The new Louis Roederer Brut Collection is numbered as a series, just like Krug Grande Cuvée and Laurent Perrier Grand Siècle. Collection 246 represents the Champagne House's 246th blend since its foundation. It is based on the finest wines from the 2021 harvest (55%) and complemented by 35% of the Perpetual Reserve (2012-2020) and 10% of oak-aged reserve wines sourced from young Cristal vines (2012-2017). 30% of the wines undergo malolactic fermentation. The final composition of the wine is 54% Chardonnay, 35% Pinot Noir and 11% Meunier and the dosage is very low at just 7 grams per liter. If this is the future of Louis Roederer, we absolutely love it.  Collection 246 is a precise, soft and lively champagne. Its thirst-quenching lightness comes from the exceptional proportion of Chardonnay, which creates finesse, elegance, chalkiness and salinity. It is not unlike the character of certain Blancs de Blancs. The results are a wine that is both more complex and expressive than the Brut Premier that it replaces, but surprisingly also much fresher. The dosage has been dropped to around 7g/L and the balance is perfect.  Collection 246 is a precise, soft and lively champagne. Its thirst-quenching lightness comes from the exceptional proportion of Chardonnay, which creates finesse, elegance, chalkiness and salinity. It is not unlike the character of certain Blancs de Blancs. By adding the collection number to the founding date of the house, 1776, you get the year it was bottled. If you subtract one from that number, you get the base vintage, for this fifth release, it is 2021.