What a treat to drink a fully mature Cristal! Rich and round - definitely mature. Long and reverberant. Toasty and thoroughly satisfying. More youthful than many a 1990 champagne.

The 1990 Cristal is remarkable. Polished, nuanced and light on its feet, the 1990 is all class. Citrus, orchard fruit and floral notes are wonderfully lifted throughout. A slight reductive note adds character on the finely knit finish. I can’t think of a better way to start this tasting. Simply put, the 1990 is a total rock star. Moreover, it is much more delicate than most wines from this ripe vintage. Amazingly, the 1990 tastes like it is still not ready! “Nineteen ninety was my second vintage here,” says Chef de Caves Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon. “It was ideal. The fruit was just perfect. We blocked the malolactic fermentation completely and only fermented 6-7% of our lots in oak, as opposed to the more typical 20%, in order to preserve as much freshness as possible. The wine was made by my predecessor, Michel Pansu, but I was learning. This was the first year I started working with oxygen by reducing sulfites in vinification to pre-oxidize the Chardonnay musts, as I do know, which allows me to get rid of all the unstable, oxidative compounds. With Pinot, on the other hand, you need a little bit of sulfur at crush or you lose the brilliant fruit.

Drinking Window: 2018 - 2038

Reviewer Name: Antonio Galloni

Review Date: 1st December 2018

Blending 62% Pinot Noir with 38% Chardonnay, fermented without malolactic and disgorged in 1996 after five years sur lie, the 1990 Cristal is still a superb and amazing prestige Champagne that is far from being over-matured or faded. The wine is as rich as it is pure and finessed, revealing a mineral tension and youthful freshness that is nothing short of stunning given the low-acidity vintage. This proves impressively that substance and terroir matter far more than just acidity. Tasted in May 2018, the 1990 is still fabulous. Even the 1979 Cristal was still excitingly fresh but unfortunately corked.

Drinking Window: 2018 - 2030

Reviewer Name: Stephan Reinhardt

Review Date: 29th June 2018

The most important details to work out were what to drink, and the wine list at Veritas is always a good place to begin. Both being the Champagne lovers that we are, 1990 Cristal was the aperitif of choice. I have been drinking a lot of Cristal recently, which is always a sign of a good holiday season. The 1990 was gorgeous, although a touch sweet. It had lots of yellow fruits, golden raisins and a spoonful of sugar that was right on the border of acceptable but didn't cross it. An overall toasty and nutty personality encased this tasty and hedonistic bubbly, which still retained the hallmark Cristal elegance. Rich, warm, approachable yet still fresh and ascending, I found this to be another excellent Cristal but felt more impressed by recent '89s and '96s

Drinking Window: 2001 - 2011

The 1990 Cristal is in a perfect spot, where the aromas and flavors have developed lovely complexity, while the contours have softened, making it an excellent choice for drinking now and over the next decade or so.

You won't soon forget this vivid and expressive Champagne. It packs in compound layers of citrus, vanilla, pear and nutmeg that harmonize and linger on the finish. Bright acidity makes it extra refreshing and layered. It has really opened up since last year. Best from 2000 through 2010. 25,000 cases made. -

Drinking Window: 2001 - 2011

Review Date: 1st December 1998