Louis Roederer Brut Nature Philippe Starck 2018 Rated 95JD

Jeb Dunnuck Review
Rated 95
The 2018 Champagne Starck Brut Nature exhibits notes of lemon and citrus oils, but the stone fruit has a silkiness, not the tannic side you sometimes see. It also has hints of savory toast, but it remains very elegant. This 2018 is the first vintage that included a small amount of Pinot Blanc to add more depth to the mid-palate. Medium to full-bodied, it has a fleshy texture without being too bitter. With the extended time on lees, the Pinot Blanc is almost more perceptible in the blend - and if it isn't now, it will be - because it complements the style with that ideal, almost aesthetic almond or fresh hazelnut character. It brings an oily, not overly fleshy quality, and none of the oxidative side you sometimes get from Pinot Blanc. Disgorged in October 2024, the second batch is scheduled for disgorgement this coming October for release next year.

Wine Tasting Notes
Golden yellow hue flecked with green. Delicate, compact, gentle bubbles. Intense aromas of juicy, ripe fruit such as vineyard peach and candied lemon combined with toasty notes and hazelnut. The ripeness of the fruit is revealed through the aromas of baked apples, tarte tatin, caramelized spices and a hint of fresh wood and benzoin. The attack is juicy and textural. The gentle, velvety smooth effervescence coats the palate before giving way to an intense, saline freshness. This delicious combination gives the wine a lovely intensity further enhanced by excellent freshness and a pleasant hint of bitterness. This intensity overrides the juicy, rounded body and gives way to a clean, direct and remarkably pure finish.