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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 93.6 pts. and median of 94 pts. in 338 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | 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. (483 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! (779 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. (821 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. (881 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. (737 views) | | | Tasted by rnellans on 3/7/2024 & rated 97 points: Perfect!!! (884 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. (835 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. (1400 views) | | | Tasted by JS199 on 1/1/2024 & rated 96 points: Just fabulous. So smooth and creamy, crazy small bubbles. (1003 views) | | | Tasted by S-C-S on 12/31/2023 & rated 94 points: Not in the balance I expected. (949 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. (1439 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. (1710 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. (1169 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. (1068 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. (1189 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 (992 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! (1090 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 (1122 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. (1769 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. (2065 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. (2966 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. (2287 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. (2272 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. (1996 views) | | | Tasted by steinersing on 1/13/2023 & rated 94 points: From Jero excellent. Yeast, intensive, searing. (1516 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| By Antonio Galloni
Vinous, Roederer Cristal Full Circle: 1993-2015 (Dec 2023) (12/1/2023)
(Roederer Cristal Sparkling White) Subscribe to see review text. | By Jancis Robinson, MW
JancisRobinson.com (11/18/2021)
(Louis Roederer, Cristal Champagne White) Subscribe to see review text. | By Antonio Galloni
Vinous, Champagne – 2019 Fall Releases (Dec 2019) (12/1/2019)
(Roederer Cristal Sparkling White) Subscribe to see review text. | By John Gilman
View From the Cellar, Mar/Apr 2018, Issue #74, Champagne Louis Roederer The Most Dynamic and Forward-Thinking Grande Marque
(Louis Roederer Cristal Brut) Login and sign up and see review text. | By Allen Meadows
Burghound, Jun-17, Issue #67
(Louis Roederer Brut - Cristal Champagne/Sparkling) Subscribe to see review text. | By Jancis Robinson, MW
JancisRobinson.com (7/9/2015)
(Louis Roederer, Cristal Brut Champagne White) Subscribe to see review text. | By Julia Harding, MW
JancisRobinson.com (6/25/2014)
(Louis Roederer, Cristal Brut Champagne White) Subscribe to see review text. | By Jancis Robinson, MW
JancisRobinson.com (1/29/2014)
(Louis Roederer, Cristal Brut Champagne White) Subscribe to see review text. | The World of Fine Wine, December 2012, Issue #38
(Roederer Cristal) Login and sign up and see review text. | By John Gilman
View From the Cellar, Jul/Aug 2012, Issue #40, The Annual Champagne and Sparkling Wine Report
(Louis Roederer Cristal Brut) Login and sign up and see review text. | By Richard Hemming, MW
JancisRobinson.com (6/11/2012)
(Louis Roederer, Cristal Champagne White) Subscribe to see review text. | By Jancis Robinson, MW
JancisRobinson.com (11/10/2011)
(Louis Roederer, Cristal Champagne White) Subscribe to see review text. | By Jancis Robinson, MW
JancisRobinson.com (9/16/2011)
(Louis Roederer, Cristal Champagne White) Subscribe to see review text. | By Steve Thurlow
WineAlign (5/27/2011)
(Louis Roederer Cristal Vintage Brut Champagne red) Subscribe to see review text. | By David Lawrason
WineAlign (5/27/2011)
(Louis Roederer Cristal Vintage Brut Champagne red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Sara d'Amato
WineAlign (5/27/2011)
(Louis Roederer Cristal Vintage Brut Champagne red) Subscribe to see review text. | By John Szabo, MS
WineAlign (5/27/2011)
(Louis Roederer Cristal Vintage Brut Champagne red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Brad Baker
Champagne Warrior, December 2010, Issue #9, Champagne Tasting Notes
(Louis Roederer Cristal) Login and sign up and see review text. | By Antonio Galloni
Vinous, New Releases from Champagne (Dec 2010)
(Roederer Cristal) Subscribe to see review text. | By Josh Raynolds
Vinous, November/December 2010, IWC Issue #153
(Louis Roederer Cristal) Subscribe to see review text. | By Jancis Robinson, MW
JancisRobinson.com (9/13/2010)
(Louis Roederer, Cristal Champagne White) Subscribe to see review text. | By Peter Liem
ChampagneGuide.net
(Louis Roederer Cristal Brut) Subscribe to see review text. | By Peter Liem
ChampagneGuide.net
(Louis Roederer Cristal Brut) Subscribe to see review text. | By Richard Jennings
RJonWine.com (10/17/2012)
(Louis Roederer Champagne Cristal Brut) 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 95 points | By Richard Jennings
RJonWine.com (10/12/2011)
(Louis Roederer Champagne Cristal Brut) 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) 93 points |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of Vinous and JancisRobinson.com and View From the Cellar and Burghound and The World of Fine Wine and WineAlign and Champagne Warrior and ChampagneGuide.net and RJonWine.com. (manage subscription channels) |
| Louis Roederer Producer Website
U.S. Importer (Addt'l Info)2004 Louis Roederer Champagne Cristal Brut
CRISTAL 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 LecaillonChampagne 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.France Vins 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.comChampagne Le 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 |
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