The chief winemaker at Louis Roederer has moved to defend the grapes produced in 2003, saying this was far from a write-off year for Champagne.

Frost was a major factor in that particular growing season, with Dom Perignon cellar master Richard Geoffroy recently suggesting that the low acidity produced was enough for many Champagne producers to write off the harvest entirely.

Yet Roederer's Jean-Baptiste Lecaillon disputes this, pointing out that his vineyard successfully made blanc de blancs, rose and brut vintage styles from 2003.

"I have recently tasted our wines and they taste very good indeed with a rich aromatic profile and enough acidity," he told the Drinks Business.

Mr Lecaillon added that many other producers did the same, enjoying the "richness and creaminess of the wine".

Not that the 2003 was in any way perfect, with Roederer unable to produce a Cristal.

"We tried many blends but were not able to capture the 'ultimate' exercise of Cristal," explained Mr Lecaillon.

"The complexity was not there and the fruit was a little bit too 'jammy' – taking all the room in the blend – which is definitely not the DNA of Cristal."

He also disputes the very foundation of Mr Geoffrey's argument - saying that the idea that Champagne is reliant on high acidity is too analytical, and is not a true fact in practice.

"You have plenty of examples in Champagne of low acidity vintages that aged very well: 1947, 1959, 1976," he added.

"Furthermore, before the '50s, it was quite common to get low acidity and high alcohol on the blends."

Whatever Louis Roederer is doing, it seems to be paying off. The estate had a record-breaking year in 2011, selling 3.7 million bottles as it extended its distribution network and repositioned itself in the post-recession market.