Founded in 1776, Louis Roederer is the largest family-managed Champagne house, today run by seventh-generation Frederic Rouzaud, with wines made since 1989 by chef de cave Jean-Baptiste Lecaillon. Launching with 241 in 2021, Collection replaced Brut Premier as Louis Roederer’s multi-vintage cuvee, the collection number allowing consumers to identify the vintage of the base wine so they can choose their preferred level of youth or maturity. Collection 243 is based on the 2018 vintage, incorporating 31% of wine from a perpetual reserve that was started in 2012, as well as 10% from oak-aged reserve wines from vintages between 2009 and 2017. A blend of 42% Chardonnay, 40% Pinot Noir and 18% Pinot Meunier with a dosage of 8g/L, a quarter of the wine underwent malolactic fermentation.
Tina Gellie: Great mousse and vibrant aromas of crunchy, fresh green apple, then a palate of more tangy apple and lemongrass riffs, digestive biscuit nuttiness and a wonderful chalky texture. Elegant, complex and impossible not to like.
Anne Krebiehl MW: Subtle autolysis on the nose, lemony hints, fine mousse on a bright, balanced body. Beautifully clean and rounded while staying elegant and bright.
Michaela Morris: An elegant and precise nose exudes hints of pie crust, chalky minerals and pure citrus. Delicate and refined with depth and layers. Truly classic and gorgeously attractive, with telltale chalkiness at the fore. What more could you want? 95 points

A crystalline and pure nose full of bright lemon, chamomile, green apple and soft honeysuckle. Crisp and dry, with racy acidity and tiny bubbles that lift the palate straight away. Mouthwatering but light and so fine in terms of texture with a chalky, long and softly salty finish. This really makes you want another glass straight away. A perfect aperitif wine still with lots of juice and fruity flavours but crisp and totally refreshing. The majority of this blend comes from the 2018 vintage. 93 points

Wonderfully complex aroma rises from the glass as soon as this is poured. So complex on the nose and uncompromisingly dry but well balanced on the palate. Lightly smoky but with no shortage of fine, ripe fruit in an interesting honeysuckle and lime spectrum. Clean and fresh and extremely long. This definitely deserves to be priced above regular non-vintage champagne. Not quite delicate. Not quite creamy. Just hits the right note for a superior blend. 17+ points