adding complexity and depth to the cuvées.

A Diverse Range of Champagnes

Louis Roederer is also recognized for its reserve wines, aged in oak barrels for many years, and used in the blending of its cuvées to maintain the consistency of the Roederer style.

In 2022, the house took a bold turn by renaming its Brut Premier cuvée to Collection. The aim is to highlight the singularity of each blend, making each vintage a new expression of the terroir. Collection 244, for example, is based on the 2019 harvest, which represents 54% of the blend. A perpetual reserve and reserve wines are married to this base, ensuring continuity while celebrating the particularities of each year.

Cellar Masters and Owners

Louis Roederer has always been led by family members, each bringing their vision and expertise. Jean-Claude Rouzaud, for example, was not only a leader but also an oenologist, which allowed him to deeply understand the needs of the vine and the wine. Today, Jean-Baptiste Lecaillon is the cellar master of Louis Roederer. He is responsible for the winemaking and blending, thus guaranteeing the quality and the distinctive style of the Roederer champagnes.

Anecdotes and Memorable Moments

An amusing anecdote is that the Cristal cuvée was created because Tsar Alexander II feared assassination attempts and wanted a champagne bottle that could not be rigged. Thus, the Cristal bottle, transparent and with a flat bottom, was born. Moreover, during the prohibition in the United States, the Roederer champagne was secretly appreciated by the American elites, despite the legal restrictions.

A Family-Owned Independent Company

At a time when many Champagne houses are owned by multinationals, Louis Roederer remains a family-owned and independent company for nearly two centuries. This independence allows the house to focus on the quality of its production rather than on the growth of volumes and the conquest of market shares.

The Louis Roederer Group

Over the years, the Louis Roederer group has acquired several properties, managed independently but sharing the same philosophy of excellence. Among these properties are:

• Roederer Estate in California
• Ramos Pinto in Portugal
• Deutz in Champagne
• Delas in the Rhône Valley
• Château de Pez in Saint-Estèphe
• Domaines Ott* in Provence
• Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande in Pauillac
• Merry Edwards Winery in California.

In 2018, the group expanded its portfolio by acquiring the 5-star hotel Christiania in Val d'Isère. This investment marks the beginning of the creation of a wine tourism network of hotels in the group's domains, thus strengthening their presence and influence in the world of wine and tourism.

Elaboration and Harvest