Founded in 1776, the House was inherited and renamed by Louis Roederer in 1833. At a time when the great Champagne Houses purchased grapes from growers, Roederer began acquiring his own vines in 1845 with a novel vision of mastering the entire process—from viticulture to marketing—for his vintage cuvées. Since then, every vintage originates exclusively from the House’s own vines.

Almost two centuries later, Louis Roederer remains an independent and family-owned House with the largest holdings in biodynamically farmed land in Champagne. In late October 2020, following 20 years of environmental transition, 115 hectares of the historic Louis Roederer family vineyard achieved organic certification.

Despite their Grande Marque (‘Great Brand’) scale, Louis Roederer retains the spirit of grower-producer winemaking. Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon, chef de cave, tends to an astonishing 410 parcels in the Grand Cru and Premier Cru villages of the Montagne de Reims, the Vallée de la Marne, and the Côte des Blancs. These plots, no further west than Cumières (where the soil becomes too heavy with clay), reflect the House’s desire to always taste chalk in their wines. The separate pressing and vinification of each parcel allows greater clarity and expression of the diverse terroir. The absence, or very minimal use, of malolactic fermentation in the cuvées further supports precision in flavour.

From just the three traditional grape varieties (Chardonnay, Pinot noir and Meunier), Louis Roederer’s extensive range includes the multi-vintage Collection series, vintage, champagne rosé, Blanc de Blancs (100% Chardonnay), Brut Nature (zero dosage) and prestige cuvées—the latter known as Cristal (the 2012 vintage of which was the first of this cuvée to be fully biodynamic).