▴ Roederer Estate Quartet
Roederer Estate Quartet NV Sparkling Wine, Anderson Valley, California
The clue, quite obviously, is in the name. For this is none other than Champagne Louis Roederer’s long-standing fizz from its cool-climate Californian outpost in Mendocino. For nigh on 40 years, the estate has been producing world-class fizz here, ever since Jean-Claude Rouzaud first spotted its potential and bought the property in the early 1980s. The Quartet non-vintage blend is 60/40 Chardonnay/Pinot Noir and always includes a healthy proportion of reserve wines to flesh it out and maintain its benchmark consistency. Moreover, this always delivers on quality and value. On my most recent tasting at the end of November, I rediscovered its hallmark elegance, freshness, weight and focus. A brioche aroma was followed by bright citrus on the palate with layers of nougat, praline, toast and cashew. And I love the rounded texture of this fizz, which has a super ‘winey’ quality making it work as an aperitif and with the right food. Enjoy – I certainly did. Price £25-£30 Majestic, The Wine Society, Waitrose.
Dec 2020, JS