About

Roederer Estate only uses Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes grown in its own vineyards. The family now farms 620 acres in the Anderson Valley AVA, planted with the traditional grapes used to make French Champagne.

Wine Tasting

Reservations are needed for all wine tasting visits. The tasting room is open daily excluding holidays. They also offer a walking tour. Tastings from magnum as well as standard bottles are available. There is a tasting fee. Wine can also be purchased by the glass or bottle. The terrace area is a perfect location to relax and enjoy the Anderson Valley beauty and charm, not to mention the splendid views.
The Anderson Valley site for Roederer Estate is serene, rustic and spectacular, different from the elegant and refined Louis Roederer Champagne house in Reims, but just as magical in its own way. The pastoral beauty of the natural surroundings is reflected in the winery's charm. If you have the chance to make the trek to the area, you won't regret it.

Wine Club

Roederer Estate offers five different wine club levels to choose from. All levels include discount rates on purchases, complimentary tasting for you and three guests, complimentary tours (by appointment), and invitations to events.

Annual Production

Annual production is about 100,000 cases.

Producer Style

Roederer Estate wines tend toward medium to full bodied, refined with good depth of flavor. The quality-price-ratio is very good.

Producer Type

Roederer Estate owns and manages the 620 acre Anderson Valley vineyard and winery site in Mendocino County. All the Roederer Estate wines are produced entirely from estate grown grapes, planted with the traditional grapes used to make French Champagne, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

People

Current Owner

Champagne Louis Roederer Group: The Rouzaud family owns Roderer Estate and Champagne Louis Roederer.

CEO/President

Frédéric Rouzaud, president and CEO of the Champagne Louis Roederer Group

Winemaker

Arnaud Weyrich (Assistant Winemaker in 2000, Winemaker in 2003)

Mr. Weyrich graduated from 'Ecole Supérieure d'Oenologie' in Montpellier with a Master of Science in Viticulture and Enology in 1993 and began his career as intern at Roederer Estate. He moved back to France after his internship to be with his fiancée and to work for a large multinational retail company. He moved back to California with his wife and two children in 2000 and began working as assistant winemaker. He returned to France and took the position of Chief Technical Officer in charge of development for the Louis Roederer Champagne house. Arnaud returned full time to Roederer Estate in 2002 and soon took over as winemaker.

[NO IMAGE]/roederer-estate

History

Louis Roederer, one of the premier Champagne houses, conducted a study to identify the prime location to make sparkling wine in California in the late 1970s. The Rouzaud family, owners of the house, had been concerned about economics ever since the French parliamentary government was replaced by a semi-presidential system in the late 1950s. In 1981, when the first Socialist president, Francois Mitterrand, was elected, the Rouzauds fears over skyrocketing taxation led them to move forward with their project. Jean-Claude Rouzaud, president of the house at the time and a descendant of the original founder, selected the Anderson Valley site. Four ranches were purchased between 1981 and 1982. Their first Anderson Valley Brut, from fruit primarily harvested in 1986, was released in 1988. The first cellar master, Michel Salgues, followed the tradition of the Louis Roederer Champagne house, using no malolactic fermentation to preserve the freshness of the fruit. Their first sparkling vintage, the 1989 L'Ermitage was released in 1993. Since 1994, Roederer Estate has experimented with using malolactic fermentation in some of their production.
The estate now includes more than 620 acres, all within 13 miles of each other. They are working to incorporate organic practices with some vineyards completely under an organic program. All fruit used for Roederer Estate wine is estate grown and the only grapes used are Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Production includes only the first pressing of about 70% of the total cuvée (the first 120 gallons per ton). None of the juice from subsequent pressings is used. Roederer Estate places great importance on the addition of reserve wines to their multi-vintage cuvée. Roederer Estate uses the reserve wines to incorporate more maturity, complexity and depth of the final product.