The 2016 Louis Roederer Champagne Vintage Brut is one of the strongest editions of this cuvée to date, and, stylistically, it is not far behind Cristal. The vintage brut is meant to showcase the Pinot Noir from their La Montage estate, focusing on some of the original vines purchased by Roederer, which are now biodynamically grown. As a result, this is built mostly on Pinot Noir with a nice dose of Chardonnay from some top holdings in Verzy and Chouilly. About one-third of the base wines were raised in oak; only a small portion underwent malolactic fermentation, and the wine spent roughly 4 years on the lees before a restrained Brut dosage. In the glass, expect ripe red and orchard fruits, citrus zest, delicate pastry, and a clear chalky line, finishing long and saline. It's an incredible buy for vintage Champagne from a top House like Roederer, and at about a third of the price of Cristal, it's not that far off in quality. This is drinking great now and will easily age another 10 years. Always one of our favorite buys in the Vintage Champagne category, the quality here is always exceptional, and 2016 is one of the best ever, so don’t miss it!

Jeb Dunnuck (Aubrey Frick) 95 points! "The 2016 Champagne Vintage Brut is the new release and is composed of 70% Pinot Noir from Verzy and the rest Chardonnay from Chouilly. A slightly richer golden straw hue, it has a floral bouquet on the nose and is a very pretty vintage of this wine aromatically. It’s sappy with lemon confit and is salty throughout the palate, revealing the weight of the Pinot Noir but retaining wonderful freshness. This lovely wine is going to take some time to open aromatically, but it’s going to be worth the wait. Drink it over the coming 15 years. It’s a going to be a stunning wine for pairings. 7 gram per liter dosage in this wine and in the collection. (Drink between 2024-2040)"

Decanter 94 points! "Louis Roederer's 2016 vintage features plenty of Pinot Noir from the northern slopes of the Montagne de Reims, which shows some of the vintage's typical mixture of juicy up-front fruit and freshness. It still feels young – this needs more time than some current vintage releases – but it is tightly packed with ripe apricot, fragrant blackberry and strawberry fruit and a tapered, elongated finish brightened with zesty Chouilly Chardonnay. There's a touch of nutty savour building, too, with a third of the wine fermented in oak. This will come into its own with another three to five years in the cellar."

John Gilman 93+ points! "The 2016 Louis Roederer Brut Millésime is an outstanding young wine. The wine’s cépages in this vintage is sixty-eight percent pinot noir, all hailing from the Montagne de Reims grand cru village of Verzy, and thirty-two percent chardonnay from the grand cru of Chouilly in the Côte des Blancs. Only five percent of the vins clairs this year went through malolactic fermentation, but one-third of them this year were raised in oak casks. The wine was finished with a dosage of seven grams per liter. The bouquet hops from the glass in a mix of apple, white peach, brioche, lovely floral tones, chalky soils, discreet spice tones and a gentle touch of buttery oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, crisp and precise, with a lovely core of fruit, a fine soil foundation, elegant mousse, a lovely spine of acidity and a long, beautifully balanced, precise and nascently complex finish. This is of course quite tasty already, but it is in reality still a young wine and far more complexity will emerge once the wine starts to truly blossom. I would not hesitate to tuck it away in the cellar for five to ten years, as there are many more layers to unfold here!"

Wine Advocate 93+ points! "Louis Roederer's 2016 Brut Vintage is derived primarily from Pinot Noir from Verzy and incorporates 32% Chardonnay from Chouilly, though this is about to change with the 2019 release, when it will become a pure Verzy, giving stronger identity to the village. The soil here is rich in clay, and the slopes face east, explains Jean-Baptiste Lecaillon. Disgorged in June 2024 with seven grams per liter dosage, it wafts from the glass with a bouquet of juicy pear, red berries, hazelnut and smoke. Medium to full-bodied, pillowy and textural, it has a slightly richer core of fruit compared to the more delicate and citrusy Blanc de Blancs and will richly reward a few additional years under cork."

Antonio Galloni 93 points! " The 2016 Vintage is terrific. Rich, creamy and super-expressive, the 2016 is an absolute delight. All this fruit is from Roederer’s La Montagne estate, with Pinot Noir very much driving the blend. That comes through in a Champagne of notable textural resonance and breadth that grows with air. Hints of apricot, plum, spice and dried flowers caress the palate, all framed by a discreet touch of oak and an extra kick of texture from a few lots (5%) that underwent malolactic fermentation. This is a superb edition of the Vintage. The blend is 68% Pinot Noir and 32% Chardonnay. Here, the richness of the warm summer very much comes through. Dosage is 7 grams per liter. "