Vintage vs Non-Vintage Champagne

Vintage vs Non-Vintage Champagne

by Liz Wheadon in Advice

One of the questions we're asked most often is: what's the difference between Vintage and Non-Vintage Champagne? While many people focus on ageing or when to drink each style, the real difference begins in the vineyard and winery. Understanding how each is made helps explain why they taste different and why both have an important place in the world of Champagne.

What is Vintage Champagne?

A Vintage Champagne is made entirely from grapes harvested in a single year. Champagne houses only declare a vintage when they believe the growing season has produced fruit of exceptional quality.

Unlike Non-Vintage wines, Vintage Champagne captures the unique conditions of that particular harvest. Weather patterns, ripeness and growing conditions all influence the final wine, making each vintage a snapshot of that year in Champagne.

What is Non-Vintage Champagne?

A Non-Vintage Champagne (NV Champagne) is produced by blending wines from multiple years. The winemaker combines a base wine from a recent harvest with carefully selected reserve wines from previous vintages.

The purpose of this approach is consistency. Reserve wines add depth, complexity and balance, allowing the Champagne house to produce a wine that faithfully reflects its signature house style year after year.

How Louis Roederer Redefined Non-Vintage Champagne

Louis Roederer has taken the traditional Non-Vintage concept a step further with its acclaimed Collection series.

Rather than simply calling the wine Non-Vintage, every release is identified by a Collection number displayed prominently on the label. The current release, Collection 246, represents the 246th blend created by the house since its founding.

This numbering system offers greater transparency while celebrating the individuality of each harvest. Instead of aiming to produce an identical wine every year, Roederer allows each Collection to express the character of the season on which it is built. Carefully selected reserve wines and the house's remarkable oak-aged perpetual reserve ensure every release still carries the unmistakable Louis Roederer style.

Collection 246: Built Around the 2021 Harvest

Collection 246 is built around the 2021 harvest and beautifully demonstrates the freshness, precision and balance that have become hallmarks of Louis Roederer.

It is an excellent example of how a modern Non-Vintage Champagne can combine the personality of a specific vintage with the consistency and complexity that reserve wines provide.

A Great Time to Buy Louis Roederer

With a Louis Roederer price increase taking effect in August 2026, now is an excellent opportunity to add to your cellar.

Whether you're discovering Collection 246 for the first time or looking to secure one of the house's celebrated prestige cuvées, now is an ideal time to explore the range before the new pricing comes into effect.

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