40 years after first planting vineyards in Northern California's Anderson Valley, famed Champagne house Louis Roederer has just achieved a remarkable feat, being awarded the first 100-point score for a US sparkling wine from Wine Enthusiast! Roederer Estate's prestigious "L'Ermitage" bottling is the tête de cuvée from their US estate. The equivalent bottling on the French, Louis Roederer side of the business, is Cristal. Winemaker Arnaud Weyrich has been working with Roederer since 1993. He has held several roles with the company both in Champagne and here in Anderson Valley. After a stint at Champagne Louis Roederer in Reims, as the Chief Technical Officer, Arnaud took an opportunity in 2002 to move with his family to run operations in California and has been doing so ever since. When selecting fruit for L'Ermitage, Arnaud chooses only his favorite parcels from dozens of blocks, across seven different vineyards throughout the Anderson Valley. Only the very best wines are selected. 5% of the base wine is barrel fermented, then the wine ages for over 5 years on the lees before being disgorged. The 2019 is a suave and sophisticated wine with stunning purity of fruit, crystalline elegance, a fine, silky bead on the palate with so much freshness and vibrancy. A blend of 52% Chardonnay and 48% Pinot Noir, with 5% reserve wine added to the assemblage. The dosage is just 6g/L, the lowest ever for L'Ermitage because the wine has all the texture and depth it needs without a heavy dosage. It's a stunning wine that will continue to grow and shine for 5-10 years at least.