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Description
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The most famous of the Maison's wines was created in 1876 to satisfy the demanding tastes of Tsar Alexander II.
The Emperor asks Louis Roederer to reserve for him each year the best cuvée of the House, which he particularly appreciates. To accentuate the singularity of this exceptional champagne, a flat-bottomed crystal bottle will be specially created. It will bear the name of this precious material, which enhances its transparency and luminosity.
Made only in "great vintages", when the maturity of the Chardonnay (about 40%) and Pinot Noir (about 60%) that compose it is perfect, Cristal ages in the cellar for 6 years and rests for 8 months after disgorgement.
Remarkably balanced, Cristal is a linear champagne, with an absolutely unique persistence in the mouth. The velvety texture reveals fruit aromas supported by a mineral power from which notes of white fruits and citrus are released. Cristal is a wine that ages wonderfully. It can be kept for more than twenty years without losing any of its freshness and character.
THE CONCENTRATED ESSENCE OF A SPECTACULAR VINTAGE
Perfectly in line with the continental trend of the decade, the 2015 vintage has given us wines that are more mature and structured than ever, complemented by an insolent freshness driven by these white soils. The purity of the chalk is evident, revealed by the House's gentle and virtuous viticultural practices, offering an ideal symbiosis between maturity and freshness.
AN EXTREMELY VIBRANT CRISTAL
A delicate and concentrated Cristal is emerging, already extremely fascinating and decidedly promising.
And for the first time since 2002, the 2015 vintage comes from all 45 parcels over twenty years old, which can thus be fully included in the Cristal blend. This year's continental climate, with its concentrated profile, has made this exception and rarity possible and it is magical today to see the entire estate reflect the identity of this unique wine: pure fruit, superior elegance and sophisticated persistence.
"Search for excellence, purity, balance: Cristal vibrates in unison with its terroir and is its perfect echo."
Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon, Cellar Master
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Grapes used
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ORIGINS:
1/3 “Rivière” vineyard
1/3 “Montagne” Vineyard
1/3 Vineyard of the “Côte”
MOST IMPORTANT CRU:
Verzenay, Verzy, Beaumont-sur-Vesle,
Ay, Avize, Mesnil-sur-Oger, Cramant
GRAPES:
60% Pinot Noir
40% Chardonnay
Wood-aged wines: 25%
Malolactic fermentation: 0%
Dosage: 7 gr/l
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Tasting Notes
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The 2015 Cristal cuvée releases intense and delicious aromas with superb energy,
from the magical vibration. It is an eternal champagne, from
calcareous temperament, supported by its lands, freed
from the sunny character of the vintage.
On the nose, echoes of yellow fruits and almonds immediately emerge.
toasted and the Chardonnay harvest, along with the fruits
red and juicy Pinot Noir. Next comes the great
energy of the plot, its vibrant intensity that transforms into a sweet caress, a silky texture in which
delicate flavours of candied citrus and iodized spices emerge.
The calcareous character of the vintage explodes in a tonic, vertical effervescence, with an insistent, precise and chiselled freshness. The finish, supported by light woody notes,
concentrated and savoury, it gives the whole a sensation
definitive of delicacy and concentration.
Cristal 2015 maintains a sovereign measure and balance,
resonating in the calcareous dimension of the lands more than
in the sunny character of the vintage. Always fully
Cristal, intensely 2015, with immense potential for
aging...
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