40 Years of Roederer Estate

To mark the anniversary, winemaker Arnaud Weyrich opened some of the oldest bottles in the cellar.

- By Tim Fish

Redwood trees are like skyscrapers in the mountains around Anderson Valley, a remote slice of Mendocino County in California that seems unblemished by civilization. It was an unlikely location for Louis Roederer to establish a California outpost in 1982. Back then, most Champagne houses were investing in Napa or Sonoma, and Anderson Valley was a far-flung and untested location, with only a handful of wineries and vineyards.

But then-Roederer president Jean-Claude Rouzaud believed the terroir was ideal, offering cool nights, lots of fog from the nearby Pacific Ocean, and well-drained clay and gravel soils. Now, as the winery marks its 40th anniversary, it’s clear Anderson Valley was a wise choice.

Roederer Estate is arguably the best and most consistent sparkling wine producer on the West Coast, and I say that with admiration for friendly competitors such as Domaine Carneros, Iron Horse, and Schramsberg, to name a few. What’s more, Roederer Estate is one of the few domestic producers embraced by my snobby (Yes, I said it!) Champagneloving friends on the East Coast, whether it’s the workhorse non-vintage brut, which debuted in 1988, or the tête de cuvée L’Ermitage, which originated with the 1989 vintage.