It was a damp and dark January day when I last visited Champagne Louis Roederer. We toured through the halls and finally ended with a tasting of the Roederer releases and the latest vintage of a wine icon, their ‘Cristal’ Champagne. Louis Roederer only produces their ‘Cristal’ Champagne in specific vintages that work for their style and the first ‘Cristal’ Champagne was created back in 1876 to satisfy the demanding tastes of Tsar Alexander II. The emperor asked Louis Roederer to reserve the House’s best cuvée for him every year as he was fond of Louis Roederer’s style. They started making this wine to be distinguished by being presented in a flat-bottomed, transparent lead-crystal bottle. The ‘Cristal’ brand was named after the lead-crystal bottle, which is particularly transparent and luminous.
‘Cristal’ Champagne blending is typically around 40% Chardonnay and 60% Pinot Noir, although that varies on the vintage. Cristal is aged for 6 years in Louis Roederer’s cellars and then left for a further 8 months after disgorgement. The ‘Cristal’ Rose Champagne is always composed of estate fruit and the wine is primarily fermented and aged in steel, but roughly 15-20% of the blend is aged in oak. Dosage in this wine has slowly gone down.
The last time I tried the latest ‘Cristal’ release I was able to taste side by side the 2014 with the latest 2015. There is now a 2016 edition released. I found that the 2015 has been one of the great wines made this vintage. I have little doubt that the 2016 will follow suit. The 2016 vintage in champagne saw April frost that limited yields. However, early heavy rainfall and frosts to a late heat wave that accelerated ripening. This turned out to be a fleshy, opulent vintage.
Needing a lot of air, just as the 2015 edition, the stunning 2016 ‘Cristal’ (OB, 97) is delicious, ripe and opulent. It has some similarities to the 2009, as does the 2015. It is an absolute must that this wine sit in a large stem or decanter for 20 minutes prior to enjoying. Learn more about this great Champagne at http://www.louis-roederer.com/en/wine/cristal
2016 Louis Roederer ‘Cristal’ Champagne- A dazzling new edition of this wine, the 2016 Louis Roederer ‘Cristal’ Champagne is a world-class combination of 58% Pinot Noir and 42% Chardonnay. This edition of ‘Cristal’ was given 7G/L dosage. Chalky minerals mark the nose alongside white grapefruit blossom, marzipan, star jasmine and suggestions of kumquat zest that all meld in the glass. The palate is filled with crushed seashells and wet salty stones that combine with rich melon, lemon rind and tangerine zest flavors that combine with suggestions of pastry crust on the palate. Big, round and generous, this exudes class in terms of length, tension and flavor density. A gorgeous wine in its heady youth, enjoy over the next twenty plus years to come. Drink 2025-2045- 97