2009 L'Ermitage Brut
Founded in 1982, Roederer Estate is nestled in Mendocino County’s fog-shrouded, Anderson Valley. As the California property of Champagne Louis Roederer, Roederer Estate builds upon a centuries-old tradition of fine winemaking. The premium grape growing region’s proximity to the Pacific ocean gives rise to a gentle cycle of warm days and cool nights, allowing grapes to mature slowly on the vine and develop full varietal character.Among the very few California sparkling wine houses that only sources estate-grown fruit, Roederer Estate is also meticulous about all its farming decisions. The winemaking process begins with in-depth knowledge of the Estate soils to introduce open lyre trellis system or high density plantation, extends to the decision to farm vineyards organically and biodynamically, and finishes by painstakingly tracking grape maturity to achieve perfect balance at harvest.
L’Ermitage, Roederer Estate’s special Tête de Cuvée, is a sparkling wine made only in exceptional years from pre-selected, estate-grown grapes. Carrying on the tradition of Champagne Louis Roederer in France, Roederer Estate produces its sparkling wines in the traditional French méthode traditionelle and adds special oak-aged reserve wines to each blend. L’Ermitage debuted with the 1989 vintage.
93 Points
92 Points
“Made with ten grams per liter dosage and disgorged in January of 2016, the 2009 L’Ermitage Brut slowly offers up scents of apple pie, quince paste, toast, honey, hay and mushrooms with touches of crème caramel and an undercurrent of shell-like minerality. The medium-bodied palate is still offering loads of pure orchard fruits with a wrapping of brioche and toasty accents, creamy but still lively mousse and a long, layered finish. This is in a lovely spot for drinking now but will benefit from more time in bottle if you like mature bubbles.”
— The Wine Advocate, Erin Brooks, September 10, 2020
“A luxurious sparkler, with toasty brioche, mineral and lemon brûlée aromas and rich, complex flavors of crisp apple and raspberry, showing accents of fresh ginger and spice.”
— Wine Spectator, Tim Fish, December 21, 2016
90 Points
“The 2009 vintage grew lush pinot noir and chardonnay on the northern California coast, and that vintage character defines Roederer Estate’s tete de cuvee: It’s broad and rich, its ripe apple flavor threaded with the toastiness of barrel-aged reserve lots, while a bright line of acidity gives it a healthy persistence.”
— Wine & Spirits, Joshua Greene, December 1, 2016
93 Points
The medium-bodied palate is still offering loads of pure orchard fruits with a wrapping of brioche and toasty accents, creamy but still lively mousse and a long, layered finish.