Louis Roederer Collection 245

When Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon restructured the Collection blend — formerly Brut Premier — he codified a philosophy already embedded in Roederer's DNA: vinify each of the 410+ parcels separately in individual stainless-steel tanks or small oak vats, then assemble with reserve wines aged in 150+ used oak barrels, preserving plot identity at a scale no other grande maison attempts. The base draws from 50+ villages across Montagne de Reims, Vallée de la Marne, and Côte des Blancs, where shallow chalk topsoil — as thin as 20 cm over pure chalk bedrock at Verzenay and Verzy — drives the saline, tensile minerality that distinguishes Roederer's house signature. The blend runs ~40% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay, 20% Pinot Meunier, with ~20% oak-aged reserve wines integrated to build textural depth and cross-vintage consistency. Malolactic fermentation is partially blocked on a portion of the blend to preserve structural acidity. The wine rests a minimum 3 years on lees followed by 6 months post-disgorgement before release, at ~9 g/L dosage. What sets Collection apart from comparable NV Bruts is its grower-like estate sourcing — roughly two-thirds of all fruit is estate-grown — giving it terroir traceability that most multi-village blends cannot claim. The 245 disgorgement number tracks the perpetual blend's evolution, making each release a dateable, collectible iteration rather than an anonymous NV.