Listening to Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon, one can easily become confused by his convictions. When it comes to the style of Louis Roederer, for example, “the purity of the fruit is the absolute goal.” If in doubt, this would also mean reducing the influence of autolysis. Remember: autolysis, the decomposition of yeast during bottle fermentation, produces many of the aromas typical of champagne. The longer it lasts, they say, the more complex sparkling wines become. For Lécaillon, who joined Roederer in 1999 at the age of 33 as the youngest cellar master in Champagne at the time, autolysis must remain in the background in order to allow the fruit to “shine through.”
Back to the future
He also has his own unique opinion on malolactic fermentation, the conversion of malic acid to lactic acid carried out by the overwhelming majority of champagne producers: he believes it is a product of the 1970s, when grapes were harvested unripe in most years. However, because the climate has changed over the past few decades, malolactic fermentation is completely blocked at Cristal. Lécaillon does not view stainless steel, another innovation of the 1970s, in a wholly positive light either. He believes that wines aged in oak have more depth and transparency. At Cristal, even 32 percent of alcoholic fermentation takes place in wood. Lécaillon concludes that Roderer is gradually returning to the great wines of the 1940s to 1960s.
Roederer’s completely organic farming methods can also be seen as a correction to highly industrial agriculture. Since 2012, Cristal has even been produced biodynamically. The influence on the base wines is noticeable: the pH value is lower (and therefore the acidity higher), and the dry extract is higher, both of which are key factors for great champagne. Despite climate change, Lécaillon continues to attribute a central role to the classic Grands Crus of Champagne with their chalky soils. This is because their water-binding capacity creates a natural buffer that can have a balancing effect on vegetation in both very hot and humid climatic phases.
Reformulating tradition
Reformulating tradition is what you could call the style that defines Roederer today. Of course, ultra-modern techniques are also used. One example is jetting, which minimizes oxygen intake during disgorging: a method borrowed from modern beer technology. On the one hand, this is a rather reductive approach, but it also changes the texture of the wines and creates “a super-delicate, salty perlage.”
Vintage 2014
Cristal 2014 is the result of a climatic rollercoaster ride: heavy rainfall in the Côte de Blancs and the Vallée de la Marne, followed by a happy ending with a golden September. Because the grapes had not yet reached full phenolic ripeness, the house put all its eggs in one basket.
The harvest took place in just five days between September 18 and 23, at the last possible moment. Of the 45 plots that usually make up Cristal, three were selected from Aÿ and three from Avize. Although the classic composition of 60 percent Pinot Noir and 40 percent Chardonnay remained unchanged this year, the Pinot Noirs from the Montagne de Reims formed the backbone of the cuvée. With a pH of 3.0, the acidity lies between the sunny 2012 vintage and the cooler, late-harvest 2013. The dosage is 7 grams per liter. In fact, despite its present acidity, the champagne, which was disgorged in November 2021, is more accessible than its predecessor (which, however, really blossomed after just six months). Citrus fruits and yeast notes dominate the nose. Very nice mouthfeel and luxurious perlage, with a long finish dominated by a fine saltiness (96 points).
Bildrechte
Stefan Pegatzky / Time Tunnel images
