LOUIS ROEDERER & ROEDERER ESTATE
CHAMPAGNE, FRANCE & ANDERSON VALLEY, CALIFORNIA
WHY BUY: The Roederer Estate L'Ermitage Brut 2019 might be the most astounding deal of the year: a mouthwateringly succulent 100-point sparkling wine from California for only $80 a bottle. (Though at that price, you really ought to be thinking cases, not bottles.) As a bonus, and direct from Champagne, we’ve also secured two expressions from their Brut Nature series, which happen to be among the most incredible, unbeatable food wines you’re going to find, the ultimate in pairing versatility. Roederer was at the forefront of the Nature style, and remains — still -- the forerunner. We love these pure, bone-dry expressions, which deliver profound terroir character without dosage interference.
WHAT THEY'RE SAYING: Wine Enthusiast was practically panting over the L'Ermitage Brut 2019, awarding it a perfect 100 points and penning a review that reads like a love letter: "If sunshine could be bottled it would be this. ... The mousse is creamy and light with baked red apples, blood orange zest, white grapefruit, sticky caramel and layered salinity with a mouthwatering finish. It will bring a smile to your lips."
OUR TASTING NOTES: The L'Ermitage is a California sparkling wine that doesn't apologize for being Californian, and that conveys a rare gravitas with losing its sense of joy. A wine that doesn’t grab you by the lapels, but instead seduces with subtlety and absolute confidence. We loved the waves of orchard fruit complexity, but what lingers is the mineral precision that speaks to the seriousness of the winemaking enterprise. The Brut Nature 2018 strips away all dosage to reveal what happens when Chardonnay and Pinot Noir attain a perfect equilibrium: it's clean, focused, and utterly compelling. The Nature Rosé takes that same philosophy and adds layers of red berry sophistication that make you rethink everything you thought you knew about rosé Champagne.
THE STORY: Roederer has been at it since 1776 — yes, a Champagne house as old as the United States itself. You could say they've learned a thing or two or three thousand. A century after its founding, Tsar Alexander II commissioned the house to "take the exercise still further" and create a cuvée to his exacting taste. The crystal bottle that resulted contained fruit from seven great Crus, and set the standard for blending. What matters more than the backstory, of course, is what hasn't changed over time: the slow, labor-intensive, exacting production methods that have remained largely unaltered across two-and-a-half centuries. Grapes sourced from the three main Champagne growing zones are still hand-picked, fermented in small batches, and blending is done with the kind of care that would make an efficiency consultant weep. There's no such thing as a merely good bottle of Roederer or Cristal. Greatness is all they know.
WHAT TO PAIR THEM WITH: The Nature expressions are food wine royalty: try the Brut Nature with oysters raw or cooked, or seared scallops, the Rosé Brut Nature with pan-seared or cedar plank salmon or duck breast. The L'Ermitage Brut shines with everything from caviar to, yes, fried chicken and fries.
FUN FACT: About that prestige cuvée that Tsar Alexander II commissioned: fearful of assasination plots, he insisted that the Champagne be bottled in clear glass, and with a flat bottom.
OUR GUARANTEE: As always, we only buy and ship directly from the estate, so rest assured that your wines will arrive with pristine provenance. Secure your bottles and cases today!
*Offer NOT valid in-store. This offer is made pre-arrival, with wines estimated to be delivered to your preferred store in Spring 2026. With the supply chain issues that we are seeing globally, there may be some unforeseen delays which could affect the ETA. All sale prices are the lowest available at Total Wine & More and ONLY valid through Concierge Sales. No further discounts or coupons may be applied. Offer not valid in KS, MI, NE, NY, OK & TN. The l'Ermitage is only available in CA, FL, MA and NJ. This offer is for TWO WEEKS, or until sold out, and will expire on Friday, November 21st, 2025.