The bouquet reveals yellow fruits (mirabelle plum and nectarine) and candied citrus (lemon), complemented by toasted, oaky notes (vanilla) which come from the 24% of wines vinified in French oak foudres. The fine reductive notes (shellfish) weave their spell, giving the wine a very chiselled character sculpted by the Chardonnay. The palate is very light and delicate with fruity (peach) and floral (pollen) flavors. The gently releasing bubbles are soft and creamy, creating a mouth-watering impression thanks to the savoury and dry-chalk sensations created on the tongue and lips. The texture on the mid-palate is fresh, oily, powdery and vibrant. The finish is serene and graceful, and lifted by some smoky and toasty reductive notes that are very definitely from the Perpetual Reserve.

The 2021 vintage was particularly demanding and required the full commitment of the vineyard teams, who managed to save the harvest, although yields were significantly reduced.
This 246th blend from the Louis Roederer Champagne House expresses the freshness of the year and the precision and tension it brought. The Chardonnays, present in unusually high proportions in the blend, proved remarkably resilient, producing refined, elegant and saline grapes. The Pinots, though less powerful than usual, also captured the light, fresh character of the year. Collection 246 is thus a delicate and vibrant composition, reminiscent of the character of certain Blanc de Blancs champagnes. Made up of 55% of the 2021 harvest, Collection 246 is an ode to taste and drinking pleasure. The Perpetual Reserve makes up 35% of the Collection 246 blend, providing balance and freshness.
In parallel with the Perpetual Reserve, a significant proportion of wines from previous years and young plots on the Cristal estate, aged in French oak foudres, are added to the blend. These Reserve wines are Louis Roederer's signature and make up 10% of the Collection 246 blend.