Description
Cristal was created 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. To distinguish his cuvée, this exceptional Champagne came in a flat-bottomed, transparent lead-crystal bottle. The new brand was named after this precious material, which is particularly transparent and luminous. And true to its original intention, Cristal is the very definition of opulence in Champagne, with a sublime, creamy and richer texture that fills the palate with delicious flavors of white fruits and citrus. The finish is divinely silky and quite persistent revealing well-defined minerality and a nice sense of acidity.
Cristal is a terroir-driven champagne, crafted by artisans, and sourced exclusively from the estate of the same name, which is cultivated using organic methods.
In this vineyard dedicated to the crafting of Cristal Champagne, consistency lies in careful adaptation each year. Depending on the weather and the growing cycle, only the highest quality plots are chosen for the final blend to capture the essence of Cristal, its beating heart and its most authentic self.
These outstanding “lieux-dits” have been carefully and patiently built up by successive generations at the helm of the Louis Roederer Champagne House since 1841. They are worked using a bespoke and traditional winegrowing approach that respects the living environment, using eco-friendly practices that include massal selection, gentle pruning and allowing the land to lie fallow for long periods. These methods are inspired by the principles of permaculture, in which the ecosystem adjusts its balance thereby creating a close bond between Man and Nature.
Cristal's identity is unique, original and truly unlike any other in the history of fine champagne. It is a wine of the soil, a wine of depth, a wine of the land yet embracing the light, a wine that continues to reveal the many facets of its crafting and personality as it ages.
It is a wine rooted in the eternal, that of the seasons, a ripening cycle, a heritage and a quest. The quest is for excellence, purity and harmony: to create a wine that vibrates in tune with its terroir and mirrors its qualities.
2016 resulted in an unexpected and unprecedented harmony, a balance that is ideal for Cristal, combining its sunny nature with its terrestrial roots. This subtle interplay between sky and earth thus reflects a perfect proportion between the intensity of the aromas forged by the summer heat, the vibrations of the wine, and its juicy, saline weave, nourished by the unique chalky and limestone-rich soils.
Cristal 2016 is a return to the near-perfect balance of those mature, well-honed years, following in the footsteps of Champagne's finest vintages—such as the fabulous and unforgettable 2002, 2008 and 2012—with a new and exciting rendition. This vintage gifted us pure, well-structured wines, further elevated by supreme freshness and precision.
Bright, shiny yellow hue. Magnificent fine, slow-moving bubbles. The bouquet is intense, deep and precise, combining scents of white flowers (acacia), concentrated, roasted citrus (lemons) and ripe yellow fruit (peaches, Mirabelle plums). After a few minutes, subtle iodized, powdery and roasted overtones emerge, the result of the autolysis of the yeasts during the “sur lattes” aging process. On the palate, there is an immediate impression, soft and delicate, more accessible than ever! It is like a zabaglione with concentrated, juicy and ripe fruit, the hallmark of the great Pinot noirs from the heatwave in 2016 with their soft, caressing texture derived from the chalky soil in which they grow. The bubbles are tactile, perfectly integrated and almost salty. Wheat and oyster shell notes are the signature of the slow and late ripening great Chardonnays. The substance is there, powdery, grainy and deliciously chocolatey. We are very close to having the “ideal” balance, the wine is crisp, saline and iodized, with a long, chalky, crystalline finish that lingers and builds to a crescendo. The overall impression is one of refinement, sapidity and purity... like the infinite grace of an opera ballerina. Cristal 2016 is pure, delicate and concentrated. It is the perfect, eloquent “Grand Cristal”: 50% sun (ripe, juicy Pinot noirs) and 50% soil (chalky, saline Chardonnays). It is similar to the 2002, 2008 and 2012, but with an even longer, more precise
and concentrated character.
MAIN CRUS: Verzenay, Verzy, Beaumont-sur-Vesle, Aÿ, Avize, Mesnil-sur-Oger, Cramant
32 VINEYARD PLOTS
GRAPE VARIETIES: 58% Pinot Noir, 42% Chardonnay
WINE IN OAK: 31%
MALOLACTIC FERMENTATION: 0%
DOSAGE : 7g/l
HARVEST: From 15 September to 1 October 2016
