From a "beautiful vintage" (JB Lécaillon), the 2008 Vintage Brut offers a very precise and refined nose of sweet cherries and lemons. Broad and round on the palate, with orange and lemon flavors, this full-bodied, full-flavored, yet very precise 70/30 Pinot and Chardonnay blend reveals great purity, vitality, finesse and a persistent finish. Sourced from clay soils in Verzy and Verzenay (Pinot), as well as Chouilly, the dry and intense 2008 reveals a remarkable transparency and definition. In fact, this cuvée seems to fly over the palate, but also coats it with an elegant and harmonious fruit. Forty percent of the wine was fermented in oak and 20% underwent malolactic fermentation. This is a very good value. Except of the Brut Premier and the Carte Blanche (which I did never taste) all Roederer cuvées are vintage Champagnes; or to be more precise - terroir-driven millésimes. Since the prestigious family-owned estate in Reims cultivates a stately amount of grand cru vineyards between their pressing centers in Verzepay (Montagne de Reims), Ay (Vallée de la Marne) and Avize (Côte de Blancs), Louis Roederer focuses on the production of a neat range of distinctive Champagnes. These are not just influenced by the blending of varietals (mostly barrel-fermented Pinot Noir and Chardonnay but also Meunier), but the characteristics of every single plot whose musts and wines are carefully combined by chef de cave Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon. The result is a beautiful range of classic Champagnes that contain the famous Cristal (Blanc and Rosé). Mind you, though, that not a single cuvée of Louis Roederer is of just average quality. At least the difference of quality between the Blanc de Blancs Vintage (currently 2009) or the Vintage (2008) is much smaller compared to the Cristal (2007) than the price might indicate. In fact, I don't leave my home airport (in both directions) without buying a bottle of Roederer's excellent 2008 Vintage.