Champagne house Louis Roederer has announced that 115 hectares of their vineyards have just passed the third year of certification audit to organic farming. This means about half its entire 242 ha vineyards in Champagne that spans the Montagne de Reims, the Vallée de la Marne and the Côte des Blancs are certified organic.
Starting from next March, wines made from the 115 ha vineyards will carry the organic label of AB in France.
This according to the 244-year-old Champagne house is the culmination of more than 20 years of work by Roederer’s Cellar Master, Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon, and his team.
It first announced the organic conversion process in 2018 for half of its estate, a first for a Champagne house of this scale and size.
Roederer says although the decision was announced two years ago, its eco-friendly ethos is rooted in this history, as it was demonstrated very early on when the Champagne House embarked upon a transition to “renaissance viticulture” in all its vineyards 20 years ago.
This involved massal selection, gentle pruning, and allowing some of its land lie fallow for long periods and utilises biodynamic composts and eco-friendly practices inspired by the permaculture model in which the ecosystem self regulates.
“It is the belief, deeply grounded in my family for generations, that we owe everything to Nature and that when we listen to her and provide her with the attention and care she needs, she will give us the gift of a terroir at its finest expression, the source of great fine wines,” Frédéric Rouzaud, CEO of Louis Roederer.
“Achieving organic certification for the historic Louis Roederer vineyards is a source of great pride and joy to us. It is also a formidable encouragement to us all to continue this demanding yet rewarding artisanal winemaking approach,” he added.
Since its 2012 vintage, its prestige Cuvee Cristal has been made from biodynamically grown grapes.
The house’s wines are available in Hong Kong and Macau exclusively through Links Concept.
