The Roederer Estate winery is nestled in Mendocino County’s cool, fog-shrouded Anderson Valley. As Champagne Louis Roederer’s project in California, Quartet builds on centuries of fine winemaking tradition and has established a reputation as one of California’s premier sparkling wines.
The Vineyard – A Family Story
Jean-Claude Rouzaud, former president of Champagne Louis Roederer and sixth generation descendant of the founder, selected the 235 hectare Anderson Valley vineyard and winery site in 1982. He believed that estate-owned vineyards were essential to ensure top quality wine, and had searched California for ideal growing conditions for several years. Since 1982, the family has gradually added new vineyards to the Estate and now farms 620 acres in the Anderson Valley AVA.
Roederer Estate Quartet is meticulous about all of its farming and winemaking decisions. For example, various trellis systems or high-density plantations are used to match local site characteristics. While modern equipment is used, there is a high level of reliance on skilled, manual techniques, such as pruning, where human touch and experience elevates the quality of the Estate’s fruit. Closer to harvest, the team carefully tracks grape maturity to achieve perfect balance. Once picked, the winery’s proximity to the vineyards ensures a quick pressing, eliminating the need for transport to a remote facility and reducing the Estate’s carbon footprint.
There are four distinct vineyards on the estate – hence the name Quartet – from which all the grapes are sourced.