2004 Louis Roederer Champagne Cristal Brut |
| Vintage | 2004 |  | |
| Type | White - Sparkling | ||
| Producer | Louis Roederer (web) | ||
| Variety | Champagne Blend | ||
| Designation | Cristal Brut | ||
| Vineyard | n/a | ||
| Country | France | ||
| Region | Champagne | ||
| SubRegion | n/a | ||
| Appellation | Champagne | ||
| UPC Code(s) | 3114082143054, 734599043055, 734599143052 |
| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Drinking window: Drink between 2015 and 2031 (based on 52 user opinions) | |
| Wine Market Journal quarterly auction price: See Louis Roederer Cristal on the Wine Market Journal. |
| Community Tasting History |
Community Tasting Notes (average and median of 94 pts. in 338 notes) | |
| Tasted by Jeremy Holmes on 4/8/2024: Some struck match to the aroma. Lightly toasty. Sweet peach fruit and plenty of spice. Full and frothy. Fresh and very long. (481 views) | |
| Tasted by galewskj on 3/22/2024 & rated 96 points: Guys night - course meal (Kevin and Vicki's house): Drank a small glass over 45 minutes. This is as good as Cristal ever has been, super creamy, almond, brioche, energetic, great! (777 views) | |
| Tasted by MN Wine Junkie on 3/14/2024 & rated 96 points: PnP - Very nice Cristal! Typical fine mousse and creamy mouthfeel I always associate with Cristal. Nose showed brioche and straw, and palate showed lots of golden fruit, toast, some almond and stone fruit, coupled with minerality (saline and limestone). Very nice Champagne! 96 to 96+ for me. (817 views) | |
| Tasted by rocknroller on 3/14/2024 & rated 96 points: Guy's Night: Variety Pack (Rocknroller's (Kevin & Vicki's Place)): Light gold color. Drank a glass over 45 minutes. This has a gorgeous confectionery nose, filled with almond paste, dulce de leche, nougat, ocean air, green apple and green orchard fruits with subtle mineral notes. The palate is full bodied showing bright golden orchard fruits, almond cream, brioche, stone, spice, apricot tart, toasted almonds, and a very subtle oxidative note. This was showing excellent complexity and depth. Lovely. 95+ to 96pts. (879 views) | |
| Tasted by DAN BAILEY on 3/7/2024 & rated 96 points: Served blind. Pale gold colour. Broad, rich, oyster shell. Sexy, tangy. Really very good. Slightly oxidative. Complete and a point. Clear wotn for me by some distance. (735 views) | |
| Tasted by rnellans on 3/7/2024 & rated 97 points: Perfect!!! (883 views) | |
| Tasted by Shrewsram on 3/6/2024 & rated 94 points: My first Cristal! NOSE Rich nose of honeycomb, ginger and toast - that Roederer richness, and evolving stone fruits (yellow and orange), some nuttiness, and a little smoke. on return: woody notes, a little vanilla, saline for sure. Very clean but obvious PN weight. with food: sweet fennel, delicate fruit, very pretty. PALATE Fruity attack, white peach, quite salty and taut. Sherbet. Layers of richness but still racy, frothy... clean back palate. Juicy. on return: sense of tautness. Not mature per se but developing. Great. with food: drier still, very saline, sense of concentration. Vinous and rich. Great experience. (834 views) | |
| Tasted by soyhead on 1/6/2024: sappy, bitter fruit, richness of the pinot shows. i continue to be both underwhelmed by Cristal yet simultaneously overwhelmed by the crowd reaction. Nearly everyone at the table was in awe of this wine. Clearly I dont get it. (1399 views) | |
| Tasted by JS199 on 1/1/2024 & rated 96 points: Just fabulous. So smooth and creamy, crazy small bubbles. (1002 views) | |
| Tasted by S-C-S on 12/31/2023 & rated 94 points: Not in the balance I expected. (948 views) | |
| Tasted by Nanda on 11/18/2023 & rated 94 points: Deliciously at peak with bright pristine fruit and a refined elegance while still maintaining plenty of energy. (1438 views) | |
| Tasted by acyso on 11/18/2023 & rated 93 points: Nebbiolos, white truffles, Volume VIII (Chicago, IL): My favourite of the Champagnes tonight, outclassing the Krug which just wasn't showing, well, anything. Sappy and sweet, with a very Cristal vinous quality, but overall missing the incisiveness that I still want to see in my Champagne. (1709 views) | |
| Tasted by vinhslee on 10/19/2023 & rated 94 points: Very lively mousse, with intense bruised apple and citrusy flavours. It has some brioche and nutty flavours in the background too. Nice combo of primary and well-aged flavours. It is enjoyable now, and should continue to improve in the next few years. (1168 views) | |
| Tasted by cephomer on 10/12/2023 & rated 91 points: Stevie supplied for our Bucket list wine evening, and drank with our first course. Nose showed some apples, and slight scent of brioche. Bigger bodied and fruitier than I expected, with more pinot-induced nuances. Not as complex and somewhat lacking in crisp acidity as I expect/prefer in a premium champagne. Then again, I'm a blanc de blanc guy, and this has never been my fave bubbly. Still, it's an enjoyable glass of wine. (1067 views) | |
| Tasted by fclarity on 10/8/2023 & rated 92 points: Clear, crisp, clean, light, with decent mousse, this is just coming into the zone. I like it but I prefer the riper vintages. (1188 views) | |
| Tasted by JulianSkeels on 10/4/2023 & rated 95 points: This bottle seemed fresher than other CT notes. Served in Zalto Bordeaux glasses. In a perfect window combining density (lovely brioche), richness, aromatics (nice elderflower) and minerality. The bottle vanished - with and without food. A crowd pleasing wine that was a few notches about the 2006 Comtes. Drink to 2030. 95-96pts (991 views) | |
| Tasted by Charlie Carnes on 9/15/2023 & rated 98 points: Wow, another fabulous 2004. Is this the most compelling nose ever for a Champagne, for me? This reeked of exotic ginger and maybe a hint of cinnamon… not in a weird way at all. Also, notes of citrus, rose petal, bauxite(perception), and a little dried orange peel. The wine was brisk and strong in the mouth, but very clean and inviting, with lemony citrus, cherry skin, red apple, pretty red clay mineral. This was rich and delicious in the mouth, with a long finish, loved it. Thanks JJK for this lovely bottle! (1089 views) | |
| Tasted by ubercuvee on 9/7/2023: Cristal Night; 9/6/2023-9/8/2023: Showing quite high acid but without the generosity of fruit you'd hope for to balance it out. Not my thing (1121 views) | |
| Tasted by asparagus on 5/25/2023 & rated 94 points: 04, 06 and 09 mini vertical. Racy, acidic and very linear. A very good cristal - but may be a bit thin on the fruit. I liked it best though it may objectively be considered the weakest of the bunch. (1768 views) | |
| Tasted by Winokdub on 4/2/2023 & rated 92 points: Really nice once it opened. Not super complex and the avidty is now moderate but great with a cheese platter starter course. Time to drink aks I sense limited upside. (2064 views) | |
| Tasted by acyso on 3/30/2023 & rated 90 points: Olive Garden Party (Cristal vertical) (Chicago, IL): I think if the vintage on this was in the 90s, I'd be thrilled to have it. But this seemed a little advanced for the vintage, and especially in the context of the other wines on the table tonight. Apricots and other stone fruit, with some cooked apple notes as well. Still plenty of acidity, but lacking the freshness to perk this wine up. The weight and fruit profile is surprising given that I always thought of the vintage as a higher-acid, lean one. (2965 views) | |
| Tasted by soyhead on 2/5/2023: ripe, touch bitter, nice enough but as per usual I don't find cristal much to write home about. (2286 views) | |
| Tasted by dream on 1/30/2023 & rated 94 points: If anything, a bit lighter-bodied than other vintages but this is still youthful with excellent succulent acidity and a wonderful spicy finish. Really elegant and fine. (2271 views) | |
| Tasted by Rieslingfan on 1/22/2023: Don’t get me wrong, this was very tasty, and a lovely accompaniment to our gougeres. That said it seemed rather generically rich, and lacked any edges to grab a hold of. Definitely bright and still very fresh, just lacking complexity. I have tried many vintages of Cristal, back through the 1980s, and it just doesn’t resonate for me. If it was $50 I would likely buy it by the truckload for basic pleasure, but once again I don’t see the presige factor with this wine. (1995 views) | |
| Tasted by steinersing on 1/13/2023 & rated 94 points: From Jero excellent. Yeast, intensive, searing. (1515 views) | |
| Tasted by dbkitc on 1/1/2023 & rated 95 points: This is a real deal winner way to start 2023. Precise, yet deep and caressing. Long. Still a baby. Love this. (95) (1604 views) | |
| Tasted by spendergast on 12/31/2022 & rated 97 points: A wonderful and complex champagne with notes of crisp white fruit, citrus with delicate mousse. Has a really nice mouthfeel and finish. Great wine to start of the New Year. (1168 views) | |
| Tasted by Andrea1975 on 12/25/2022 & rated 93 points: Outstanding (though not my style). Beautiful notes of brown sugar, crème brûlée, hazelnut, citrus. Very persistent flavors, with fresh acidity, very delicate mousse. Noticeable residual sugar sets it apart, reason why I would not rate it higher. Ready to drink or hold. Note. Horizontal of 2004, 2006, 2009. 2006 showed complexity and more balance, 2004 came across very sweet. (1206 views) | |
| Tasted by SeattlePaul on 11/26/2022 & rated 92 points: Quite good. Excellent fruit notes and very smooth start to finish. (1499 views) | |
| Tasted by sdr on 11/22/2022 & rated 92 points: This bottle was fairly advanced for vintage 2004. Open knit, yellow fruity, easy to drink. Good acidity, normal mousse. Just lacking a bit of pizzazz to be outstanding though. (1526 views) | |
| Tasted by Frank Schneider on 9/30/2022 & rated 95 points: Great bubble (1950 views) | |
| Tasted by Le Monty on 9/16/2022: This was not as good as usual, a bit tart and short on the finish. (1735 views) | |
| Tasted by Burgundy Al on 9/7/2022 flawed bottle: Just ever-so-slightly corked. Faint wet cardboard aromas in the background, but the middle of the palate was more noticeably stripped of fruit. Still good overall, but nowhere near the level of previous bottles. (2802 views) | |
| Tasted by Magnus.kring on 8/20/2022 & rated 99 points: Simpelthen bare fantastisk (1813 views) | |
| Tasted by Onegooddan on 7/24/2022 & rated 95 points: This was a stunner. Served at what felt like cellar temp, it a great example of what the best really means. Perfect acidity, rich bakery notes, and a gorgeous full finish. Bubbles were pretty and lively but reduced reflecting the age. I personally find this a little more on the bright and acidic side but it is without a doubt a world-class champagne that makes me feel lucky to even try. (2060 views) | |
| Tasted by ubercuvee on 7/4/2022: Very nice but showing quite a lot of sweet creme patisserie notes (the dosage?). I think the more recent vintages show much more precision and fruit. (1864 views) | |
| Tasted by DWStyle on 4/5/2022 & rated 95 points: Delicious! Lite fine mousse, with a marzipan flavored finish. Delightful ! (2530 views) | |
| Tasted by Fink75 on 3/2/2022 & rated 100 points: Simply perfect. So complex, refined, elegant, balanced. Nice citrus balanced with toasty brioche and must. This wine is gorgeous and I’ll continue to remind myself that one bottle is never enough! (2681 views) | |
| Tasted by peternelson on 2/22/2022 & rated 93 points: Fresh as a daisy, clean, balanced, with notes of cotton candy, sugar cookie, cookie dough, lemon cake; very nice, but lacking in character and intensity after the Krug, RD, and DP '08. Too much of a good thing I guess. Yamashiro w/ Yarom and gang. (2393 views) | |
| Tasted by Genghis88 on 2/18/2022 & rated 93 points: Apple juice in color Sporadic big bubbles Yellow gold. Brioche, nutty, cotton, hint of yellow apple and lemon zest. Honey hints. Lots of mousse. Longish finish Tart, great acidity. Wow. What a beautiful bottle. Ageing well. My Mom's 80th birthday. Got sushi and a great cake. Britt friendly (2147 views) | |
| Tasted by rnellans on 1/31/2022 & rated 97 points: Complex aromas. Elegant, rich with nice toast…loads of energy. This is a great wine and very much the style that I like. (2247 views) | |
| Tasted by peternelson on 1/27/2022 & rated 93 points: slightly darker than the Cazals, sightly more generous, hint more yeasty notes; this was more "cakey" than the Cazals, excellent intensity, showed really well, but in the long run, the Clos Cazals out-showed it IMHO. Really nice and a touch more "meaty" and a little more RS. Stylistic differences. I prefered the CdC. Asanebo w/Yarom and gang. (1884 views) | |
| Tasted by BradE on 1/27/2022: I haven't had this vintage for a few years, and tonight's bottle was among the best I've had. Let's hope that continues. (1695 views) | |
| Tasted by GEL Wines on 1/22/2022 & rated 94 points: Straw hue; extremely fine, swirling perlage; toast and delicate apricot. Fruit overtones but not "sweet". Would be great pairing with gravlax/langoustines. Unique and very appreciated by all. (1493 views) | |
| Tasted by DWStyle on 12/25/2021 & rated 94 points: Paired well with Ossetra and buck wheat bilinis on Christmas Day. Tasting great now! I’m sure age will only improve it. (1894 views) | |
| Tasted by rjpbath on 11/28/2021 & rated 94 points: This is almost as good as it gets, surely. Cinnamon on the nose, full taste and really fantastic length. If any champagne can be worthy of this high price then this is it. (1964 views) | |
| Tasted by KenK on 10/24/2021 & rated 94 points: This is a true pleasure to drink. Even better than my last note as a touch of maturity seems to add some balance and nuanced complexity. In a fabulous drinking window. Impressive deep fruit with excellent slightly nutty character and remains bright with a brioche quality (2265 views) | |
| Tasted by Richard P Howden on 9/14/2021 & rated 94 points: Gorgeous and classy, I especially liked the richness married to the elegant long mouth watering finish. (2445 views) | |
| Tasted by aagrawal on 9/14/2021 & rated 93 points: Dinner with the wine group (Zazie, SF): Aromatic, superb mousse and complex aromas, slight brioche, some white fruits; palate is medium bodied, medium-plus acidity, clean and crisp but also with some richness; finish is medium length. Top tier champagne. 93 (2612 views) | |
| Tasted by bill00 on 7/16/2021 & rated 93 points: Very nice balance of typical '04 vintage leanness and acid with some of the Cristal sweetness. (2584 views) | |
| Tasted by mnoljo on 6/27/2021 & rated 93 points: Youthful and engaging a beautiful champagne (2144 views) | |
| Tasted by Sean Tay on 5/30/2021 & rated 96 points: Pronounced nose intensity with notes of mineral, bread, toast, lemon, caramel, nutty. Medium lemon in colour. More acidic than 2002 Delamotte and 2003 Dom Pérignon. (2180 views) | |
| Tasted by bbq_grandcru on 5/13/2021 & rated 94 points: Delightful. Very fruity with minuscule bubbles. I wish I had many more of these. (2274 views) | |
| Tasted by Alex Brogan on 3/3/2021 & rated 95 points: Superb Christmas wine. The annual gravadlax pairing has been taken to a new level this year. The 2004 is still so fresh on the nose, the first sip displays the rich buttery toast and then it returns to a lengthy fresh finish. It has another 10 years in this guy. (2694 views) | |
| Tasted by Peech on 1/23/2021 & rated 93 points: lovely nose, showing marmalade, a little toast, a hint of honey and some strawberries. Good balance on the palate. (697 views) | |
| Tasted by timothynbond on 12/31/2020 & rated 87 points: Transparent straw. Nose of baked apples, custard, and caramel. Medium bodied with medium+ acid. Very fine bubbles. Initial flavors of apples and lemon-lime soda with a very bitter mineral once you got it off the front and lingering into the finish. With time in the glass the fruit on the very front got increasingly complex, adding in some light red fruits like strawberries, but the unpleasant bitterness remained as soon as it got a little ways back. A fitting way to end 2020. (2742 views) | |
| Tasted by jaychun on 9/12/2020 & rated 95 points: Butter, yeast and brioche on the nose, intense but balanced. Complex palate with sweet apple, vanilla and citrus - like tarte tatin? So enjoyable and right at the drinkable moment. (3441 views) | |
| Tasted by englishman's claret on 8/31/2020 & rated 96 points: Fantastic showing for the 2004, this is full of fresh lemon and cream on the nose with a buttered brioche and mineral palate. Rich and sumptuous, but just right. (4463 views) | |
| Tasted by MAOC on 7/10/2020: This seems just to be coming round to a good spot: creamy apple and citrus with hints of redder fruit, some light brown bread elements and the distinctive orange liqueur hint. I did feel it had that slight 2004 lack of expressiveness but not very notable here ****(*) (3363 views) | |
| Tasted by BenBlu on 1/30/2020 & rated 95 points: 2004 champagne horizontal (110 Taillevent London): Red cassis and apple centre, a lot packed in there as if you took 1.5 glasses and reduced it to 1 glass - guessed Cristal. Very good showing. If a bit overshadowed this time by the Dom Perignon in the glass just before. (5402 views) | |
| Tasted by NY Wino on 12/31/2019 & rated 94 points: Wow! Great wine for NYE! Delicious nose, lots of delicious sweet fruit and a long amazing finish. (3999 views) | |
| Tasted by JonnyG on 12/23/2019 & rated 93 points: Came off as extremely youthful, with dense, taut orchard fruit and lemon notes, a touch floral, the Chardonnay clearly the dominant component tonight. Tart acidity keeps things in check. Not sure whether this ever turns the corner to a more mature status, but it sure is an enjoyable ride in the meantime. (3458 views) | |
| Tasted by Luke Wine on 12/17/2019: Quite simple and honestly I'd almost call it sweet. The dosage dominates the finish. I can't see how this is going to get significantly better with anymore bottle age. I can see how someone might like it but not for me. (3695 views) | |
| Tasted by Vino Me on 11/25/2019 & rated 91 points: Opened at a retail tasting. No formal notes. This was poured from the end of the bottle so may not be indicative of the quality. 91 points. (3712 views) | |
| Tasted by Paul S on 11/13/2019 & rated 94 points: Clos St Jacques Dinner (Gunther's, Purivs Street, Singapore): Absolutely lovely. Drinking a bit early for a Cristal, but boy this was tasty. The nose was really pretty, with a lift of sweet cream, fresh flowers, and ripe red apples, shades of yeast and mineral, all coming together in a really attractive kaleidescope. Just beautiful. It was a sleek beauty on the palate, with silky mousse and a spine of superbly integrated acidity gently tracing its way through a wonderfully pure mouthful of fresh, crunchy red apples and orchard fruit. There was yummy roundness and a real delicious depth, even power, on it, but this was so poised and balanced that it never felt any less than impeccably focused, defined and balanced. Really tasty stuff. It had a lovely finish too. Effortlessly long, superbly detailed, and really yummy, with a lovely trail of fruit and mineral and just a hint of spice. Wonderful now. It has the chops to age, but it was so tasty at the moment that I really do not see why one should wait. (3200 views) | |
| Tasted by S1 on 11/8/2019: Charleston Offlineorama V; 11/7/2019-11/10/2019 (The Holy City): I like Cristal but it always comes across a bit sweet for my palate. Maybe with another 20 years… (2760 views) | |
| Tasted by MC2 Wines on 11/8/2019: Charleston V - the wooden anniversary; 11/6/2019-11/10/2019 (Charleston, SC (various locations)): Again more of the higher dosage style but I tend to like that. It's very pretty. I guess a bit higher acid than some of the others. Still feels much too young though. Would give it a lot of time. (2824 views) | |
| Tasted by AWBryce on 10/5/2019: Light and creamy,elegant, lacking a bit of depth at this time though (1234 views) | |
| Tasted by ovenmitt on 9/28/2019 & rated 95 points: No food real notes.... light and precise. Not overly acidic but cuts to the chase none the less... love it! Other bottles can drink now on the young side or hold for another 10-15. (2512 views) | |
| Tasted by il_diavolo on 8/13/2019 & rated 92 points: Brioche, hazelnut, very pleasant though I would have called it from the 90s as it was more developed than expected. Perhaps not great QPR. (2740 views) | |
| Tasted by RolfT on 5/24/2019 & rated 93 points: Champagne tasting. No scores but ranked from best to worst. 1. 2000 Dom Perignon P2 - blind. classic big house prestige cuvee style. High class, but a bit generic - didnt guess Dom P. 2. Selosse Initial (deg09) - another beautiful initial, this time with almost 10 years post-deg aging which it carries effortlessly. However, some thinning in flavour. Maybe not one to save much longer. 3. 2004 Cristal - still very youthful, but has substance. 4. 2008 Dom Perignon - surprisingly accessible already! 4. 1998 Veuve Clicquot Grande Dame - deliciously mature, but on the downslope - DRINK NOW 2008 Veuve Clicquot Grande Dame - very young, but accessible to some degree. 7. 2006 Taittinger Comtes - much too young, should be stored. 7. 2011 Pierre Peters Chetillons - young and rather anonymous 9. Krug Grande Cuvee (deg2003) - poorly stored 10. Ulysse Collin Rose (12 base. 18deg) - very young and complete lack of complexity. 11. 2009 Pierre Paillard Les Mottelletes - easy drinking and good value, but a tad too sweet. 12. Grande Siecle (fra start 2000'er) - Cork tainted (3030 views) | |
| Tasted by FredrikC on 4/5/2019 & rated 90 points: Apelsin, citrus och nougat. (3510 views) | |
| Tasted by Elvis1969 on 3/31/2019 & rated 96 points: Magnum. Vann vertikalprovningen mot 93, 99, 02, 06 och 08. (3594 views) | |
| Tasted by Neecies on 3/24/2019 & rated 96 points: Outstanding nose and palate that captures the process of bottle aging in flux. Nicely developed notes of brioche and pear with a hint of citrus, that's both delicate and intense at the same time. Quality evident, perfect balance, and nothing over the top. (3134 views) | |
| Tasted by David J Cooper on 3/21/2019 & rated 95 points: Clear light yellow, medium mousse. Great concentrated caramel, brioche and pear nose. Probably at the beginning of it's evolution. Delicious textured citrus, caramel and orchard fruit flavours . The finish is yeasty and dry. Thanks Neecies. (2973 views) | |
| Tasted by Alex G. on 3/9/2019: Acidity and minerality dominate, a touch of sweet fruit. Enjoyable now probably better in a few years as it rounds out and softens. (2548 views) | |
| Tasted by TWCJ on 2/26/2019: Mistakenly added 2. (2450 views) | |
| Tasted by SeattlePaul on 12/25/2018 & rated 94 points: Delicious, elegant, yum. Could be confirmation bias, but so what. (2714 views) | |
| Tasted by BradE on 12/10/2018: A trio of Cristal (2002, 2004, 2005). The 02 is still a relative baby, and tonight was no exception. This is a great champagne, and will be fabulous to follow over time. The 04 drank as it frequently does for me - good, not great - and I continue to be less of a fan than many of this vintage. The 05 is frequently a crowd pleaser, as it was tonight. A very nice drinking vintage. (3313 views) | |
| Tasted by Burgundy Al on 12/8/2018 & rated 91 points: Fourteenth Annual White Truffle Dinner (Chez Weber - Chicago IL): In 2004 great cuvee horizontal. Charming, floral and a bit oddly tropical. Very fun and flashy, but this didn't come across quite as complete as the other great wines in the flight. (3618 views) | |
| Tasted by Nanda on 12/8/2018 & rated 92 points: 04 CdC/Krug/Cristal/Churchill flight. By far the most elegant wine in the flight. Lots of florals in the aromatics. White cherry and florals throughout on the palate. Young and slightly sweet right now. (2928 views) | |
| Tasted by JoeD83 on 11/2/2018: Erica and Jim's going away bottle. Drank back in August, remember it fondly but notes and score are lacking. 92-94 (3249 views) | |
| Tasted by StasMedvedev.lv on 10/15/2018 & rated 97 points: 🏅Rating 97/100 (4,7⭐) Ripe fruits, pastry, red currant. Seems fresher and younger than the one I had 3 months ago. Love its style (1719 views) | |
| Tasted by StasMedvedev.lv on 10/13/2018 & rated 97 points: 🏅Rating 97/100 (4,7🌟) Indian summer🍁 Champagne🍾 RWC 14.10.2018 Ripe fruits, pastry, red currant. Seems fresher and younger than the one I had 3 months ago. Love its style! Blend of PN/Ch: 55/45. Minimum aged for 5 years on lees. Dosage usually 8-10 g/l --- Read my wine writing at stasmedvedev.lv and follow me on Instagram (2798 views) | |
| Tasted by Redrunners on 10/7/2018 & rated 95 points: This was the fourth wine as part of the Champagne flight for the Charleston off-line. Served with low country shrimp boil with white shrimp, artisanal sausage and corn on the cob - wonderful pairing with some great aged champagnes. This was another one of my favorites of the champagne flight. This was my first experience with Cristal - had heard that it was very good, but somewhat overrated compared to similar priced wines. This one was great and did deserve a great reputation. The Cristal had velvety warm flavors of apple, pear, orange peal citrus. Wonderful wine in a good spot. Beautiful bottle as well. (2711 views) | |
| Tasted by KenK on 10/2/2018 & rated 93 points: Nutty showy aromatic, rich. Smoke. Bubbly, dark rich bitter finish, long finish.?lots of depth. (2874 views) | |
| Tasted by retired_and_roving on 9/28/2018 & rated 95 points: Charleston Offlineorama IV; 9/27/2018-10/1/2018 (Charleston, NC (various locations)): 4th/6 champagnes tasted. Oddly enough I think this might actually be my first time tasting Cristal?? So different from the first three in the line-up - this has a decidedly sweeter profile without actually being sweet. The fruit is rich golden apple, very round in the mouth with the citrus acidity coming through on the finish to brighten the palate. The bubbles are so smooth - my note indicates "cashmere" which I can only assume related to the texture and mouthfeel. Very lovely and easy to drink - I notice my glass disappears quite quickly. Need to get some more experience with Cristal. (3348 views) | |
| Tasted by MC2 Wines on 9/28/2018 & rated 95 points: Charleston IV - Return of the Collectible; 9/27/2018-9/30/2018 (Charleston, SC (various locations)): This was the surprise of the champagnes for me. Although very young (and will certainly get better), it was much more open for business than I would have expected. Lots of the apple and pear and almost a touch of sweetness to the style. Very crisp. I really enjoyed this one. (2957 views) | |
| Tasted by Peech on 8/5/2018 & rated 94 points: very nice and floral. Nice and balanced on the palate between crisp acidity and some ripeness. (903 views) | |
| Tasted by perry123456 on 6/18/2018 & rated 96 points: Incredible wine. (3724 views) | |
| Tasted by Alex G. on 6/15/2018: Open for business, this '04 is balanced and tasty. Yeasty, crisp, and a touch of sweetness. (3212 views) | |
| Tasted by Vietty on 6/6/2018: I was seated next to Blake and told him I could smell the aroma coming even from the first small pour. Playful dance of green apple and lemon with a touch of stone/flint. Perfect balance of fruit and acidity. Ethereal. The fine mousse/finish just floats off the tongue but leaves persistent flavors behind. (3389 views) | |
| Tasted by brigcampbell on 5/31/2018: Blake Brown in the OC - Version 2.0 (The Winery, Newport Beach, CA): This was on the bucket list and I was planning on buying a bottle for our next event. Then this showed up... I didn't have any expectations other than don't get too disappointed if it's just "okay". It wasn't okay, it was fantastic. It stood out paired with a Vilmart CdC. Enough said. Light yellow color; white bread and a little oxidation on the nose. Yellow apple and a crazy fluffy mouthfeel. So light and nimble. The soufflé of champagne. Just a hint of salinity and ripe apple and lemon brulee. (3932 views) | |
| Tasted by Frank Murray III on 5/31/2018: Drank next to the 04 Vilmart CdC--interesting side-by-side to do. For Cristal, it showed a good core of brisk lemon, apple, honey, saline and a lengthy finish that exhibited some structure, too. The Vilmart just had less structure, but exhibited more flare and the characteristic Vilmart suave richness. (3855 views) | |
| Tasted by Blake Brown on 3/22/2018: 2004 LOUIS ROEDERER CRISTAL- 60% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay; I`ve had quire a few of the 04` because I could not resist opening up the first bottle of a 6 pack and then I had to open the next one and….; it`s soooo good and has been out of the gate, but still it has not reached anywhere close to its apogee; the hallmark for me with this is its impeccable balance; having a bright yellow colour, it is dense and full bodied, complex, has layers of depth and an amazing creamy mouse and on top of all of that, there`s an element of finesse and elegance; i loved the bright acidity, streaky mineralality, amazing richness and most of all, how everything was in perfect balance; my favourite brut on the night. (1860 views) | |
| Tasted by wiscgrad on 3/16/2018 & rated 97 points: very little experience with high end bubbles, but I thought this was fantastic. kept changing in the glass. impressive (3103 views) | |
| Tasted by LW31 on 2/20/2018: Elegant, vibrant, yet sumptuous. Quite structured like many in this vintage and drinks young. For best drinking wait a decade but with about 45 min of air and warming 6-8 degrees Fahrenheit it shows a lot more complexity and depth. (3326 views) | |
| Tasted by BradE on 12/22/2017: As usual for me I rate this good vs. great. (3960 views) | |
| Tasted by Rieslingfan on 12/17/2017 flawed bottle: Perhaps the most egregiously corked Champagne I have ever had. (4027 views) | |
| Tasted by aquacongas on 12/11/2017 & rated 95 points: Nach dem für mich zu reduktivem ersten Flight kommen endlich erste buttrige Reifenoten durch. Wie so oft in letzter Zeit erinnert mich der 2004er an den 2002er. Er gilt als kleiner Bruder. Doch so klein ist dieser Bruder gar nicht. Er wirkt zarter, aber zugänglicher als der „Chefjahrgang“. Ungetoastetes Toast, dominierende Limette, aber in ausgewogener Harmonie. Viele 2004er sind aktuell eine Bank und haben in der Spitze sicher Luft für weitere 15-20 Jahre. 95+ (4146 views) | |
| Tasted by Alex G. on 12/7/2017: Acidity leads the attack, the finish fans out with mineral and honey. Enjoyable today, likely to improve with time. (3347 views) | |
| Tasted by Javatrader on 11/8/2017 & rated 92 points: Huge Champagne which is clearly fruit driven. Orange, orange peel, Pear . Comment of the night was "It was like tasting a fluffy marshmallow" which spoke to both texture as well as vanilla fruitiness. (4068 views) | |
| Tasted by Lucky Luc on 6/16/2017 & rated 98 points: OMG amazing, caramel, better and better over 3hrs. Opened at 13yrs of age due to concern with provenance (Hyvee), but the bottle showed beautifully. Perfect addition of vanilla/light smoke and dust/toasted caramel to otherwise classic dry high caliber champagne experiences in the Krug/Bollinger style. Crystal impressed both Mel and I very much, to our surprise. We both remarked a desire to put a case away for the girls. (5219 views) | |
| Tasted by Sotto325 on 12/31/2016 & rated 90 points: Obviouly carefully and well made, but either this needs more time-- as I suspect it does-- or it is not one of the great Cristal vintages. Not yet developed sufficiently to display multiple levels of complex,yeasty layers, and not strong in any particular suit. Very nice balance and a sophisticated fruit presence, but even after some time in the glass, a fairly restrained showing. Try in 3-5 years. (6721 views) | |
| Tasted by ledwards on 12/27/2016 & rated 94 points: An all around solid wine. Well integrated fruit with flavors of fresh bread and raw almond. Young now but drinks great. (6458 views) | |
| Tasted by BrionHammond on 12/20/2016 & rated 94 points: Tiny bubbles. Bread and yeast in the nose. Green apples with a hint of nazelnuts. Bit closer on mature than last I tasted it. Good bottle (6480 views) | |
| Tasted by ONEFIVE on 12/17/2016: Crisp and pure. Citrus fruit and freshness in the nicest way. Would let it pick up some weight with a few more years in bottle. (5930 views) | |
| Tasted by BradE on 11/18/2016: A nice 02 and 04 side by side. Typically the 02 is my favorite, but tonight the 04 showed better. (4916 views) | |
| Tasted by DrinkEverything702 on 11/17/2016 & rated 93 points: A mouthful of fine bubbles with lovely fruits and a hint of sweetness around the edge. Wonderful drinking, but for the price point I would prefer Krug. (3387 views) | |
| Tasted by dcwino on 11/4/2016 & rated 96 points: 2016 Villa d’Este Wine Symposium - Kelly, Alan and Kevin's excellent adventure; 11/3/2016-11/12/2016 (Villa D’este, Lake Como, Piedmont, Milan and Frankfurt): Beautiful clean refreshing nose, candied lemon and orange zest, baked apple, cinnamon, a hint of smoke and mineral. Excellent concentration, perfect amount of acidity and mineral, generous apple driven palate impression, abundant very fine mousse, a hint of sweetness that is very attractive and a long clean finish. A great palate cleanser, pretty serious Champagne. Drinking beautifully already but will certain improve as Cristal tend to age very well. (5778 views) | |
| Tasted by MLR on 7/14/2016 & rated 98 points: Amazing. (4630 views) | |
| Tasted by Koods on 7/5/2016: fantastic out of magnum. (4658 views) | |
| Tasted by Zweder on 6/10/2016 & rated 96 points: This is a combined note about Selosse Initial and Roederer Christal 2004. My previous note from June 2015 about the Selosse Initial was extremely enthusiastic. This evening I tasted/drank it again beside the Roederer Cristal 2004 and it was a different experience. The Selosse with beautiful almonds, marzipan and oxidized impressions. Really beautiful and great expression with some rustic flavors, beautiful acidity, minerals and great complexity. The Roederer Cristal shows a more tight and focused citrus constitution, and has a very rich bouquet with luxurious oak. On the palate tight citrus, some nuts, full bodied, but also elegant and refined. Both wines are truly great, but this evening I preferred the Cristal. Initial: 92, Cristal 95 – 96 (3612 views) | |
| Tasted by BillyT on 6/6/2016 & rated 91 points: Hope this improves in the bottle. Good but not great. Underwhelmed with this bottle. Very unexpressive today. Drank over 8 hours with little or no movement. (4917 views) | |
| Tasted by wineordeath on 5/21/2016 & rated 96 points: Wow, fab nose. So rich and complex. Baked apple, spice, light butter, toast, lees. Great. Same on the palate. Tingly and exciting. Excellent. (4513 views) | |
| Tasted by edarrincox on 5/15/2016 & rated 94 points: absolutely delicious; tasted blind; my friends recognized it immediately (4124 views) | |
| Tasted by RJ Gordon on 3/13/2016 & rated 94 points: Elegant & delicious... (4124 views) | |
| Tasted by StiGGe on 2/20/2016 & rated 92 points: Aroma: Light tones of light and the dark bread. Faint hints of lemon and a minimalist scent of oak. Taste: Steeped taste of grapefruit, red apples, lemon, peach and nectarine. Even hints of minerals, chalk and pomelo. Minimalist tons of oak and a very slight touch of caramel. More sweet notes in the middle of the champagne, more sour in the end. Comment: A vintage that is relatively easy in its taste. The structure is semi complex with youthful features. Undoubtedly, a vintage that serves good in stores a couple of years more. (4105 views) | |
| Tasted by mjdixon on 2/13/2016 & rated 94 points: Mixes yeasty burgundy brioche and buttery flavors with citrus undertones Fresh and bubbly compared to many vintage offerings Expensive tho (3895 views) | |
| Tasted by ovenmitt on 2/9/2016 & rated 90 points: Drinking very young right now for my palate - hold additional bottles (at least) another 5! (3859 views) | |
| Tasted by Goldstone on 1/22/2016 & rated 94 points: Surprisingly advanced straw gold colour. Very lively initial mousse but in a wine glass it dissipates almost immediately into masses of centrally focused streams of minuscule bubbles. Nose is BLAM!...a huge hit of Epsom Salts, ozone spray and fresh-splintered oyster shells then it tones down to toasty brown bread but still with mainly high piano notes....already quite complex although still very young and unevolved. Palate is pinprickly effervescent on the tongue and across the mouth, quite distinctively oaked, smoky, some toffee popcorn and with very distinct gunflint on the finish....marvelous! There is a resonant headiness on the finale and considerable reverberance. Gosh.... this is really lovely and I would say it is much more masculine than I normally associate with Cristal. This bottle was gifted to me and I would normally divert to the 2002 but this has made me think again and I should buy some. (4293 views) | |
| Tasted by neilemc on 12/31/2015 & rated 98 points: Effervescent crystal yellow. Strong nose of brioche, poached pear, and nutmeg. Powerhouse palate: apple zest, baking yeast, concentrated extraction, decadent wealth. Excellent vintage. I would rather drink one of these than a year of cheap champagne! (3816 views) | |
| Tasted by Adalbert on 12/25/2015 & rated 91 points: Dry, very smooth finish (3412 views) | |
| Tasted by BillyT on 11/29/2015 & rated 93 points: While I often think Cristal is over hyped, there are times you experience the Champagne in such a way that you question that statement. Last night was one. The Cristal was exceptional with full mouth feel, creaminess with brioche, lemon curd and citrus flavors. The key was the balance in this champagne between acidity and minerality. The wines was silky and elegant with a lingering finish. (3777 views) | |
| Tasted by Uglypinga on 11/28/2015: Intense nose with brioche and yellow fruits. Cristaline in character with an intense mousse and great acidity. A great bottle of 04. (3460 views) | |
| Tasted by adams.damiani on 9/13/2015 & rated 94 points: Fantastic. Young and fresh (4640 views) | |
| Tasted by soyhead on 9/5/2015: Fresh nose, zesty in the mouth with nice citrus, anise, and nuttiness. Complex. (4253 views) | |
| Tasted by sdr on 8/26/2015 & rated 92 points: Typical easy drinking Cristal although not otherwise memorable. (4411 views) | |
| Tasted by Nicholas81 on 8/17/2015 & rated 91 points: Upon the first pour, there were huge yeasty aromas that covered the lemon, citrus and floral aromas that appeared after some time. The palate was quite big, fresh and full with good acidity but at the same time pretty elegant and seamless. Has the potential for further ageing. (4004 views) | |
| Tasted by Dbrane on 8/17/2015 & rated 90 points: Very light straw color. Expressive on the nose. Palate very intense and almost full-bodied. Not as round as Krug. Quite a bit of acidity and freshness here. Good drinking by itself without food. (4545 views) | |
| Tasted by larsmello on 7/31/2015 & rated 94 points: Very good as in previous tasting. Citrus, yeasty nose with a mineral note. Probably at its best. Drink up. (3596 views) | |
| Tasted by Le Gaulois on 7/10/2015 & rated 92 points: Nez sur les noix de pin et un peu de levure. En bouche c’est très fin, les bulles sont fines mais courtes. Bonne acidité donnant une longueur intéressante. Excellent! (3478 views) | |
| Tasted by TOTOM on 7/3/2015 & rated 94 points: 11sec finish (3094 views) | |
| Tasted by DarinC on 6/16/2015 & rated 93 points: More rich and intense than the 2006. Balanced, beautiful, and drinks great now! (2557 views) | |
| Tasted by Mrbuzz on 6/16/2015 & rated 94 points: Hunan and the Gang... (Fresno, Ca.): Wonderfully fresh and zesty…lemon curd, ginger spice, airy mousse, flowers…long finish. Tasty! (4537 views) | |
| Tasted by Uglypinga on 5/27/2015: This was a slightly advanced bottle missing a bit of verve but delicious none the less. Loads of yellow fruit just missing on the acidity and citrus. (3851 views) | |
| Tasted by wabi47 on 4/16/2015 & rated 90 points: Clean toast and brioche; a hint of citrus; lovely mouthfeel; less complex and a bit sweeter than I expected (4217 views) | |
| Tasted by Jeremy Holmes on 3/10/2015: Rich and quite expansive. It showed notes of aniseed, bread and white peach and was extremely long. (4656 views) | |
| Tasted by steinersing on 3/6/2015 & rated 93 points: like this better than 05 or 06 - seems to have a lot in store. well crafted. (4218 views) | |
| Tasted by Uglypinga on 3/5/2015: Ah yeah I love this wine. A little toast on the nose with white flowers and a hint of citrus. The palate is rather full for a champagne with great mouth filling tiny bubbles and flavors all over the citrus and yellow orchard map. So clean on the finish. Love it. (4184 views) | |
| Tasted by RayOB on 2/28/2015 & rated 94 points: A Matter of Taste: London Edition (Saatchi Gallery, Chelsea): Faint nose of brioche, citrus and flowers. A little sweeter than the '06 with a nice balanced palate. (4649 views) | |
| Tasted by rwstorer on 2/22/2015 & rated 93 points: Nose of cream and green apples. Flavors of clove, tart green apple and a touch of floral honey. Nice, pinpoint bubbles and very enjoyable to drink now. (3445 views) | |
| Tasted by justburg on 2/17/2015 & rated 90 points: Bright yellow. Yeasty nose, very primary and acidic with lots of lemon, Chinese pears, green apples. This was really young and slightly sharp for a Cristal, it really needs time. On the palate, there are lots of minerals, crushed rocks, stone and acidic fruit. Touch of roughness and bitterness right at the back palate. This should be much better with extended cellar time. (3418 views) | |
| Tasted by tinybubbles on 2/14/2015 & rated 94 points: Pear, lemon peel, oyster shell, and warm brioche. Very focused on the front of the palate but then broadens to provide a chewy and reasonably long finish. Opened up considerably after one hour. (3215 views) | |
| Tasted by rloy on 1/1/2015 & rated 94 points: Full bodied with intense flavor. Aroma predominantly of smoke with a hint of mushroom. Flavors of green apple and citrus. Finish approximately 15-20 seconds. (3900 views) | |
| Tasted by asparagus on 12/5/2014 & rated 93 points: tightly wound, citrus infused notes, laser like precision. Took more than 2 hours to open up. this is very young, but already a lovely champagne. (4268 views) | |
| Tasted by Papies on 11/1/2014 & rated 94 points: This is now hitting is stride and feels inside its drinking window. Rich, yeasty and toasty., very giving at this full, good ripe fruit across and very vibrant. Felt older than a 2004 but we are getting the feeling that 2004 champagnes are in general a lot more fwd (Dom 04 maybe the exception) and so is this Cristal. Post the fanfare and the clubbing scene this is a superb wine. 93-95 (4984 views) | |
| Tasted by MWiking on 8/29/2014 & rated 94 points: näsan: rökig, kex, väldigt sluten till en början, kaffe och rostade fat kommer efter en stund i glaset, även bränt gummi och röda vingummi. Gröna äpplen och en aning mint. Vinet är på tok för ungt och behöver nog mycket tid för att öppna upp på riktigt och ge ifrån sig det man förväntar sig 94-96+ kommer troligen bli mycket bättre med tiden. (5517 views) | |
| Tasted by FamilyLarsson on 8/28/2014 & rated 93 points: I doften gröna äpple, gummi, brioche, soya och tydlig mineralitet. I smaken friska gröna äpple, lite rökig, tydlig vass syra men ändå lite smörig smak med väldigt fin balans. (5316 views) | |
| Tasted by Patrik H on 8/28/2014 & rated 94 points: Pale yellow color Deg.? On the nose, gum, yeast, hint of smoke, mushroom forest, green apples On the palate, Green apples, bread, biscuit, stone mineral, gum, nuts and mint. Very present acid. Will be a stunner within 5-10 years. Very complex Long finish 94+ (4876 views) | |
| Tasted by Ramberg on 8/28/2014 & rated 94 points: Complex and nuanced nose displaying lovely white flowers, white stonefruits, tropical fruit mix, rubber, smoke, toasted bread, yeast and some pepper. Intriguing mix of scents. On the palate this lovely Cristal have a firm mousse, high and fresh piercing acidity, sweet green apples, creamy fat stonefruits, bread, butter, fat chalky minerals, some sweetness mixed with a touch of bitterness on the long and complex finish. Very, very good Champagne. Has developed allot since last bottle I had, not to mention the first one, about 2 years ago. Still young, lovely right now, and with a very bright future ahead. Worldclass stuff! (4742 views) | |
| Tasted by BradE on 6/10/2014: Decent, but I continue to rate this lower than most do. (5146 views) | |
| Tasted by AWBryce on 5/22/2014 & rated 90 points: Nice and light. Crisp apple and yeasty nose, and still quite young. It was tasty, but I think I prefer more aged notes on my champagne. (4150 views) | |
| Tasted by paolonardi on 5/22/2014 & rated 94 points: Champagne: Deg. fine/2012. Crema di limone, ostriche, prato falciato, roccia bianca, muschio fresco, buccia di agrume, affilato, raffinato, pulito. perfettamente coerente con il naso con il finale di una bell'ostrica. Da assaggiare tra qualche anno, lunghezza e volume encomiabile (5956 views) | |
| Tasted by Jhcwine on 5/4/2014 & rated 91 points: The 2004 Crystal had a nice opening nose (of Chardonnay and bread), a tad young on the palate, but still an excellent Champagne. (4451 views) | |
| Tasted by Paul S on 3/20/2014 & rated 95 points: Dinner at Megumi (Megumi, Sentosa Golf Club, Singapore): This was a remarkably good. Good enough to put a great bottle of 1999 Pol Roger Winston Churchill in its shadow. It was actually surprisingly developed and open for such a young Cristal. It had beautiful nose, with lovely shades of cream and butter and coconut milk, white flowers, some yeasty aromas, then a touch of clove and nutmeg spice drifting around a rich core of white fruited scents. An amazing nose. Young Cristals can sometimes be all air and elegance and little else, but the palate on this one already had so much going on. It certainly had typical Cristal elegance, but it was surprisingly rich and generous; rich enough in fact for it match the impressively powerful and weighty Winston Churchill stride for stride. Here though, the depth was wed to a sweeping grace - while there was a pleasantly plump voluptuousness and lovely natural sweetness to the wine's flavours of ripe red apples and hints of strawberry fruit, it was all beautifully controlled and structured, with a lemony grip and a solid underlying minerality combining with a super-fine mousse to give the palate a real sense of finesse and style in spite of its generously yummy flavours. Think of a Herve Leger dress wrapped tightly around a beautiful hour-glass figure, with not an inch of extra flab anywhere. This was a sexy, stylish Champagne. A long and grippy, yet very elegant finish then glided away on a bed gentle minerality. What a great wine. Already complex and generous, but this has the bones to age for a long, long time to come. Bravo. (6955 views) | |
| Tasted by bill00 on 3/12/2014 & rated 94 points: Similar notes to a bottle a few months ago. Lots of creamy lemon, pear and yeast. Drinking well young. (4425 views) | |
| Tasted by dbkitc on 2/24/2014 & rated 94 points: Drunk to celebrate a friend's good fortune! No detailed analysis but it sure tasted good....(94) (4504 views) | |
| Tasted by LIE-user on 2/23/2014 & rated 93 points: Very nice Champagne. But to be honest, I don't see it up there at 97 points as Wineadvocate does. Perhaps it will improve with age. (4105 views) | |
| Tasted by steinersing on 1/17/2014 & rated 93 points: great nose, bit yeasty. hints of nuts. elegant. (4795 views) | |
| Tasted by LudoReims on 1/1/2014 & rated 98 points: Excellente qualité pour ce Champagne, une petite partie est faite avec l'ancienne méthode champenoise. Cela lui apporte juste un peu de rondeur en bouche avec une attaque très fraiche. Un très bon Champagne. (3272 views) | |
| Tasted by jrobs7777 on 12/31/2013: Consistent with my Cristal experiences, at younger ages the wine is nutty with a ton of dough and yeast and some citrus fruit zest. The house style is quite consistent vintage to vintage. (4496 views) | |
| Tasted by Jayarr on 12/26/2013: Pale straw color, fine bubbles, yeasty nose. It has Big acidity and lemon was the predominant flavor. Very nice but it should sit for a number of years to even out. (4549 views) | |
| Tasted by jhngo on 12/25/2013 & rated 94 points: refined drinking nicely (4021 views) | |
| Tasted by bill00 on 12/15/2013 & rated 95 points: Light straw colored. Surprisingly open with powerful aromatics of lemon curd, yeast and verbena. Palate is creamy and super smooth. Great balance and minerality. Thought this would be way too young, but it is drinking really nicely in a good spot of early maturity. (4861 views) | |
| Tasted by PC73 on 12/9/2013 & rated 96 points: Beautiful on the nose. Crisp, firm. Big acidity. Intensity of fruit. Super fine bubbles. (4491 views) | |
| Tasted by tbuysse on 11/19/2013 & rated 92 points: Needless to say, but much better than any average champagne. Nevertheless lacked a bit of delicacy and finesse. Might also be due to my personal prefernce for more refined champagnes. (3156 views) | |
| Tasted by BradE on 11/6/2013: For my tastes, this continues to need time, and should be held. (5220 views) | |
| Tasted by Shorepower on 10/5/2013: Frisk sötcitrusdominerad doft. En antydan till smörighet och lite honung. Tillgänglig i smaken med fortsatt frisk och ren smak. Vinet är balanserat och är mycket linjärt. Drack 2004 första gången år 2009 och vinet har blivit bättre hela tiden. Väljer ni mellan 2004 och 2002 för att dricka nu så är det förstnämnda att rekommendera och 2002 för källaren. Inte en stor årgång för Cristal men fortsatt ett bra vin. (5823 views) | |
| Tasted by Champagneinhand on 9/29/2013 & rated 94 points: Very solid young champagne. Ginger and white flowers on the nose accompanied by the yeast nature of good champagne, mineral and red/yellow apple fruit. Good citrus acidity. quite a very long finish, love the tiny bubbles that just burst on your tongue mid palate and leave such a pleasant taste in your mouth. Served with various soft chess, dried apricots and crackers. (5747 views) | |
| Tasted by Uglypinga on 9/29/2013: Man I love this champagne. From the nose of yeast that yields to apricot pit to the palate full of citrus and very bright wild raspberries. Fine beaded and a mouth filling mousse. A finish that lasts longer than most champagnes I've had. To me, absolutely worth the money. Amazing. (5239 views) | |
| Tasted by Champagneinhand on 9/28/2013 & rated 95 points: Made a mistake an brought this one to Charleston. Was supposed to be a 1999 vintage. Still very, very good, but I did wonder why it had less nuances than the previous '99s. I guess thats why I suck at CT and need to inventory more often. Drinking another of the 2004 tonight. Looking forward to it. Letting bottle breathe on ice for 3-4 hours. Definitely a great younger Cristal. (5343 views) | |
| Tasted by drdebs on 9/26/2013 & rated 95 points: This wine is one that invites profanity. It is hard, if you haven't tasted it, to resist uttering a string of four-letter words, most of which are due to amazement and the certain sense that much of the Champagne you will drink afterwards (including subsequent bottles of Cristal...) will not measure up. This was my second taste of Cristal, but my first bottle. Had it with a first-timer friend and so was reminded of that breathtaking experience. Have to say this was equally breathtaking. Brioche dough just rises from the bottle and glass, the taste is peach/apricot at first. Notes of fraises de bois come into the aroma and palate as it opens. Fabulous combination of precise bead and frothy mousse. And the finish. Oh, the finish. I'd forgotten that unbelievable persistence. Not cheap but honestly, it's one of the few wines that is worth the freight at this price. A splurge? Absolutely. Worth it? Yes. (4751 views) | |
| Tasted by mreinitz on 8/22/2013 & rated 93 points: We thoroughly enjoyed it. Lemon citrus and flowers expand into toasty dough and spices. Refined and fairly dry. It hit the spot! (4892 views) | |
| Tasted by bengti on 7/2/2013 & rated 91 points: Cool and sophisticated on first blush, clearing saying its an aristocrat's tipple. Medium to long finish was soothing without much acidity. A good drink. (5875 views) | |
| Tasted by BradE on 6/8/2013: For my tastes, a good not great vintage of Cristal. Tasted side by side the 05, and the unanimous consensus was the 05 is much more enjoyable at this stage. (5997 views) | |
| Tasted by Wine_lvr on 4/23/2013 & rated 91 points: Along some other great champagne and right next to the Bollinger GA 2004 and the La Parcelle L'Inflorosence Blanc de Noirs 2004. This one was the simplest of the three. Quite a bit of acidity, Granny Smith apple, a bit of breadcrust and citrus. But all in all a bit simple and short. Wait a few years. (6902 views) | |
| Tasted by jc-mmb on 4/21/2013 & rated 96 points: this bottle was singing tonight. gorgeous color of light yellow and crystal clear. nose exploded from the glass with lovely yeast and yellow/green fruits. nice pear in here. the bubbles were beautifully consistent and never quit. the palate is explosive yet all encompassing. precision. first the mineral and acid but before that dominates the yeast and fruit come in for wonderful balance and complexity. just layers the palate. the finish is seamless and stretches a good long time. simply wonderful tonight. (6864 views) | |
| Tasted by TexasBob on 4/13/2013 & rated 94 points: I'm not a champagne guy, but this was fantastic. Nuts, yeast, pears, wonderful structure and acids. Significantly better than the last time I tried it. (6207 views) | |
| Tasted by Philippe_C on 3/24/2013 & rated 94 points: A bit reticent nose of green apple, high acidity, nice minerality... very very fruity taste, nice acidity, minerality, reine claude, ripe yellow apple, brioche (Nose 92/100, taste 96/100) (6536 views) | |
| Tasted by Uglypinga on 3/11/2013: On my sweetspot today. Restrained nose with some citrus but the palate popped with all kinds of nuts, here and there walnut was salient. Nice citrus tones, apricot pit, even a vanilla hint. Delicious with seabass. I really liked this. (6442 views) | |
| Tasted by bobpsi on 2/19/2013 & rated 90 points: Moderate nose of green apple, lime and almonds. Creamy body with a decent balance of apple and citrus notes and some nice yeasty notes. (6109 views) | |
| Tasted by fatboi on 1/26/2013 & rated 92 points: very tasty.. entering commentary late (5494 views) | |
| Tasted by G_H on 1/19/2013 & rated 92 points: This is really elegant and nearly a bit restrained at the moment, some citrus notes with a bit of butter and brioche. Good but not exceptional at the moment, give it time (6604 views) | |
| Tasted by Fantomas on 12/31/2012 & rated 94 points: Very pale colour. Dry, frothy, with an aggressive but very appealing palate of citrus, lime, and green apple. Despite the powerful citrus fruitiness, acidity is well controlled. Some lightly roasted nuts on the long after-palate. A cool personality with a - pardon me - crystal heart. (6543 views) | |
| Tasted by Miceri on 12/31/2012 & rated 95 points: Light yellow leaning towards white; citrus nose; elegant, feisty, lots of citrus, exploding attack (6276 views) | |
| Tasted by Blake Brown on 12/7/2012 & rated 94 points: I`ve had quite a few of this youngster, all stellar; yes, it`s young and has years/ decades to evolve, but what it is revealing now is worth the experience for me; majorly complex, there`s a mouthful of pleasure to behold with a long finish; the WOW factor is prevalent here. (4385 views) | |
| Tasted by Papies on 12/5/2012: A year and half since we last tried this and still it felt on the young side although not as young and sharp as a Dom Perignon would be. Fine and elegant on the nose with spices addign a nice layer of complexity. On the palate it is still young and although the sweetness that is inherent in this champagne helps to add a fwd element to it it is still u feel the youth. Very enjoyable still and a wonderfull champagne with lots of fine future ahead! (7722 views) | |
| Tasted by oxwombat on 11/22/2012 & rated 94 points: Opened in Oxford, and shared with good friends. No extensive notes taken at the time - just remember this being really good. This was the wine that sparked my love for Cristal - what a journey it's been since! (1174 views) | |
| Tasted by Zweder on 11/17/2012 & rated 93 points: Regular dinner group (@ PZ): See previous notes. Beautiful bubble, but this time a little less exiting. (2857 views) | |
| Tasted by WineScoundrel on 11/17/2012 & rated 94 points: Completely agree with IWineAlot's note. Most balanced young vintage I've ever had. (8083 views) | |
| Tasted by IWineAlot on 11/8/2012 & rated 95 points: For me on this night this stole the show, which is a little shocking for me as I tend to not like Cristal this young. Very elegant on the nose. Gorgeous lemon citrus, apple core along with mineral chalkiness (Chablis-like). Creamy, frothy attack with very similar favors as on the nose. Great length and acidity. Medium plus finish. So young but so good. Will only get better from here. SS 95pts. (7920 views) | |
| Tasted by BradE on 11/3/2012: Drank mags of 02 and 04 Cristal side by side Wednesday night. The 02 continues to shine, and was clearly the class act. But the 04 from mag showed much better than bottles have shown recently. (7570 views) | |
| Tasted by sdr on 10/21/2012 & rated 93 points: This is already approachable and delicious. Delicate as usual but fragrant of spring flowers, not too sweet, not too acidic, good concentration and mouth feel. It seems it will fully blossom in just a few more years. (8145 views) | |
| Tasted by rjonwine@gmail.com on 10/17/2012 & rated 95 points: 2012 Wine & Spirits Top 100 Tasting (City View at Metreon, San Francisco, California): Light lemon yellow color with tiny bubbles; appealing, yeasty, ripe pear, poached pear nose; yeasty, tart pear, peach, mineral palate with lift; medium-plus finish (5902 views) | |
| Tasted by BrunelloBob on 10/5/2012 & rated 92 points: Bit pale in color? Serious toast, apple, citrus. Ripping acidity. Good, not great length." Big" for champagne. Frothy, but still etheral. May have got to this one too early. The 1999 was better 6-7 years ago, but I'd expect the 2004 to seriously improve. 92+. (7229 views) | |
| Tasted by Man in Black on 10/4/2012: Straw yellow with light golden reflections. Medium intensity delicate nose, very mineral, silex, chalk, somewhat floral and a bit of peaches. Medium attack, excellent acidity, creamy, medium body, long evolution, wide and complex. Long aftertaste of medium intensity. (7168 views) | |
| Tasted by Sleepy Dave on 9/13/2012 & rated 90 points: 2012 - 3rd with K-M-T-R (Au Jardin @ Botanic Garden): Alcohol :: 12% Opened for 6hrs. Despite for the slow-ox, this is still tight and shy, only showing discreet aromas of citrus, yeast and underlying sweet mineral. The palate does show better though. Medium bodied with lovely mousse expand and gently coated the tongue and bring out the complex layer of flavors that has excellent delineation and finesse. The fruits are bright, fresh with good acidic backbone to support. Long finished. This is showing ok but not so much on depth or class. My friend who is a suc*er for old cristal told me that Cristal is a champagne that need long time in the bottle in order to show its real potential. I will wait for the opportunity to come! 90-92 (7338 views) | |
| Tasted by dcasper on 9/9/2012 & rated 94 points: Just fantastic. Doesn't disappoint in any way. (7927 views) | |
| Tasted by dod on 9/9/2012 & rated 70 points: Way over-rated, most likely needs another 20 years, no aroma, nothing to say other than disappointing (7882 views) | |
| Tasted by pacificoast on 9/9/2012 & rated 95 points: An absolutely delicious and thoroughly enjoyable Cristal. Elegant, clean, precise, and beautifully balanced. Nice interplay between yeasty brioche notes and citrusy elements, lemon plus green apple, supported by a persistent mousse. Very nice indeed and a treat to enjoy. (8132 views) | |
| Tasted by mikeaukenbals on 9/3/2012 & rated 92 points: highly overrated, but still pretty good (7806 views) | |
| Tasted by taudelt on 8/31/2012 & rated 94 points: A nice crisp dry Chardonnay with a smooth buttery palate and dry finish. Probably not worth the money, as it is very similar to the Perrier Jouet yellow label. (7529 views) | |
| Tasted by Henman on 8/25/2012 & rated 89 points: Light citrus and mineral nose. Dry on the palate, a little citrus, high acidity, nicely balanced. (7520 views) | |
| Tasted by matherjo on 8/23/2012: Lovely! (3005 views) | |
| Tasted by Alex.Saad on 8/14/2012 & rated 98 points: Impressive, Complex. Just perfection (8395 views) | |
| Tasted by andyfozz45 on 8/2/2012 & rated 90 points: Impressive complexity. Creamy buttered popcorn, caramel, marshmallow, candied fruit. Perhaps needs a little more ageing in order to achieve a little more balance. (8116 views) | |
| Tasted by BradE on 7/1/2012: Still young, finding it hard to get a handle on the 04. (9510 views) | |
| Tasted by Ziggy on 6/30/2012 & rated 95 points: Crisp, sharp, bursting with exotic flavor. Served 2 bottles at a dinner party, will put the rest down for a couple of years. (9190 views) | |
| Tasted by EMichels on 6/23/2012 & rated 92 points: Best Cristal I've yet had; This is straight up good stuff; Lacks a bit of character though (9289 views) | |
| Tasted by BradE on 6/10/2012: The best bottle of this I've had so far. Drink again soon. (9519 views) | |
| Tasted by Pcparis8 on 5/22/2012: Gorgeous! (10000 views) | |
| Tasted by avp on 5/22/2012: Ripe lemon nose with yellow fruit, butter, gingerbread, toffee, sweat, charcoal, florality and herbs. Dry, medium bodied and sweetishly fruity palate with quick mid-sized moussé. Crystallized lemon, rich yellow fruit, toasty autolysis and mid-length aftertaste. Quite open but a bit all over the palace [sic!]. (9513 views) | |
| Tasted by HungryMother on 5/11/2012 & rated 92 points: We opened up this wine earlier than advised for a dinner party with friends. It was delicious. Toasty, balanced, direct; bubbles in the mid-range. Paired well with charcuterie, creme fraiche, smoked salmon and briny olives - the fat and salt were nicely balanced by the wine. Have another bottle that we'll put up a bit longer. (9568 views) | |
| Tasted by St Paul on 5/9/2012 & rated 95 points: This is a very nice champagne. Sharp and clean with great minerality with some sweet red fruit tones mixed with grape and citrus. Good classy bubbles. (10183 views) | |
| Tasted by Vintomas on 5/8/2012 & rated 93 points: DRC 2009 tasting (Operakällaren, Stockholm): Bready and toasted nose, elegantly perfumed, citrus, red apple, discrete notes of red Burgundy. On the palate red apple, citrus, high acidity, intense, slightly spicy, finishes with grapefruit. Elegant, young. 93+ (7259 views) | |
| Tasted by Zweder on 5/5/2012 & rated 94 points: Very refreshing bouquet with good citrus and also a touch of pleasant barnyard and dairy impressions. The latter must be the youth of this Champagne. On the palate also that touch of barnyard together with beautiful minerality and a lot of tart citrus. A beautiful Champagne which will need some more ageing to remove some of the sharp edges. Nevertheless I love this wine a lot already. (8831 views) | |
| Tasted by soyhead on 5/2/2012 & rated 92 points: nose - cream, caramel, quince mouth - rich mouthfeel yet tart and focused towards the finish. Lemon cream, apples. good salinity. Nice but not stupendous. (8785 views) | |
| Tasted by noppakit s. on 5/1/2012 & rated 94 points: Stiil young but showing very promising. Good nose, good structure and good compact finished. Exclusive Table Champagne. Drink 2015 - 2028..................94-96/100..................... (9386 views) | |
| Tasted by jeff nowak on 4/25/2012 & rated 90 points: dinner @ ann colgin's home. i'm not a big fan of cristal. it always tastes hollow and overtly oxidized to me, even this recent release. nice, but never worth the price to me. (8490 views) | |
| Tasted by jkoenen on 4/21/2012 & rated 89 points: Dreamtasting #4 (Restaurant de Watermolen, Kasterlee): Served next to Bollinger's RD 1996, this seems fierce, sharp, even aggressive. Coarse, vibrant mousse. Bright and young nose, lemon, apples, grapy and smoky, too. Sharp, citrusy acidity in the mouth, hardly any complexity. Quite slender, hint of sweetness. When the wine warms up a little, it gets deeper, more friendly and tropical in its fruit palate. Mousse softens, too. Try again in 3 years. Rating merged from 16.5 to 17/20. (9327 views) | |
| Tasted by Vintomas on 4/16/2012 & rated 94 points: Champagnedagen 2012 (Grand Hotel, Stockholm): Nose: obvious smokey notes, discrete fruit notes of red apple, some peach. Palate: very mineral, grapefruit, red apple, high acidity, very elegant, long aftertaste. The aftertaste and length adds to the score. Young. 93-94+ p. (6716 views) | |
| Tasted by Lord Rayas on 3/27/2012: Dinner with Eric/Katherine, Jon/Andrea (富瑤酒家): fresh, young, a touch simple at this stage. (8872 views) | |
| Tasted by T Warner on 3/27/2012: - Light gold color with small pearls and aromas of peach, apple and baker's yeast. It's balanced and has flavours of apple with a medium/full body. Satin-Like texture with a long finish - Tastes of brioche and baked bread on the palate. Soft and delicate mouthfeel. (8330 views) | |
| Tasted by dy_dx on 3/9/2012 & rated 92 points: Strong corn husk and soft barley notes on the nose. Strong lemon/acidic palate. (7764 views) | |
| Tasted by Zweder on 3/2/2012 & rated 96 points: Not so many notes this time. There is a touch of barnyard, beautiful minerality, good tart citrus and a slight touch of sweetness. Beautiful and polished wine. (3106 views) | |
| Tasted by Riverland on 1/31/2012 & rated 94 points: Beautiful. (8812 views) | |
| Tasted by sebastienjm on 1/6/2012 & rated 92 points: Cristal 2004, issu de 6 villages (Avize, Verzenay...). 400 000 bouteilles produites. Mauvaises conditions de dégustation (flûte étroite). La bulle est très fine, au nez je ne ressens pas grand chose avec ce verre si ce n'est une certaine fraîcheur. En bouche le vin est gras et fin (belle vivacité en finale), la bulle est magnifique en comparaison avec les vins précédents. Elle accompagne vraiment le vin. Très long en bouche. 17/20. Mais bon... à plus de 150 euros je passe mon chemin. Même à plus de 50 en fait. 17/20 (8954 views) | |
| Tasted by BradE on 1/5/2012: Drank the 04 and 99 Cristal side by side. The 99 really won out, and had personality and a pleasing style. With the 04 its hard to tell if it was youth that is holding it back or something else. Time will tell. (8637 views) | |
| Tasted by lowereastscott on 1/1/2012 & rated 94 points: Very pale yellow with lovely tight small beads; nose of sweet honey buns and citrus; more citrus on the palate, like orange peel or lemon zest; bright and crisp and silky smooth, but with lots of energy; turns to brioche, then a chalky finish; this goes on forever. Spectacular effort that is drinking wonderfully now. Couldn't keep our hands off it, so no idea what it will be like with age. (8828 views) | |
| Tasted by ckinv368 on 12/17/2011 & rated 96 points: smooth, pure, floral, light, airy, beautiful!! Lots of light fruit, strawberry, backbone acidity that is perfectly in balance. Phenomenal champagne! Everything a champagne should be. Pure pleasure and hedonism in a bottle. Extremely enjoyable. Will be amazingly nuanced in 5 more years. (9076 views) | |
| Tasted by blancdeblancs on 12/1/2011: honey and brioche, slight hints of citrus and herbs otn. palate is subtle, expansive, tons of acidity and minerality. really fine, creamy fizz. incredibly long finish. for this vintage, the hype is real. (7122 views) | |
| Tasted by bmagic on 11/24/2011 & rated 94 points: Nose - sweet, golden apples; mango & apple juice; roasted hazelnuts; just a hint of insect repellent, which is refreshing rather than offputting. Palate - sublime. Golden syrup with raspberries and a hint of green apples to provide acidity. Wildly grown-up. Fulfilling mouth-feel - full but not overwhelming in any way. This champagne melts on your tongue. 94+ pts. (8514 views) | |
| Tasted by Zweder on 10/14/2011 & rated 93 points: Artadi tasting. The son of the producer came over to join us. (@ WB): Beautiful and complex wine with minerals and tart lime, lemon and grapefruit. Still very young. (4211 views) | |
| Tasted by rjonwine@gmail.com on 10/12/2011 & rated 93 points: 2011 Wine & Spirits Top 100 Tasting (City View at Metreon, San Francisco, California): Light yellow color with tiny bubbles; light, yeasty, delicate, apple nose; tasty, poised, tart apple, tart pear palate; delicious now but will benefit from aging as well; medium-plus finish (55% Pinot Noir, 45% Chardonnay) (8069 views) | |
| Tasted by askoje on 10/8/2011 & rated 92 points: Red apples, toasted nuts, very young, rocks and sea shells on the nose. Big acidity, beautiful fresh palate with exceptional balance and very very long finish. Outstanding Champagne, but needs years to reach it's potential. Completely overpriced wine (8813 views) | |
| Tasted by CarpeVinoDiem on 10/5/2011 & rated 95 points: Look: Watery lemon color in glass. Nose: Broiled orange, nutmeg; toasted nuts. Body: 1% milk. Taste: Very foamy, slight pear and apricot. Nice mandarin oranges. Finish: Smooth finish; very integrated. Summary: Great toasty, citrus smooth with LONG finish 1 min 50 secs! 95 pts. (8551 views) | |
| Tasted by JBsquared on 9/25/2011: Citrus and yeast aromas in evidence on the nose. Extremely fine mousse. Initially very forward on the palate, vibrant lemon sherbet somewhat masking the secondary flavours. Opened up a bit more after an hour or two revealing crisp red apple notes and a bit more weight. This stage in its life is obviously still favouring the fruit quite heavily, but delicious and vibrant nonetheless. (8393 views) | |
| Tasted by Omar Khayyam on 9/24/2011 & rated 90 points: Inauguration dinner sept 6 - Ordre des coteaux de champagne; grand chapitre de Stockholm (grand hotel, Stockholm, Sweden): This is of course very elegant and there is both balance and energy: but it is thin and extremely unyielding at present time. For those who are willing to wait a decade and are not short on cash - go for it. For everyone else, don't build up too high expectations for your anniversary dinner around this wine. (8960 views) | |
| Tasted by mwanasheria on 9/21/2011 & rated 90 points: From magnum. Lees, cream, butterscotch, citrus. Very nice. (8104 views) | |
| Tasted by Xavier Auerbach on 8/24/2011 & rated 91 points: A private lunch (Restaurant Jean-Georges ***, NYC): Typically Cristal, gingerbread, good wine but without the power and weight of the stunning 2002. (6540 views) | |
| Tasted by tbabes on 8/13/2011 & rated 94 points: Incredibly youthful, but oh so promising! Notes of flint, mineral, gun metal, and ripe white fruits. Medium to full bodied, with great grip, focus and depth -- this should be monumental circa 2020! (8175 views) | |
| Tasted by RobinHeimdahl on 8/4/2011 & rated 92 points: Still very young but opens up nicely after a few hours when some maturity can be detected. Of course this is good, complex as few, but not worth the price at this stage. (8792 views) | |
| Tasted by Papies on 6/23/2011: Introduction to Serious Champagne (Roberson Wine, South Ken, London): Creamy, round and smooth. Some citrus notes. Made in a fwd style if we can say , especially vs the Dom Perignon. some yeasty notes and although feels less focusses than other prestige cuvees given it is a touch sweeter still u cannot but love this. (9111 views) | |
| Tasted by WineDoctors on 6/17/2011 & rated 91 points: beautiful bead and mousse, ethereal finish with citrus. with caviar, blini and gougeres (8381 views) | |
| Tasted by canan on 6/16/2011 & rated 97 points: BYO (My House): Very young yeasty nose with harsh fresh green apples. Seems very closed down and has some gun powder and black pepper. Hard and reluctant on the palate with immature green apples. Huge intensity and just a very that I think will turn out really well! (3568 views) | |
| Tasted by elledeca on 5/21/2011: I now understand what "bovril nose" means. pungent acidity, very malic. Could not finish the glass... (8672 views) | |
| Tasted by peblin on 5/16/2011 & rated 93 points: Complex, nuanced with spearmint, apple, some candy (Ahlgrens bilar). Crisp, intense and harmonic taste. Very elegant. Long and very "clean". 93-94 (8344 views) | |
| Tasted by emkc on 5/4/2011 & rated 92 points: Light yellow colour. toasty nose and quite buttery. Definitely too young but drinkable. (8499 views) | |
| Tasted by Gob on 3/31/2011 & rated 93 points: Crisp and to the point.. nice pearl, floral, apple, yeast and citrus notes, very good, will only get better (8404 views) | |
| Tasted by Thirsty1 on 12/31/2010 & rated 93 points: This was the wine of the night. Crisp and precise, hints of lemon and apple, faint yeast in the background. Lazer-like in the midpallet complimented by lively bubbles. This is one of the bottles that opens my eyes to champagne enjoyment. Great way to bring in the new year. (8575 views) | |
| Tasted by bubbachumps on 12/31/2010 & rated 94 points: Did not take formal notes, but drank along with a NV Billecart Rose, NV Moutard, NV Veuve Cliquot, NV De Margerie Cuvee Speciale and a '00 Billecart Cuvee Francois and the Cristal was head and shoulders above the others. I do remember intense bubbles, but after they calmed down, creamy vanilla lemon and great balance and precision. (8920 views) | |
| Tasted by EleonoraScholes on 12/23/2010 & rated 96 points: 12% alc. 55% Pinot Noir, 45% Chardonnay. A finely cut nose of blossoming orchards, candied fruit and sweet citrus notes. Lifted and beautifully scented. The enchanting floral aspect continues on the palate, but the main attraction lies with easy flowing refined flavours of ripe fruits, especially nectarines, apricots and some exotic fruit, fresh fruity acidity and a hint of minerality. Silky and lingering. A classy wine. Tasted at home (8551 views) | |
| Tasted by psmith on 12/2/2010: Medium body and clean, crisp flavors. A bit more apparent dosage than usual, likely just owing to its youth. Nice. (8042 views) | |
| Tasted by Leeying on 11/21/2010: Great finesse with crystal glass. Two lines of fine bubbles. (8011 views) |
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Louis RoedererProducer WebsiteU.S. Importer (Addt'l Info) 2004 Louis Roederer Champagne Cristal BrutCRISTAL 2004 Harvesting: A classic, generous year, yielding both quantity and quality. 2004 followed the same climatic trends as 2002: cool, moderate temperatures throughout the season; and a considerably reduced rainfall (by about 30%) during the growing cycle, which, despite a particularly cold and rainy month of August, was fortunately followed by a dry and sunny September, ripening the grapes off impressively. The Louis Roederer vineyard team worked intensively in this period, and by the 20th September the grapes had attained a “vintage” balance, combining maturity and freshness. Production: In 1876, Tsar Alexander II was already a great fan of Louis Roederer’s champagne and he asked Louis Roederer to “go one step further” and produce, for his own personal consumption, a wine unique in quality and bottle. Louis Roederer offered to create an exceptional white crystal bottle to house the best selection from the 7 finest vineyards of his estate, thus creating the first Prestige cuvee of Champagne. This wine is only produced in the “great” years when the ripeness of the Chardonnay and Pinot noir enables a subtle, precise balance. Style: Cristal 2004 - incisive, seductive and delicious - has a “slender”, almost “living” freshness. Highly contemporary in its harmony and immediate seductiveness, it nevertheless remains first and foremost a great classic of northern Champagne, combining freshness, energy and an almost chalky mineral quality. The Cristal hallmarks are evident: purity, precision and the unique harmony of flavours associated with the subtle power of our historic vines, located on the finest Champagne Grand Cru terroirs. Elaboration: The blend is composed of 55% Pinot noir and 45% Chardonnay (20% of which is matured in oak casks with weekly batonnage). No malolactic fermentation occurs. Cristal is produced using harvests from the finest vineyards of Montagne de Reims, the Vallee de la Marne and the Cote des Blancs. Cristal ages an average of 5 years in the cellars and rests 8 months after disgorgement to perfect its maturity. The dosage of between 8 and 10 g/l is customized to complement each vintage. Tasting Notes: Brilliant yellow colour displaying light amber nuances, combined with an ultra-fine, persistent, soft effervescence. There’s an intense, highly expressive bouquet on the first nose! The aromatic elegance and precision of Chardonnay is apparent: white fruit, sweet pollen, fine citrus fruit and very pure minerality. After a few minutes, the aromas move on to more confit, lightly grilled hints. The bouquet is rich and sweet, almost generous, remaining precise and impeccably refined. The bite in the mouth is full and creamy, revealing an incredible concentration of juicy fruits: yellow peach, apricot, mango and others. This silky, meaty concentration, which is both dense and soft – and typical of great Pinot noir – is immediately combined with a sophisticated touch of acidity, bringing the wine alive with minerality. The overriding impression is one of a true harmony of flavours, senses and silky textures... Absolute sensuality. Jean-Baptiste Lecaillon Champagne Blend"Champagne blend" is a classic grape blend that typically includes Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and/or Pinot Meunier in any proportions.However, this blend can also include Arbane, Fromenteau (Pinot Gris), Petit Meslier and/or Pinot Blanc as well. FranceVins de France (Office National Interprofessionnel des Vins ) | Pages Vins, Directory of French Winegrowers | French Wine (Wikipedia)Wine Scholar Guild vintage ratings 2018 vintage: "marked by a wet spring, a superb summer and a good harvest" 2019 vintage reports 2021: "From a general standpoint, whether for white, rosé or red wines, 2021 is a year marked by quality in the Rhône Valley Vineyards. Structured, elegant, fresh and fruity will be the main keywords for this new vintage." 2022 harvest: idealwine.info | wine-searcher.com ChampagneLe Champagne (Le comité interprofessionnel du vin de Champagne) | Grandes Marques & Maisons de Champagne (Union des Maisons de Champagne)France - When it comes to wine, France stands alone. No other country can beat it in terms of consistent quality and diversity. And while many of its Region, Bordeaux, Burgundy and Champagne most obviously, produce wine as rare, as sought-after and nearly as expensive as gold, there are just as many obscurities and values to be had from little known appellations throughout the country. To learn everything there is to know about French wine would take a lifetime. To understand and appreciate French wine, one only has to begin tasting them. Click for a list of bestselling items from all of France. Sub-Region: Champagne - The French region of Champagne (including the cities of Rheims, Épernay, and Aÿ) was the first region in the world to make sparkling wine in any quantity. Today, the name of the region is synonymous with the finest of all sparkling wines, and wine-making traditions of Champagne have become role models for sparkling wine producers, worldwide. Surprisingly, the region of Champagne is now responsible for only one bottle in 12 of all sparkling wine produced. Styles of champagne range in sweetness ranging from an extra brut or brut 0, to the basic brut to demi sec to doux; some houses produce single vintage champagnes and others produce non-vintage (or incorporate wines/grapes of multiple vintages), often to preserve a specific taste; combinations of grape varietals; and colors, including a rosé. There are several sub-appellations, including the Valley of the Marnes river running from Épernay west, Massif de Saint-Thierry north and west of Rheims, Valley of the Ardre, the Mountains of Rheims (between Rheims and Épernay), Côte des Blancs, Côte de Sézanne, and Côte des Bar in the South. Champagne wine only uses three grape varietals (cépages): Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier. ChampagneThe vineyards of Champagne on weinlagen-info |