Cristal
About Cristal
Cristal is the flagship cuvée of Maison Louis Roederer and has a history of its own that is more fascinating than that of many entire rival houses. Originally produced in 1876, Cristal was released following two decades of the increasing popularity of Champagne in Russia. Louis Roederer in particular was a favourite amongst the Russian aristocracy, with around a third of their wine being shipped directly to the grand houses and imperial palaces of Moscow and Saint Petersburg.
The period of Alexander II's reign saw sustained political instability, and the Tsar became increasingly fearful of assassination. Determining that the most likely method of his demise would be an explosive hidden behind the dark green glass of his favourite Champagne bottles, preparations were made for the finest wines Louis Roederer could offer to be presented in clear glass bottles.
Over 150 years later and Cristal is still one of, if not the, greatest expression of Champagne to be made. Modern winemaking techniques and a very talented, industrious team at Louis Roederer mean that the recent iterations of this vinous legend are amongst the very greatest ever made. Consistently challenging the title of wine of the vintage each year, Cristal is rightfully the pinnacle of Champagne.
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James Suckling (97)
From the family collection, disgorged ten years after harvest, slightly lower than original dosage. Shows some malolactic honeyed character (rare in Cristal at 20-25%), a cool late September harvest with a poor set and high millerandage in the vineyard. This shows more dominant chardonnay on the nose with sweet honey and nougat, some dried lime citrus too, it also has an earthy side and some deep spice. The palate has almost cognac-like fruits, toasted brioche and raisin bread flavours, very assertive, concentrated, a liqueur-like Champagne that has a lot of potential and great length. -NSInc. VAT£737.60 -
Jancis Robinson (19)
Still pale straw. Really exciting interest on the nose. Hints of gingerbread and electricity(!). Such creamy texture and some baked apples but real grip and tension. This is just coming into its own – demonstrating how long one should ideally wait for Cristal… Great undertow of both fruit and structure.Inc. VAT£1,785.20 -
James Suckling (96)
The complexity and youthful freshness here makes a striking Champagne that offers immense pleasure and a certain richness and depth that reflects the style of the vintage with some warmth reflected in the wine. The nose has rich citrus and stone fruits, some white flowers, light creamy honey notes and fresh sweet pastry, it has a toasty thread that has built quickly in the wine. Plenty of body on the palate, it has a wealth of assertive citrus and more exotic fruits too, the power and concentration undeniable, the length impressive and the balance impeccable. Already great drinking here. Slightly higher chardonnay component at around 45%.Inc. VAT£541.20 -
Jeb Dunnuck (100)
The 2008 Cristal is a perfect wine, and Champagne simple does not get any better. This incredible wine offers a beautiful perfume of clean, crisp fruits, layers of complexity in its toasted spice and white flowers, and an utterly seamless, yet powerful style on the palate. This is a rich, decadent expression of Cristal yet it’s still crystalline and elegant, with no sensation of weight, and it just glides over the palate. Haut Couture at its finest and this majestic, profound, legendary Cristal can be drunk anytime over the coming 2-3 decades.Inc. VAT£492.80 -
Vinous - Antonio Galloni (98)
The 2012 Cristal is the first made entirely from biodynamically farmed vineyards. Passionfruit, mango, spice and ginger open first, but it is the wine’s textural richness and volume that stand out most. The 2012 is one of the most opulent, flamboyant recent Cristals. Those qualities feel especially amplified in this tasting, perhaps because of the presence of wines from the surrounding vintages. It was a complicated season, as mildew reduced yields significantly, resulting in an especially rich Cristal that seems to be gaining intensity with time in bottle. Dosage is 7 grams per liter. Disgorged: 2020.Inc. VAT£507.20 -
Decanter (99)
Created in 1876 to satisfy the demanding tastes of Tsar Alexander II, Louis Roederer’s Cristal has since become a symbol of luxury all around the world. Produced only during the best years, it’s made from 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay, the grapes coming from 45 of the finest lieux-dits in the region. 2013 was a late bloomer, with flowering only taking place in July after a cool spring. The summer was ideal with long periods of dry and warm weather. One third of the wine is aged in oak and there’s no malolactic fermentation. Vincenzo Arnese: Packed with elegant yet powerful aromas of ripe orchard trees that merge with brioche and dry cookies. This is a harmonious and well-defined Champagne with integrated residual sugar and astonishing acidity. Divine! Pedro Ballesteros Torres MW: Lemon coloured with a pink hue. Like a blanc de noirs, with cherries and white fruit aromas. Balanced and suave. Goes from less to more, with an exceptionally long and complex finish. Amanda Barnes: Appealing notes on the nose of pastry dough and apple tart that are very open. On the palate there’s beautiful concentration with lingering savoury notes. Minerally and sophisticated. Nominated by Peter LiemInc. VAT£447.20 -
Jeb Dunnuck (98)
Sourced from 39 plots, the 2014 Champagne Cristal is 60% Pinot Noir and the remainder Chardonnay, with 32% aged in oak, and it has 7 grams per liter dosage. It is highly expressive of classic elegance and purity, revealing aromas of crushed rock, almond croissant, and perfume of citrus blossoms. The palate is hyper-refined in its mousse, with pinpoint bubbles, a subtly rounded mid-palate, an irresistible chalky texture, and energy throughout its long and floral finish. Everything about this feels perfectly tailored. Drink 2024-2044.Inc. VAT£419.60 -
It is moments such as this when your fall in love with wine again and again. The wine is a beautiful pale medium pink colour, gentle, with delicate mousse of small bubbles. There is a rather unexpected large fragrance of ripe raspberries and cherry. There is an incredible amount of flavour with berry fruit, pie crust and sweet spice. This is an unexpected treat.Inc. VAT£1,101.20 -
Wine Advocate (95)
The 2000 Cristal Rose emerges from the glass in a stunning display of well-articulated aromas and flavors. Everything in is perfect balance as this perfumed wine opens up in the glass in a style that recalls the weightless transparency of a great Burgundy. The finish is long, sweet and incredibly refined. I came back to the bottle several hours after opening, and the wine had blossomed into an extraordinary Champagne. In 2000 the Brut Cristal Rose is 70% Pinot Noir from Ay and 30% Chardonnay from Mesnil, Avize and Oger. Roughly 15% of the wine was aged in oak. This is Lot: L029898D100064, disgorged February 1st, 2007. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2020.Inc. VAT£690.80 -
Vinous (98+)
Still a baby, the 2004 Cristal Rosé has begun to put on considerable weight over the last few years, which only serves to balance the focus and tension that have always been present. Even at eleven years of age, the 2004 Cristal Rosé remains tightly wound and a touch austere at times. Hints of orange peel, white pepper and cranberry add an exotic flair on the deeply expressive finish. Readers who can find the 2004 should not hesitate, as it is simply stunning by any measure.Inc. VAT£972.80 -
Wine Enthusiast (96)
A beautifully balanced wine that exudes elegance as well as richness. It is drier than previous vintages of Cristal Rosé, yielding a bright, crisp and layered wine. Red fruits are married with orange zest and tight acidity. It can be drunk now, but it is a young wine and will certainly age well through 2022.Inc. VAT£842.00 -
Vinous (97)
A wine of sublime delicacy and finesse, the 2009 Cristal Rosé is simply magnificent. The 2009 is surprisingly refined, silky and nuanced for a wine from a warm vintage. The red and floral-infused overtones are quite attractive, but it is the wine's exceptional balance that places it among the best new releases of the year. Over the years, I have had the chance to taste many vintages of Cristal Rosé, a Champagne that needs bottle age to be at its very best. I suspect that will be the case here as well. Don't miss it.Inc. VAT£716.00 -
Wine Advocate (99)
A candidate for wine-of-the-vintage honors in Champagne, Roederer's 2013 Cristal Rosé is showing brilliantly, unfurling in the glass with notes of crisp orchard fruit, white flowers, red berries, stone fruit, freshly baked bread and tangerine oil. Full-bodied, layered and multidimensional, the vintage's bright girdling acids are amply cloaked in exuberant, expressive and notably concentrated fruit; so while this Cristal is as tensile and age-worthy as one would expect, it's also impressively fleshy and generous given the year. Concluding with an intensely sapid finish, the 2013 isn't as overtly structured as the muscular, tightly wound 2012: rather, it's the 2013's alliance of cut and flesh, precision and charm that's so compelling this year. This is another banner vintage for what I consider the reigning champion of the region's tête de cuvée bottlings, and it will be worth an effort to acquire.Inc. VAT£690.80 -
Wine Advocate (95)
Disgorged four years ago, with four grams per liter dosage, after a decade sur lattes and six years sur pointes, the 2000 Cristal Vinothèque bursts with notes of golden orchard fruit, mandarin, white flowers and iodine. Full-bodied, ample and powerful, with a deep and layered core, lively acids and a beautifully pearly mousse, it's a long, sapid Champagne that's showing very well today. As Lecaillon observes, the Vinothèque is the house's riposte to "everyone who says Cristal is released too young—with the Vinothèque releases, we've exaggerated the aging process to make Cristal more powerful and more dramatic." And this release is certainly a formidable effort in a vintage impacted by hail in the Montagne de Reims.Inc. VAT£962.00 -
James Suckling (99)
An extraordinary champagne experience that you’ll never forget! Tons of white chocolate on the savory nose pulls you into this concentrated and chalky champagne with rich candied citrus and mirabelle fruit. So much oily umami complexity right through the huge breathtakingly vivid finish. Just 10% of each vintage of Cristal gets the extra years of aging for release as Vinotheque. Tasted at the Cristal vertical tasting at the champagne house on July 6th, 2023. Drink or hold.Inc. VAT£1,032.80
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James Suckling (97)
From the family collection, disgorged ten years after harvest, slightly lower than original dosage. Shows some malolactic honeyed character (rare in Cristal at 20-25%), a cool late September harvest with a poor set and high millerandage in the vineyard. This shows more dominant chardonnay on the nose with sweet honey and nougat, some dried lime citrus too, it also has an earthy side and some deep spice. The palate has almost cognac-like fruits, toasted brioche and raisin bread flavours, very assertive, concentrated, a liqueur-like Champagne that has a lot of potential and great length. -NSIn Bond£612.00 -
Jancis Robinson (19)
Still pale straw. Really exciting interest on the nose. Hints of gingerbread and electricity(!). Such creamy texture and some baked apples but real grip and tension. This is just coming into its own – demonstrating how long one should ideally wait for Cristal… Great undertow of both fruit and structure.In Bond£1,485.00 -
James Suckling (96)
The complexity and youthful freshness here makes a striking Champagne that offers immense pleasure and a certain richness and depth that reflects the style of the vintage with some warmth reflected in the wine. The nose has rich citrus and stone fruits, some white flowers, light creamy honey notes and fresh sweet pastry, it has a toasty thread that has built quickly in the wine. Plenty of body on the palate, it has a wealth of assertive citrus and more exotic fruits too, the power and concentration undeniable, the length impressive and the balance impeccable. Already great drinking here. Slightly higher chardonnay component at around 45%.Inc. VAT£541.20 -
Jeb Dunnuck (100)
The 2008 Cristal is a perfect wine, and Champagne simple does not get any better. This incredible wine offers a beautiful perfume of clean, crisp fruits, layers of complexity in its toasted spice and white flowers, and an utterly seamless, yet powerful style on the palate. This is a rich, decadent expression of Cristal yet it’s still crystalline and elegant, with no sensation of weight, and it just glides over the palate. Haut Couture at its finest and this majestic, profound, legendary Cristal can be drunk anytime over the coming 2-3 decades.In Bond£408.00 -
Vinous - Antonio Galloni (98)
The 2012 Cristal is the first made entirely from biodynamically farmed vineyards. Passionfruit, mango, spice and ginger open first, but it is the wine’s textural richness and volume that stand out most. The 2012 is one of the most opulent, flamboyant recent Cristals. Those qualities feel especially amplified in this tasting, perhaps because of the presence of wines from the surrounding vintages. It was a complicated season, as mildew reduced yields significantly, resulting in an especially rich Cristal that seems to be gaining intensity with time in bottle. Dosage is 7 grams per liter. Disgorged: 2020.In Bond£420.00 -
Decanter (99)
Created in 1876 to satisfy the demanding tastes of Tsar Alexander II, Louis Roederer’s Cristal has since become a symbol of luxury all around the world. Produced only during the best years, it’s made from 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay, the grapes coming from 45 of the finest lieux-dits in the region. 2013 was a late bloomer, with flowering only taking place in July after a cool spring. The summer was ideal with long periods of dry and warm weather. One third of the wine is aged in oak and there’s no malolactic fermentation. Vincenzo Arnese: Packed with elegant yet powerful aromas of ripe orchard trees that merge with brioche and dry cookies. This is a harmonious and well-defined Champagne with integrated residual sugar and astonishing acidity. Divine! Pedro Ballesteros Torres MW: Lemon coloured with a pink hue. Like a blanc de noirs, with cherries and white fruit aromas. Balanced and suave. Goes from less to more, with an exceptionally long and complex finish. Amanda Barnes: Appealing notes on the nose of pastry dough and apple tart that are very open. On the palate there’s beautiful concentration with lingering savoury notes. Minerally and sophisticated. Nominated by Peter LiemIn Bond£370.00 -
Jeb Dunnuck (98)
Sourced from 39 plots, the 2014 Champagne Cristal is 60% Pinot Noir and the remainder Chardonnay, with 32% aged in oak, and it has 7 grams per liter dosage. It is highly expressive of classic elegance and purity, revealing aromas of crushed rock, almond croissant, and perfume of citrus blossoms. The palate is hyper-refined in its mousse, with pinpoint bubbles, a subtly rounded mid-palate, an irresistible chalky texture, and energy throughout its long and floral finish. Everything about this feels perfectly tailored. Drink 2024-2044.In Bond£347.00 -
It is moments such as this when your fall in love with wine again and again. The wine is a beautiful pale medium pink colour, gentle, with delicate mousse of small bubbles. There is a rather unexpected large fragrance of ripe raspberries and cherry. There is an incredible amount of flavour with berry fruit, pie crust and sweet spice. This is an unexpected treat.In Bond£915.00
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Wine Advocate (95)
The 2000 Cristal Rose emerges from the glass in a stunning display of well-articulated aromas and flavors. Everything in is perfect balance as this perfumed wine opens up in the glass in a style that recalls the weightless transparency of a great Burgundy. The finish is long, sweet and incredibly refined. I came back to the bottle several hours after opening, and the wine had blossomed into an extraordinary Champagne. In 2000 the Brut Cristal Rose is 70% Pinot Noir from Ay and 30% Chardonnay from Mesnil, Avize and Oger. Roughly 15% of the wine was aged in oak. This is Lot: L029898D100064, disgorged February 1st, 2007. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2020.In Bond£573.00 -
Vinous (98+)
Still a baby, the 2004 Cristal Rosé has begun to put on considerable weight over the last few years, which only serves to balance the focus and tension that have always been present. Even at eleven years of age, the 2004 Cristal Rosé remains tightly wound and a touch austere at times. Hints of orange peel, white pepper and cranberry add an exotic flair on the deeply expressive finish. Readers who can find the 2004 should not hesitate, as it is simply stunning by any measure.In Bond£808.00 -
Wine Enthusiast (96)
A beautifully balanced wine that exudes elegance as well as richness. It is drier than previous vintages of Cristal Rosé, yielding a bright, crisp and layered wine. Red fruits are married with orange zest and tight acidity. It can be drunk now, but it is a young wine and will certainly age well through 2022.In Bond£699.00 -
Vinous (97)
A wine of sublime delicacy and finesse, the 2009 Cristal Rosé is simply magnificent. The 2009 is surprisingly refined, silky and nuanced for a wine from a warm vintage. The red and floral-infused overtones are quite attractive, but it is the wine's exceptional balance that places it among the best new releases of the year. Over the years, I have had the chance to taste many vintages of Cristal Rosé, a Champagne that needs bottle age to be at its very best. I suspect that will be the case here as well. Don't miss it.In Bond£594.00 -
Wine Advocate (99)
A candidate for wine-of-the-vintage honors in Champagne, Roederer's 2013 Cristal Rosé is showing brilliantly, unfurling in the glass with notes of crisp orchard fruit, white flowers, red berries, stone fruit, freshly baked bread and tangerine oil. Full-bodied, layered and multidimensional, the vintage's bright girdling acids are amply cloaked in exuberant, expressive and notably concentrated fruit; so while this Cristal is as tensile and age-worthy as one would expect, it's also impressively fleshy and generous given the year. Concluding with an intensely sapid finish, the 2013 isn't as overtly structured as the muscular, tightly wound 2012: rather, it's the 2013's alliance of cut and flesh, precision and charm that's so compelling this year. This is another banner vintage for what I consider the reigning champion of the region's tête de cuvée bottlings, and it will be worth an effort to acquire.In Bond£573.00 -
Wine Advocate (95)
Disgorged four years ago, with four grams per liter dosage, after a decade sur lattes and six years sur pointes, the 2000 Cristal Vinothèque bursts with notes of golden orchard fruit, mandarin, white flowers and iodine. Full-bodied, ample and powerful, with a deep and layered core, lively acids and a beautifully pearly mousse, it's a long, sapid Champagne that's showing very well today. As Lecaillon observes, the Vinothèque is the house's riposte to "everyone who says Cristal is released too young—with the Vinothèque releases, we've exaggerated the aging process to make Cristal more powerful and more dramatic." And this release is certainly a formidable effort in a vintage impacted by hail in the Montagne de Reims.In Bond£799.00 -
James Suckling (99)
An extraordinary champagne experience that you’ll never forget! Tons of white chocolate on the savory nose pulls you into this concentrated and chalky champagne with rich candied citrus and mirabelle fruit. So much oily umami complexity right through the huge breathtakingly vivid finish. Just 10% of each vintage of Cristal gets the extra years of aging for release as Vinotheque. Tasted at the Cristal vertical tasting at the champagne house on July 6th, 2023. Drink or hold.In Bond£858.00
