Stunning, flaske med brioche, grilla sitron, kalk. Ganske mye lengre enn forrige flaske for ca to år siden. Ettervern med blomster, røyk, evig lang ettersmak med revet sitronskall. Balanse ut av en annen verden. Min første 100-poenger. 100
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This bottle was all sorts of good. It had the energy and freshness I expect, with the elevated budding complexity and focus I expect from Cristal. This bested a 2015 by a decent margin (which most would say no surprise, but I’ve had some hit/miss encounters with the 2008 over the past couple of years). I had a number of other top big house producers crush a bottle of 2008 Cristal, giving me slight pause at times.
As it goes with all things wine, a very good bottle one day can be a great bottle the next. So is the case here with this bottle of 2008. One of the better showings this time around. For me, I still think the 2013 is stronger overall and will/has/does typically lap the 2008. I know the 2008 is the darling vintage for Champagne, but I have yet to be convinced it is the vintage to end all vintages, as declared by others.
I say start drinking these 2008s now if you value freshness. Obviously it can hold for some time if you are seeking more oxidative features.
Not much more needs to be said. Super yummy. I wish I had some, but I have friends who love this wine, so I will pester him every time he is in town to bring one.
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Eyes Wide Shut - Day 1 (A quiet place): Nose: Fresh white and yellow fruits, with clean, dry and wet sparkling minerals. Quite lively and exciting. The fruits here are quite aromatic.
Palate: Clean and refreshing on the palate. Lots of clean fruits, light hay, minerals that are lightly sweet yet dry, as if it there were tropical fruit juices splashed onto a dried stone.
This was like a well needed, refreshing shower for the tongue after a long day. Cleans the palate very nicely.
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The Blind Side - no, not football! (Chateau Simms): Still going strong! Love this Champagne! Not much to say that hasn't already been said. Still a benchmark Champagne I think I will never tire of drinking! Still a solid 98!
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Initially a bit closed with a shy nose of lemon and honeydew melon. Steel and chalk on the palate. Very fine mousse. Gradually opens up with more generous fruit, some bread and nuts. Reminiscent of a good panettone. Very, very long, chalky finish. Still young days here. Very good already but needs at least 4-5 years yet, probably more.
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It has been 18 months since I last tasted this vintage. Until now, I found it not overly expressive or layered but always with an unmatched elegance in structure. My ratings have consistently hovered between 93 and 94pts. Revisiting now, I've observed a significant evolution: it has finally intensified in both concentration and expressiveness, though at the slight expense of its finesse. Still, this was the best bottle so far. And it's also the first bottle that made me more confident about the longer-term potential of this wine. But contrary to critical opinion, I don't think that this will be the best big house 2008 (and btw, the 2012 always showed more promising and still does). 95/96pts
TN: Expressive right from the go and without much air. Layered and highly precise aromas of peach, lemon,white fruit, slate and saline minerality, a beautiful toffee and slight buttery note. Super mid-palate weight and long finish. Great freshness and a lot of cut. It’s no longer as fine and elegant as before but gained some edges but still well-built and time will bring that softness back. All in all a great Champagne to drink.
Checking back in after my last visit in 2022. Since then this started to add more autolytic notes of bakery and brioche to complement the mineral notes of crushed rocks. The fruit profile consists of pear with a splash of lime juice. Also elements of almonds and bergamot. The palate adds more nutty complexity, comes across as precise and linear with crisp acidity providing characterful edges. The finish requires binoculars to spot the end. This is gaining in breadth and structure, has become more vinous in the overall mouthfeel and if anything is even better than early in the bottle.
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Rating just this bottle, and not a prior one, I'm underwhelmed by the experience relative to the price and hype. The lemon intensity overwhelms other flavors. I didn't experience great complexity or beauty. It was simple, crisp, clean - solid, but not 100 points or $200+. I've had $30 California sparklers of comparable enjoyment. My rating reflects glasses over the first two hours after opening and again the next day.
Still very youthful, but starting to relax and shows its dosage a little. Fresh orchard fruits, biscuit and brioche. Fine, fluffy and intense. Cut by the wonderful acidity of the vintage. Very long.
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Tight and fruity on open. Picked up oxidative notes after 30 minutes. Best glass was just before it was finished after 2 hours of air where the fruit and complexity started to get married together.
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Opened 2 hours ahead of serving. Served via direct waterfall from a porron.
The penetrating beam of cristal acidity strikes the palate with explosive impact. A variegated spectrum of rich orchard fruits fan out on the palate, with a piercing ray of acidity keeping the fruit party going from the front of the mouth to the back. A lemon creme brulee finish engulfs the energetic liquid down the throat.
One could argue this was not the best serving method for wine appreciation. However, with how well the wine showed (perhaps from aerating on the way out the porron), the 08 delivered pure visceral exhilaration that could not be matched any other way.
Opened 1st one of the 6 I had bought. Amazing champagne. I was worried that this maybe closed. But amazing fruit. It balances toasty notes and clarity in a way there aren’t many champagnes out there.
Came home and pulled the trigger on another 6. That’s how good it was.
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Same btl as rocknroller. Nita & I along with Kevin & Vicki to further celebrate our 45th wedding anni at The Kenwood in Minneapolis. This is a legend in the making and thus there's a tendency to come in with 110pt expectations. There is still so much power to unwind & depth yet to emerge but, if you take a breath and sit with this through the evening you realize it's already amazing. The concentration, intensity and purity here is something to behold. I only have one and its wonderful to check in on this masterpiece! I'll do my best to make sure Kevin & Vicki are available when we open our last. I only open wines like this for momentous moments like Nita's & my 45th and, when possible, in the Tetons after a hike, climb or a great day fly fishing! A truly special wine only for special occasions, for me. Thanks guys!
Light gold color. Drank 2 glasses over an hour plus. The aromatics on this are seriously impressive, they hit at the highest olfactory register with intensity, filled with this pristine sweet essence of fruit, so floral, bright and forward, orchard fruit on the nose, more apple and pear withsome peach notes, which gradually give some way to allow the mineral notes to emerge. The palate is equally invigorating, as it brings forth that lovely fruit, starting with green fruits, especially the tart green apple, then ushering in more Meyer lemon and minerality and some saline on the back end as the chalk shows itself. Very, very long as this really lingers. Extremely enjoyable now, but this is back to really being a baby again. 95(+)pts.
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Nice stuff. Meyer lemon fruit with lots of zest and chalk to give it texture, and picking up some thickness and creaminess with bottle age. Cristal always tastes more like BdB than brut to me and so it is again here. Just a few more years should put it in the perfect spot.
An evening of fine wine and food (Black Salt Restaurant, Washington D.C.): At first it seemed a bit "merely" citrus, especially when one considers the price of this wine, and the vintage. But do not be quick to judge. Over time, the wine showed off subtle depth and body, with structure to last, although I prefer Cristal when youthful. Over time the brightness also increased in excitement, with vivid notions of white pear, lime/lemon and gorgeously savory blood red orange. The finish was especially long and tonic. A superb wine that paired very well with briny raw oysters, which we had ordered to start.
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Giallo paglierino scarico, naso bianco di frutta e fiori, cenni minerali e di pietra, bocca suntuosa, nervosa, frutta bianca, scia elettrica ma necessita di tempo.
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Another year on the books. Give this at least an hour open preferably two and it will be singing. Epic juice. Keeps getting better and better. Still so youthfull. This will improve for 5-10 years and then last for at least another decade.
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A very small pour because there were a lot of people at the party who were deservedly gushing over this and they'd never had Cristal before. Nose of lemon, pear, bee balm. The palate is incredibly lively, energetic and ends on a creamy note.
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Our Annual Champagne Tasting: My bottle. This is starting to enter a nice drinking window. It's still dominated by lemon like all young Cristal, with great structure. Other citrus including pomelo, plus red berries, floral notes.
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Meeting Delphine's Family (Scott and Amy's House): PnP - This Champagne never disappoints! Layers of golden fruit and minerality with small bubbles that coat the mouth in luxury. The palate is filled with poached pear, honeydew, brioche and oyster shell with some limestone and chalk and an amazing finish. Still a standard bearer for Champagne! I absolutely adore and am smitten by the 2008 vintage! 98 points for my palate!
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From magnum. This continues to drink sensationally, and even better from magnum, with so much concentration of fruit and intensity of flavor in a refined, focused palate.
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Drank at birthday party. It didn’t have the usual lemon and other young notes. This was smooth and settle but good. I usually have it within a few years after release. And wasn’t impress and not worth it but after this. It’s worth it
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2008 top champagnes - horisontal wine tasting dinner (Rest MG (kg arr)): Second 2008 horisontal champagne half blind tasting dinner. First time June 2021. Back then the vintage was extremely youthful. How is it now? An almost unbelievable development in just 2 years. As a wine enthusiast I must simply surrender. I was skeptical about the drinkability at this point for this extreme vintage. That skepticism was proven wrong. 2008 can definitely be enjoyed now. For me, it's one of my really great tasting experiences. And there has certainly been many... Add to that, the vintage is only in its initial stage of maturation and therefore still youthful but extremely charming and open. I really look forward to tasting the 2008 vintage once a year in the coming many years experiencing the tertiary notes develop. Lemon colour. Creamy mousse, medium+ finish. Aromas of green apple, lemon but also little ripe apple.
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2008 Champagne - 25 top names tasted blind: Discrete nose, swirling brings complex aromas to the surface with a mix of citrus, wax, apples, some red fruits as well. Very precise, complex but still quite hidden. Chiseled palate, good mouthfeel. This and Krug fest the youngest to me. After revealing I was please to see that this was Cristal. I have a few showings before that were even more closed. This has potential but I would wait till 2028 with this.
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This bottle showed all the initial characteristics of a fine Cristal with verve and texture but the flavours were closed down and persistently dull. Prolonged airing revealed the telltale touch of TCA.
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A somewhat disappointing showing. Powerful citrus fruits but very one dimensional. Didn't really evolve much over the 2 hours that we enjoyed this wine.
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Wow! Blows the nostrils wide open. Lemons and vibrant mousse. Such energy and vibrancy. Like a very top chevalier montrachet with bubbles. Simply superb and WOTN.
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very structured, tight and even severe, but in a good way. definitely ripe apple, stone fruits, citrus, brioche, honey, minerality like wet rocks. Very persistent and long aftertaste. Very fine bubbles and mousse. Super enjoyable
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Kind of funny when Cristal comes in 4th out of four in a champagne flight. That's not a bad thing, that just says how great the champagnes were. Flavors of tart yellow fruit and lightly bodied and colored. This just seemed to be coiled up and since I was driving I didn't revisit it later.
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Bookclub--All Wines Tasted Blind (Foretti's in Corona Del Mar): When we first poured this around the table, it seemed lean, coiled, very powerful but shut down. Some creaminess tried to make it through the wine but the minerally note was overtaking the wine. Savory apple, tangerine and citrus rind, seemingly young. But, with air and patience, this really softened a lot. The tangerine persisted and then a liquified minerality is the best way to describe the finish. Needs air, but in turn, this drank just fine for me once the air had done its good work. Lovely.
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Cristal Night; 9/6/2023-9/8/2023: There's not a lot more to write about this. It's an exceptional champagne, but probably 10+ years away from being at its very best. We opened a bottle and magnum side-by-side, and the qualitative difference between formats was smaller than I expected: the mags were disgorged much later so maybe that extra development is flattering the 750sml. The recent fall in Cristal pricing has made this look pretty attractive again (at least for me). This will certainly be a future legend.
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Our 3rd bottle of Cristal (3 different vintages) and you can't go wrong here... it is always delicious. But found it interesting that it was generally viewed as the 3rd best champagne of the night (6 people for dinner) behind the 2013 Vilmart CDC and Emotion (at 1/3 to 1/2 the price).
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Pronounced nose with pear, apple, lemon, brioche, yeasty and toast. High acidity and already starting its drinking window. Will definitely improve with time.
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Cristal 2008. Fortsatt bare ungdommen. Meeen for en ungdom! Floral og parfymert med den lyseste frukt. Er så vakker og elegant - en oppvisning i finesse. Sexy. Uhyre konsentrert, likevel så lett på tå. Stor drikkeglede selv om det beste ligger i fremtiden. Renhet og nerve som få. Lang elektrisk finish med sitrus og mineraler. 96p
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I'll echo the other comments about how tight this is showing. Everything is here for an insanely bright future, but it's coiled up in a ball at the moment. Don't get me wrong: it's immensely enjoyable. But I'll probably give mine another 3-5 years before opening another one.
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From magnum this is so youthful but it’s also a lot of fun. Great way to bring second wind to a party after a bunch of reds. In a decade this will be bonkers.
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Open that bottle - Joe chooses 2008 Abreu Madrona (Jason's house): Amazingly floral nose. The palate is so bright, with a creamy mouthfeel and acidic zing on the finish. The finish is persistent. Brioche, toast, pear, Orange and lemon. The lemon is gorgeous and the pear stands out the most.
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PNP. Straw color. Brioche and melon dominate the nose, but that doesn’t do it justice. Dry, vibrant palate, with a nice volume of medium fine bubbles. The acidity has a very long linger. This is elegant and engaging and difficult to articulate how good it is.
I’d Rather Be Drinking Wine was kind enough to open this at a great dinner party. The theme of the party was “You’re going to open THAT bottle?”. One of the best Champagne I’ve ever had.
Open THAT Bottle! (Jason's House): Love Cristal, especially the 2008 vintage! Super fine mousse mouthfeel makes this wine taste creamy and delicious! Of course, being well structured with toasted brioche, pear, green apple and a hint of lemon meringue, all surrounded by chalky minerality and hints of saline don't hurt it either! 97+ without hesitation....why not 98? Probably because I am slightly penalizing this wine (maybe a half of a point) for not being quite at the standard of Salon or Selosse, but admittedly, this is a much better value than those wines and will remain one of my favorites for quite some time!
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Tasted with TH Pan. Took many hours to unfurl. For those unopposed to the idea, I would strongly recommended a decant. This champagne, with a lot of air, is at a beautiful and open stage of its development.
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2016 Napa Cults Blind - and a few Champs and such for fun: Wine is funny. More specifically, BOTTLES of wine are funny. When I first took a stab at the 2008 Cristal a while back, I found it to be a “very good,” “fine,” “a solid 94” (which is nothing to scoff at of course) type of bubbly. A try or two later, I found bottles to be even more banging with spritely merriment – though not as much as the even better 2013 Cristal. (Here’s where the 2008 Cristal fanboys start to lose it with me). In any event, here we are again with not one, but two bottles of 2008 lovingly placed in front of our group, and I’m back to friend zone mode here.
And just to add insult to injury, since finally getting to writing these notes, I’ve had the 2013 twice again and it is so much more energetic than the 2008. Obviously, you clearly get a sense of my current 2008 vs 2013 biases here (Hint: 2013 is better vintage than 2008 – and let the missiles fly!) Do with that what you may.
In any event, the first bottle of 2008 Cristal was almost dull and without proper polish, and I suspect had some sort of bad day that led up to its eventual assassination. The second bottle was in line with previous experiences, except that it too was a bit toned down. Add to the fact that there was a 2013 Philipponnant Goisses at the table having a field day at the two Cristals’ expenses, the whole thing made for a bit of a ho-hum dealio with the blessed Cristals. Mind you, the second bottle was still in the low-ish 92/3-ish realm, but nothing like the 96 I gave the last bottle I had in April. Maybe it was a root day for the Cristal, and a fruit day for the Goisses, or a leafy lunar eclipse for the Cristal and a flower-power blossom blowout for the Goisses. Whatever excuse fits your fancy, go for it. And, as is not uncommon for my tasting notes, I offer zero comfort and advice on what to do with the thousands of you holding bottles of the ’08 Cristal. I mean, drink ‘em. That’s kinda what they’re for. One thing to note, serve ‘em pretty cold. Too warm and they just get too yeasty for me, ultimately flattening the fruit and killing the excite vibe.
This is one of the best Champagnes that I have ever had. It is at its perfect stage in life. Nose is buttery brioche and hints of honey while the palate is still full of golden delicious apples yet creamy texture and a long finish that taunts you for more. Many sparkling wines are too acidic and harsh for my taste - this one is perfectly balanced and will be so for a number of years to come.
Richebourg and Meursault: After last month's bottle was so tight I wanted to give this another chance with plenty of air, so opened and recorked 5 hours before dinner. So incredibly tight on opening, it relaxed some over the afternoon, but was still very shut down. A bit disappointing as I had hoped the lovely lemon curd and white fruits would be more prominent as they were a couple of years ago. This seems to be officially in a dumb phase right now and probably won't open another one until at least next year.
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From magnum. Clear light straw color with persistent very fine bead. Notes of quince, honeycomb, Easter lily pollen, croissant, chalk. Beautiful poise and balance. Complex, sophisticated, regal, refined.
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Champagne blind tasting dinner. Discrete nose, hinting at complexity after swirling, oak, flowers, mineral, herbs, closed still. Elegant palate, dosage noticeable after the many zero dosages coming before but in a good way. Gives it some charm. Precise, lightly bitter finish. I think this is very young still. Need more charm and mid palate for a higher score. Next bottle to be opened in 2028. 94-96
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Man, this thing took off like a rocket, and a much more lively performance than the last time I sampled the 2008. I would have guessed this was the 2013 given its electricity. The finish is 'literally' sparkling on the back end, like a sack of lemon pop rocks snapping on the back end and creating a super vibrant whip of flavor and intensity on the tail. Lemon juice, chalky minerality, and sea spray are just so spritely, but not so much that it takes away from the balance of flavor and ability for the wine to properly delineate its essences so that focus and judicious drive are maintained.
I have preferred the 2013 over the 2008 consistently, but this bottle's performance was on par with the 2013. The 2008 has really picked up speed. This and a 2013 Pol Roger Churchill performed really well side by side, though their profiles were a bit different. The Pol Roger showed more Pinot fruit, while this bottle of Cristal was on the yellow/white spectrum. Both will age wonderfully.
Atlanta Musigny & Chevy Dinner: PnP. Right out of the gate it was wide open and brilliant. Aromas bursting out of the glass and all there on the palate. Could have been WOTF. Unfortunately 10 minutes later it shut down hard and was brutally tight and unyielding for the rest of the evening. Needs many years.
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So fresh with great intensity of fruit and racy acidity. It feels like it will open up more in time, but this is so focused and precise it calls you back for another sip over and over
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This wine was nice when opened, maybe a 92. After an hour of air this was firing in all cylinders and was great. This bottle was even a touch better than my prior experiences. Entering the drinking zone In style!
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Wow. This has definitely moved on to a richer/more decadent profile relative to what it was like on release. While it has lost some of its zippy/bracing acidity, it’s gained something in terms of depth and sweetness and there is no mistaking its breed.
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Olive Garden Party (Cristal vertical) (Chicago, IL): Wine of the tasting, without a doubt. Laser-focussed, but lemon cream at the same time, this just has it all. The acidity is pronounced here versus all the other wines, but it's not in your face. This is perfectly balanced and simply put, a complete wine. Given the weight and acidity here, this is undoubtedly the Cristal to own and age if one had to choose but one vintage.
Enjoyed next to the 08 Dom, the Cristal is comparatively elegant and balanced, with nary a hair out of place. So seamless and classy, it is able to subsume all its remarkable levels of extract and depth, but make no mistake, this bubbly is just stretching its legs and will ascend the pinnacles once more fully mature. Still, I loved it now for its verve and depth, but its best days are 10 years or more down the road.
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semiblind, Tasting of 16 big 2008's 10th wine. Completely lost against Clos du Mesnil, but this was not a perfect bottle. Later the Magnum was perfect again. Less elegant as usually. 93
blind, from Magnum great again, in a big 2008 tasting we had a little bit off bottle. But this one was shining again. Brilliantly fresh, lemon zest, a hint of apricot and biscuit. At least 20 more years. 97
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Sitrende sitron, syngende syre, salige salttoner, robust ryggrad, lang og lengre enn lang lengde. Vennlige vaniljehint, en bitteliten tropisk touch dag to.
Fortsatt ungt - men ingen skam å drikke dette nå bare glassene er store nok; Zalto burgund funket fint. Så bra dette er.
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From a magnum, this wine had a light yellow center and solid effervescence. The medium- intensity nose generated gooseberry, almond paste, lemon, and mineral notes.
In the mouth, this wine was gorgeous. It was refined as usual and, of course, a bit young and tight. However, the balance and sophistication of a top class Champagne were clear. The fruit, acidity, and effervescence were blended together in such a way that it was hard to tell where one stopped and the other started.
While fun to drink now, this will be in peak form in 5 years and last another 5 or so after that. I anticipate another point or so of upside.
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Chef Don Saunder's food entices 7 city dwellers to our place in the exurbs! 8 of us plus Nita & Joe enjoyed Don's magnificent food tonight 30 miles from downtown Minneapolis. What a night!! CV,KB,SS,CS,DM,DD,LI, & DS. Dan's marvelous blt tonight. Spectacular Champagne by any standard. Racy as hell! A thoroughbred waiting at the gate. Tonight, it was holding back a bit though and keeping its best stuff under raps. Personally, with only one in the cellar I'm going to hold onto to mine for a minimum of 3 more years. Open perhaps for my 70th in 3yrs? This is a masterpiece waiting in the making. Thankyou Dan!
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Going Up The Country: Suburban Bliss & Wines to Match (Craig & Nita's Place): Light gold color. Drank a glass over an hour. Fresh cut pear, quince, yeast, apple peel, white flowers, stone and apricot on the effusive and complex nose. The palate is resonant with apple, pear, quince, apple peel, very tart and crisp, candied orange peel, though less distinctive minerality. Excellent length and purity. This bottle was more youthful. 95+pts.
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not blind, together with Cristal 2002 late release
I love this freshness and precision. it was 3:3 in this flight. Elegant, lemon tart but not heavy and buttery. you feel the lower dosage in the recent years. 96-97
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As I expected would happen someday, this has finally surpassed the incredible and precocious 2009. Once again, a chalky kaleidoscope of citrus. I swear I could pick out lemon, orange, pomelo, kumquat, yuzu jam, plus red berries, a little plum, and dense florals. Great cut as well as texture. My best bottle of the 2008 yet, and one of my WsOTY so far.
Quite lean and citric. Hopefully still just a bit young and it will come together with time but at the moment it's underperforming it's reputation and price.
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In this amazing dinner which included 27 bottles of Cristal from 1985-2014, the '08 vintage stands out in every way. Simply superior intensity and material with great precision and cut. Succulent and so fine on the finish with great complexity and grip. Rich fruit balances it all out and while this is still so youthful and so promising, its' so worth drinking at this stage or probably any stage. 96+
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3 of 12 Chet’s Cristal Dinner @ Claud …. Brought this to an epic Cristal Dinner (1985-2014) Brut, Rose and Vinotheque many en Mag … This was in everyone’s top 5 along with the 2008 Rose en mag, 96 Vinotheque,en mag 96 Rose and 02 Brut ….still remarkable energy, minerality, balance and now gaining complexity and dimension 🥂
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My son said I opened this to early. And I probably did. Balanced, fresh and gentle. However, lacking depth in my opinion. This may come over the years, as the wine is still young and very much alive.
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Dinner with Herwig (Heirloom Cafe, SF): Exceptional aromatics, fresh but with some richness from age, high acidity; long long finish. Lovely young champagne. 95
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Lighter bright yellow; Med. yeasty, clean, BdB freshness, yellow apple, angel food, lovely balance and concentration with elegance. Very present zippy acidity. But this was not the '07 BdB Comtes I thought it was. This was by far the best '08 Cristal I've had yet. Previously they've been too tight and not giving up much. It's coming into it's own finally I think. My #2(and really pretty much tied for 1st place for me) and second place by the group as well. Yarom Group DD Champagnes at Blooming VIP Chinese.
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Väldigt ugn och sluten, nästan lite tjurig. Finns massa fina toner och det är riktigt god champagne men idag får den 94. Ser fram mot när den ger ifrån sig 100 pinnar framöver
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Salon Focofi Paris walkabout and dinner, so no detailed tasting notes. From MAG. Still closed, strict, spicy, compact with lots going on underneath. I would drink this in 5 years only. 92-95
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Bro TC spoiled DQ, BL, SKT, MK at our first night's dinner in Bangkok recently, with my first ever experience of "Cristal", which ranks as one of the most decadent and "Made famous by MTV and Instagram" Champagnes ever.
Ultra fine bubbles, incredibly luscious mouth-feel, brioche and toasted bread notes, this is a very special bottle of bubbles. I couldn't help but imagine that this magnificent 2008 vintage could be cellared for another 10, 20, 30 or more years. Nevertheless, its in a special place even right now.
The citrus notes helped bring out the freshness, which was delicate at the same time, and the mid-palate was beautifully chalky and had a mineral feel too. The finish was powerful and long!
Why is the 2008 vintage special for Champagne? This is a dry but cool vintage, creating density and power which are the signature notes of this 2008 vintage. The achievement of a perfect balance between concentration and freshness was obviously achieved.
All the critics agreed that Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon has made an outstanding Cristal in the divine vintage of 2008. This blend of Pinot Noir (60%) and Chardonnay (40%) comes from 36 plots in Grand Cru terroirs, with a dosage of 7.5 g/l. In fact, the Roederer Cellar-master, describes this as "the best wine he has made in 30 years at Roederer!"
The grapes are all organically farmed, from the estate vineyards in the mid-slope of the Mountain of Reims, Côte de Blancs, and Grand Valley of the Marne.
I, along with SKT and DQ, were very grateful for this chance to try Cristal as an aperitif to our meal at Oriental Infusion (Chef Josh from Scotland, UK), as well as TC's Yquem 2003 which we had as the digestif.
1 Dec 2022 Bangkok (Wongwian Yai BTS station) Thailand
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Straightforwardly delicious although I find Cristal a little too sweet, even here. This is more crisp white fruit and citrus to toe it together. Very nice, very pleasant drinking. 93+
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PnP small glass, recork into the fridge. First glass reveals just a hint of lemon zest, marzipan, honey. So weightless with a beguiling depth. Palate is much more open than previous bottles at this stage, but still very tight and only showing a fraction of the potential. So very tart, the acid overwhelms the finish.
After 3 hours in the fridge it's integrated better, drinks very nicely on the palate, but still overwhelming acid on the finish. More time and all the fruit is gone. This is definitely flawed.
A lost Friday afternoon gathering – Cristal, DP, Giacosa, Produttori and etc. (Black Salt, Washington DC): Medium expressive nose displaying concentrated dense yellow fruit with a hint of red, lemon curd, baked apple, sour apple, a hint of cherry soda, honey, crème brulee, smoke, brioche, pine needle and limestone. Excellent concentration, slightly coiled super concentrated yellow fruit, rich and deeply toned, fine generous mousse, bright acidity, strong limestone mineral, and a long dense yellow fruit driven finish with a hint of smoke at the end. This is not as expressive as the 08 DP. Surprisingly, the 12 seems more elegant tonight.
No poker night (Jason and Mariellen's house): Not nearly as expressive as a bottle we had a year ago, or a 2005 Cristal we had 2 nights ago. A bit shy with really tangy acid. It certainly opened up with time but this bottle drank very young.
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P: Matches nose completely. I love the restrained elegance with power. Amazing ripe white and yellow fruits but great acidity to keep the fruits balanced and from being too much (not that too much fruit would've been a bad thing). Savory minerals with some brightness like limestone. Nothing sticks out here and works so well together.
Time in glass helped this tremendously. At first I was thinking this is not as fruit forward like the '13 Cristal but with time in the glass, I realized there was a lot of fruit, just a different type of fruit profile compared to the '13. Amazing elegance but with intensity as well, so damn nice. Another thing to note is that for both the '08 and the '13 that I've had was with a Bordeaux glass, not a flute. My first glass of this was with a flute but it seemed very restricted; changing out of the flute made a huge difference.
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Sorry, Not Sorry! No Poker on Poker Night! (Jason's House): A great Champagne! I liked this much better than the 2005 we had, but it is a matter of preference. I found this Champagne Champagne just had a little more of everything, i.e., more fruit, more acidity, more minerality and more mousse, with a more silky and creamy mouthfeel than the 2005, although the 2005 was still drinking remarkably well. To me, this showed the pedigree of the vintage. I do agree with another taster that it was slightly behind previous bottles, but still absolutely stunning. 2008 Cristal is my benchmark Champagne, and this was not quite up to previous other bottles. I am not sure if that is due to bottle variation or if this Champagne is getting ready to shut down some (or totally). Still, for now, and this bottle, a 97 point wine for me!
I have had the chance to drink this wine on 4 or 5 occasions already. Every time I have it it just delivers in spades. The bubbles on it are still a bit powerful. Needs time to soften up a little but I am splitting hair here.
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Paulee wedding lunch at Nicolas. Nose tight but at least showing on palate. Potential not realised yet. Definitely for more ageing. Chalky limestone mineral, rounded peach, tart citrus lemon, fresh green apple. Very long finish.
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PnP'ed. Green-apples, citrus, white-flowers, baking-spice & some smoke greeted the nose... such a fresh feel - like an early morning walk thr' the park. Very elegant on the palate, but coupled with precision & tension too, with fruit/weight (apples, with a tinge of ginger) lurking underneath that veil. Such great minerality, with a wonderful long-tailed finish!
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Not your typical Cristal imo. Very light, crisp and angular. I loved this wine. Usually Cristal is so big and heavy that it can be overdone. This was instead razor sharp and clearly has years ahead. Even with its crispness, there is a ton of mature flavor - fruit, nuts and wood. Would happily drink this over and over.
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Brought by Brian. CO2 spritz on the nose, followed by tart apples, grapefruits, and minerals. Lovely balanced palate with tart apples, grapefruit flesh and pith, minerals, herbs. Excellent acids with great concentration and depth. This is still young and has so much more to show but drinking really well now, which I'm a bit surprised at to be honest. 93+
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blind Nailed it, the most elegant champagne together with Comtes des Champagne from this vintage. From the beginning very balanced and approachable. Still lemon dominated but a touch of nougat is coming through. 96
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Albeit young, 2008 Cristal is drinking even better than 08 Krug at this point in time, even if the latter may eventually be the wine I prefer. Drank solo over the course of 3 hours in a Burgundy glass, it had plenty of time to evolve and express. 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay, 08 Cristal flaunts a gorgeous bouquet of fresh white flowers, yellow orchard fruit, baking spice, vanilla beans and crushed seashells.
The palate is searingly intense with ripping citrusy acids, incredible elegance and pin point precision in its delivery before giving way to a saline and mineral infused finish that just keeps going. Again, very young, no doubt, and while already terrific, it’s easy to see what the fuss is about and how special the vintage will be down the road. But in my opinion there’s no harm in drinking now if you accept and enjoy the stage it will be in.
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NY Wine Experience 2022; 10/20/2022-10/23/2022 (Marriott Marquis): From a magnum. Good morning to you too. Orange zest, very light and fresh, kindof melts in the mouth. A lot of the conversation was about how to manage the high acidity that '08 created. For the first time Cristal opted for malolactic fermentation (about 19%) to ease that a bit. Interesting fact. Wine is good. Not the best day that I've had it, but this is a great vintage and easy to see why.
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Ordered at a restaurant as it was reasonably priced and wanted to try a bottle of this young. Incredible wine, but as many people have noted a baby. The nose was fabulous initially with lemon curd and peach blossom, hints of brioche; over time opened to show fresh buttery pastry dough with a hint of vanilla, orchard blossom, green apple and lemon peel. The mousse and mouth feel was incredible. Super refined and silky feel. However on the finish it tightens up significantly and becomes quite austere. Don’t get me wrong it is incredibly delicious but you definitely feel on the finish that there is a lot left to come from this. What a phenomenal champagne!
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I love 2008 champagne and this is no exception. Such good balance of green apple acidity and creaminess. I get some key lime pie here too. Give it a few minutes for the bubbles to dissipate and drink up. This is just so so good. This is in a good spot but will likely get better over next 5-10 years.
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Knoll Ried Schütt vertical + X (Restaurant Brunnenstube, Beinstein): Popped and poured. Right after the bone dry Lauer the Cristal seemed very fruity and rather sweet. But anyway, this is a monster in the making. Beautiful harmonious and deep nose. Palate with great pressure and tension, fine, long lasting mousseux and a wonderful creaminess, balance and harmony. Wonderful acidity. Very long! Still young with a very safe upscale potential for at least a decade. 94++
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Tasted alongside the Krug 164 which has a base of 08 Vintage and both were excellent, but different. The Cristal was pure, elegant and crisp whereas the Krug had more power, structure and a touch of purposeful oxidation. I loved them both but would give the very slight nod to the cleaner and more elegant Cristal. The group was pretty evenly djivided as to preference but both wines were appreciated by everyone.
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blind Even the bottle was open for 10 days, you still recognize it is a champagne. And a really good one. Fine, elegant, not the power of a great Burgundy but still with a fine concentration. Reminds me to Jura wine. 95 knowing how long it was open.
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This is certainly at a good spot right now. Piercing green apple acidity and lots of depth with green apple and lemon. It has an amazing creaminess and continues to develop in the glass. As it evolves it starts to taste like lemon meringue pie but with loads of acidity. Loved it!!
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It has been 18 months since I’ve last tasted the 2008 and I see little change since then. The wine is still only medium expressive and doesn’t show that layered (other 2008s are showing more) and still relies on that unbelievable elegance and softness, that luxurious structural frame only. After this third bottle I’m still not convinced that this will live up to the hype. Maybe it's just shut down hard at the moment. From 2008, I prefer Dom Perignon (last rated 96 pts) and Comtes de Champagne (95 pts) at the moment, mainly thanks to that additional crunch and verve (especially the DP, Cristal seemed soft, almost a bit flabby!) as well as a more expansive aromatic profile already shining through (both).
TN: Medium intense nose with faint autolysis aromas, citrus shining through. On the palate this is a bit expressive than the last bottle two years ago. Citrus dominated, with fine green apple, some brioche and caramel notes in the background. From the go, the structure is the winning feature here, unbelievable elegance and roundness, very harmonious, ultra-fine perlage. I didn’t found the acidity to be that pronounced, in fact it is so soft and in the background, so well integrated that I wonder if there is really enough for the decades to come. Today it is quite perfect, no doubt. With time and air the wine gets a bit more expressive on the nose and palate but overall the intensity and aromatic complexity is not on par with the best Champagnes.
Decanting: Not decanted, followed over three hours, opened up a bit (so in need of a bit of air).
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The CFO's Birthday: Opened for a few hours. Yum! Deep, generous yellow fruit with brilliant acid, great persistence, and wonderful balance. Impressively hung right in there with some big company.
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Served slightly less than chilled, nose of lemon, lime, Gala Apple, pear, peach, orange, slate, shale, smoky char, hint of caramel coated apple, and Old English Rose bouquet, same on the palate, big body, intense mouth filling fruit, rich fruit, complex, layers of flavors today, even better in hour two and three due to chilling, good acid, good tension, and good attack, long, long, long, lingering, lovely finish, photo uploaded.
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Haven’t had this in a while now. Almond, marzipan, lime, green apple and pear and even a layer of something resembling baking spice. But there is more: a fine mineral dimension, a pinch of smoke and herbal seasoning. Perfectly crisp acidity along a just slightly creamy texture. Delicate and precise with an attention to detail that is in my view still without match. However, in this social drinking context, a certain lack of intensity proved a bit more of an issue than in the past. Have scored this 97-98 in the past, but this bottle was a notch below.
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This is the first time I open one of the 2008s, and what a treat! The color i bright golden with an intense greenish glimmer. The mousse is very persistent with cascades of bubbles for a long time. The nose is still bit one dimensional, dominated by lemon, pickled oranges, some green apples, and an underlying tone of chalk. Clean, without any of the oxidized and yeasty tones one often finds in great champagnes. The mouthfeel is silky at first, lots of lemon and lemon curd, then a biting acidity kicks in at the end of the mouth. The finish and aftertaste just explodes into lemon, lemon curd, chalk and green apples, all packed into a frame of small and caressing bubbles. The aftertaste lasts for more than a minute and evolves into a chalky tone combined with some sweet vanilla tones. Again I have to repeat myself saying that this is not just a great champagne, it is a great white wine. Drunk together with Charles Heidsick's Blanc des Millenaires 2006, and the Cristal was just in another league. Still probably too young. Keep for five more years and then enjoy for the next two decades (?).
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A legend in its youth with an impossibly bright future. Rich and deep and already complex but also laser-focused. Everything I could ever want in a Champagne.
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The sparkler just continues to improve from the previous two tastings over the last 4 years. I don't know if I would say it's my favorite champagne but it's been better than all the others had to head. So I guess it must be. It just hits on all cylinders with lemon and citrus fruit, acidity, chalk, velvety texture and all around enjoyment.
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PnP a small glass then recork for an hour in the fridge. So tight at first but really benefits from the air. Nose is full and bright with lemon and orange zest and toast points. Creamy and delicious with lemon curd and bright acidity. This is such a classy drink and in a good place, but with tons of upside.
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Tasting w/ The Gang @ Counselor Seiber's Pad (Orange County, CA): Brief notes here as there were too many targets on the table and I just can't do it all to the degree I would like. This seemed to have the bright acidity and powerful density of the 2008, with the wet rock tactile impression.
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If I had to pick three words: dense, pure, young. Expanding on the synopsis, there’s a chalky kaleidoscope of citrus, with lemon, lime and orange, plus a little plum. It improves from glass to glass, and while gorgeous now, it is embryonic in development and begs for more repose in the cellar.
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Drank with family over 2 dozen oysters at Raw Bar 8 in Sheung Wan. My first of 18 bottles bought on release and it was a nice occasion to try one even though realising it might be infanticide...it wasn't quite!
Served in medium-sized white wine glasses. Very light silver gold colour. Moderate mousse but millions of the tiniest ever bubbles in endless streams. Nose is beautifully tensioned ozone, grated lemon rind, grated lemon grass and that sensation of static electricity in the air on a summer thunderstorm night. Palate is gorgeously alive and a super mouthfeel that is bursting with 'frizzante', chalky and very elegant and understated. Wow…. this just explodes inside the head! Absolutely stunning. An easy 96 but can only improve with a lot more age....I will try to limit myself to one bottle a year to chart its progress and to maximise the anticipation. Truly memorable.
Opened at Otto e Mezzo in Hong Kong. Enjoyed over dinner with a friend.
I had high expectations for this champagne, especially given my fondness for Cristal and the vintage, but this somewhat fell short. That being said, it was still a great Champagne (and I have scored it to reflect the experience), but it simply didn't have the Cristal purity that I have come to love.
Looking forward to trying again, bottle variation is always a thing...
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The 2008 Cristal is without a doubt one of the finest wines Louis Roederer has ever produced. Light and elegant on the nose with a massive flavour expansion that lingers on the palate. Tight wound and energetic array of fresh pear fruits and citrus. Brilliant vibrancy and a touch of sweetness from the dosage balancing out the razor focused acidity. Delicious. Drink now to 2036. (93/100)
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Drank this side by side with the 2008 Dom Perignon, which was an incredible privilege.
The Dom Perignon was grand, but the Cristal was perfect. Very likely the best champagne that I've ever had.
On the nose clear notes of smoke, yeast and wet stone, alongside apple and citrus fruit. Chardonnay is very recognisable here, giving off blanc de blancs vibes. Incredibly structured, powerful yet clean, supple and perfectly balanced on the palate. Extremely long finish. What a treat this was.
Had this in 2019 the last time. Fantastic Champagne with a beautiful fresh acidity and an amazing fruit structure. Incredible complexity. It was showing better than 3 years ago but it still feels very young, give it a few more years and drink from 2025-2035. (IG)
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It’s rich, firm, intense and powerful. Citrus, ginger, chalk. The acid is striking at first. Needs time in the glass, with some coaxing, to reveal itself. Apple, lemon, baking spice, limestone. It’s so vibrant and youthful. A small sample the following day was just as fresh, with a much more open and accessible palate. Delicious.
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Vibrant, intense, closed, citrus notes galore. This is very much a 2008 in terms of concentration - but tonight no tell-tale signs of Cristal, no roundness or sweetness, no nightclub feeeling - quite closed and much too young. #Sonne
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Ridiculous dimensionality to this wine with rich and deep palate, fresh fresh, and enormous power while feeling weightless. Strikingly fresh fruit and striking acid make this a huge winner built to last.
Another btl, another fantastic drinking experience. Just so open, expressive, approachable on pop & pour. Delicious and never seems to fail. Sure it'll age, but man is it great right now.
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We have enjoyed a number of bottles of this in recent years, but this is admittedly the first time since January 2019 that I am doing another proper tasting. Naturally, it has evolved somewhat since my last evaluation but this vintage remains remarkably youthful and fresh (not to mention darn delicious!) Its cellaring potential should not be underestimated; this still has a glorious, long life ahead of it (perhaps well beyond anything that anyone is currently predicting).
APPEARANCE: Color & intensity: medium gold
NOSE: Intensity: medium (+) Aromas: yellow apple, toasted almond, brioche, smoke, mirabelle plum, lemon, crushed chalk, hint of baking spices Development: developing
PALATE: Sweetness: dry Acidity: medium (+) Alcohol: medium Body: medium (+) Mousse: delicate Intensity: pronounced Flavors: lemon, brioche, yellow apple, mirabelle plum, crushed chalk, lemon zest, bread dough, hints of salt and honey Finish: long
CONCLUSIONS: Quality level: outstanding Potential for ageing: can drink now, but has excellent potential for further ageing
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Beautifully balanced nose displaying perfectly ripe yellow fruit, lemon curd, fresh lemon, baked apple, honey, light caramel, sweet spices and limestone. Perfectly balanced palate, layers upon layers of perfectly ripe yellow fruit, rich yet very precise and beautifully detailed, very fine generous mousse, bright acidity, strong mineral, and a long ripe yellow fruit driven finish with mineral and brioche at the end. Another beautiful showing but no need to hurry.
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This needed about 2 hours in the glass to open up. Already very good balance and a long finish. This still needs another 3 plus years to open up. Reminded me of the 02 Cristal and 02 Krug. Missing the massive energy that the 08 Krug has and will drink well for at least a couple of decades. Revisit 2025
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This has not produced like the first bottle. My last 2 have not been as good, or maybe I am expecting it it to eveolve more and it is just so damn young. Very singular, beautiful citrus, crish apple on the palate and well balanced. No real secondary notes of nuts, yeast, etc that I usually get with Cristal after 12-14 years since vintage. Now 2008 is not like other vintages. I will hide these away, because it was still really good, but I will try not to touch another one for 4-5 years .
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White flower, white fruits like pears, orange, good acidity. Open and drink, already pronounced flavor intensity. Great potential for aging. This bottle is not as crispy as other 08.
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No doubt this is a high quality wine in a great vintage. The sharpness and freshness of 08 really shows here and the wine appears very young and vivid.
Green apples, peach, lemon cest and salty notes along with hints of green herbs. Really a beautiful wine but s as t it’s young stage with only very small hints of honey, burned caramel, yellow apples and butter which I am sure it will build on over the next 10-15 years
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Like last month, this bottle was fantastic. Intense and approachable. Very happy how this vintage is progressing, as my initial bottles three to four years ago were good but not great. That has changed.
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Tasted blind before a wine lunch. Everyone at the table thought that this one was quite vibrant and was more reductive than oxidative but overall still had the rounded character of your typical big house champagne producer. Only one person of 8 thought that this was more of a balance between oxidative and reductive. The palate was more apples and a touch to the acidic and tart yellow fruit side of things. Hint of roasted nut and herbal touch. The wine was quite vibrant. I guessed that it was more "Eme Krug-ish" in style yet everyone agreed that it was a younger champagne (or more current release) from a big champagne house. I have one of these in the collection at the moment and really think that this actually needs more time to figure itself out. Not so sure I would rate this 95 or higher based upon my experience today.
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blind Late in the evening yet not in best form I couldn't detect it. Elegant and reluctant, less biscuity notes than usually. Balanced and today better than DP 2008. Still in his primary notes stage. Good acidity structue. I had it better and more expressive. 95
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Very fine bead. Ginger and lime on the nose and palate with biscuit notes framing the fruit nicely. More kaleidoscopic than the '08 Dom Perignon. Very classy wine that shows its bones well.
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I don’t have a lot of experience with champagne but this is about as close to perfection that I’m going to try. Just perfect line and length, seamless complexity, brilliantly balanced, long flavours, not a hair out of place. A wine that grabs your attention and makes you take note. Green apple, lemon, freshly cooked bread, white flowers, a hint of peach. Still so young - that acid so vibrant and minerally. A privilege to drink.
NYE dinner - short note. Nose is very floral, lovely perfume, with minerals, white flowers, bread, hints of white stone fruits, lovely citrus, clean minerals and already some nuttiness. Palate with ripe citrus, waxy apples, honey, white stone fruits, strong chalky minerals and fine cutting and lifting acidity. Excellent depth, mousse, balance and length. Young but ooh so good. Actually - wow! This will be one for the history books, and Im looking forward to follow this wine for the years to come. (96 - 97++)
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Another great experience with this wine. It is the real deal. Nice yeasty nose that reminds me of my sourdough starter, great acidity, lemon and lime notes throughout, green apple, white florals and a saline character that coupled with the acidity make it so mouthwatering. A truly wonderful wine with decades of great drinking ahead of it.
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Simply perfect champagne, nothing else to say. Am fortunate to have quite some bottles in my cellar, but will consider buying more. Wil only improve in years to come. In +10 years, will be out of this world champagne.
Electrifying. A complete champagne but still primary. Hit with a wave of apple on pouring. Tense and charged. Brioche and hazelnuts. Soft and slightly creamy mousse. Slight loss for words. Everything present in spades, but all in balance. Wonderful now, spectacular in future.
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Drunk accompanying a dinner for two. From memory. Impressive depth and complexity of flavors, while at the same time easy and very enjoyable to drink. The mineral and deep midpalate evolves nicely to a very long and lemony finish.
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It's been quite a few years since I've had a Cristal. This was very young and restrained from what it will certainly become but it was simply too hard to put down, even now. Floral citrus fruits, touch of straw and cream. Excellent balance. Long finish.
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Guys Night Out - Holiday Edition!: Love this Champagne and it remains my benchmark Champagne! Nothing I can say that has not already been said! The creaminess, the brioche, the minerality, the citrus, pear and green apple....yummy! Darnit! I forgot to "chew"! 98 points yet again!
A Guys Night to Remember (Jason's house): Amazingly floral nose. The palate is so bright, with a creamy mouthfeel and acidic zing on the finish. The finish is persistent. Orange and lemon. The lemon is gorgeous.
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Guys Night Out: One to Remember - Heavy Hitters (Jason P's, St. Paul, MN): Light gold color. Drank a glass plus over an hour. Tonight's bottle was amazingly floral on the nose, incredibly bright and bouyant, and the red berry fruit was shining through like I've never seen before. There was this aroma of the most alluring strawberry pastries I could imagine capped by a blissful creme Chantilly; along with peach, stone fruit and that subtle tropical note too all layered into the much more subtle mineral notes tonight. The palate shows the stony minerality much more so, yeasty, crisp and energetic, great clarity and elegance, crisp cut apple, Meyer lemon, quince spice and stone fruits. Very long, very exciting, and featherweight on the lifted palate. Fantastic and a little different from the last bottle. Can't wait to see where these go with time. 97(+)pts.
Second encounter with this vintage of Cristal... Pale yellow in colour and nose showed plenty of interest, like a V8 engine purring away on ignition. The wine remains dense and hugely concentrated and absolutely exploding with energy on the mid-palate with serious persistence and a wow finish. Probably needs 20 years + but still an absolutely divine treat to enjoy now.
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"Good bottles" (67 Pall Mall): At present this wine is brooding, keeping much of itself in reserve, but you can't miss the understated quality as you drink it, like the satisfying clunk of the door of a Mercedes. Nearly two years since I last tried it, much of the screaming energy of youth has receded, but the perfect, crystalline nature remains. To my taste this was more enjoyable still once it had warmed up slightly, bringing out a subtle creaminess to accompany the fruit. Already looking forward to the next bottle!
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Golden hue. Faint nose and not the most expressive palate. Traces of oysters and minerals faded to nothing really with just a slight increase in temperature. Not very complex at this stage. Hold.
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This was really fine, taut, very precise, high acid, and intense. Not for the faint of heart. Is this the most serious Cristal out there? It is not a crowd-pleaser or for the novice IMHO. Very excellent, but still so closed, so full of tension (which I like), but needs to evolve more and gain some weight and complexity. Do not open for another 4-5 years! W/M&D my house before dinner.
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The balance here between all the crushed rocks, stones, ripe citrus, green apples, lemon peel, flowers, honey, brioche, and racy acidity is just perfect. The bubbles are elegant, long, and fresh, giving you the perfect level of effervescence and fruit. I have tasted this at least 6 times, and with the exception of one bottle, they have all been extraordinary. I do think the initial bottle I tasted, which I posted a note on previously might have been opened too soon after shipping because subsequent bottles have all been better.
Clean, fresh, precise. Fairly open and generous, but stayed in the white/yellow fruit, citrus, flowers, fresh honey, vanilla, almond side of the spectrum. Fairly intense both on the nose and palate, but not too sharp. Not overly complex, but not too simple either.
Enjoyable now and of very high quality. Served next to Leclapart l’Apotre 2008 to show the difference between Grande Margue and grower champagne at the highest level, which worked well.
This was the 3*** French restaurant next to the new Nordic Noma of the Leclapart. Correct, precise and excellent, but maybe a little boring? I preferred the Cristal, but many guests were more impressed by the Leclapart.
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Som forventet syk intensitet, men overraskende åpen når drukket fra Zalto Bordeaux. Hvit frukt, brioche, toast, svakt hint av smør, boblene leker i munnen med en fantastisk eleganse og mineralitet. Selv om dette er helt fantastisk å drikke nå aner du samtidig hva som er i gjære – bortimot perfeksjon på gang om 10-20 år her.
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Cristal 2008 Så uendelig vakker som alltid. Lekenhet og eleganse på øverste nivå. Sublim munnfølelse. Starter rolig før den eksploderer i munnhulen. Rå konsentrasjon, særdeles fresh med en fantastisk energi. Har et langt og lykkelig liv foran seg. Intens drøyt lang finish med en mineralitet som bretter seg rundt hele munnhulen. 96p
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Upon first taste, I said “wow,” and my wife finished the thought with “that’s amazing.” Caveat: I like champs too cold and without aerating; this really delivered under those conditions.
Lemon and slate, with a touch of green apple on the nose. Long, long, long and appropriate & ample acidity. Great now and likely stunning in time. Brings a smile.
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Chateau Grillet Tasting + after.... (De Gustibus + Hutong): Served way too cold which made the wine pretty basic. Maybe at the very end of the night it was starting to warm up but given my previous experience with this wine where it was just straight up singing this was not that at all.
My final bottle of the 2008. Opened to share with some guests last night, and of note this 2008 followed a mag of the 2009 that we had finished an hour or so prior. While in my note about the 2009 I commented I was disappointed, I do also want to call out that the 2008 was far superior last night, with the tension, chalk and acidity that makes the 2008 drink well. I do like Cristal but have reached the point now that I would rather drink Vilmart Coeur de Cuvee that is both cheaper and to me of the same quality and expression as the best Cristal. I know that my opinion here may be in the minority, but I do believe this to be true.
Bright nose with lemon notes and lots of minerals. Really lovely and nuanced but also a bit restrained at the moment. High acidity on the palate with fine mousse and more lemon and citrus notes. Long finish. The wine is bright and fresh and drinking quite well, but clearly not showing everything at the moment. 96-97++
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I’m not the Champagne cognoscenti, but this really hits the mark for me and is one of the best champagnes I’ve tasted….great complexity and the peacock’s tail finish. Delicious every time
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To celebrate the Dees' premiership. Intense chalk, mineral and slate. Deep and powerful yet weightless with great length and bracing acidity. Definitely should hold for longer, however needed to celebrate in style and this was called upon.
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Felt like the bubbles dominated everything at the start - very lively, with minerals, lemon integrated within the bubbles. Acidity slowly comes out on the back of the palate and into the finish, and the rest of the notes slowly come out. Very precise, which allowed it to pair beautifully with multiple courses. Quite elegant, but still clearly too potent.
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Drank for Megan’s birthday All the elements are there; fruit, acidity, length and chalky notes. Given a little time and was gradually more expressive. Needs time to integrate and develop but will be superb in 10-15 years. The viscosity for a champagne was incredible.
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Euming's 40th Birthday (Kingyo, Telok Ayer): Clearly quality, but way too young. The nose was a rather more advanced then on the last bottle, with a more savoury character to it - earth and toast and yeast hints - before a more typical lift of lemons and green apple set in, all this laced with a lovely lining of stony mineral. With time, a little whiff of florals came in as well. Pretty nice. The palate was still really youthful though, almost painfully so. No yeast here, just with juicy lemons and fresh apples at the fore - quite dominating the palate - along with a really refined structure of lacy mousse of fine-boned lime and lemon acidity. There was power and quiet intensity, but such was the elegance on this that it carried its weight effortlessly. Lovely finish too, with a beautiful long tail of mineral and acid puckering the back palate. A really refined mouthful, but this really needs plenty of time yet - give it a decade or two, and it will be a Cristal for the ages. The last bottle I had was decanted for an hour or so, which opened it up far more nicely - we should have done so with this one as well.
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Drank after a lot of alcohol and this still showed its pedigree, which is a sign of a very good champagne imo. Elegant mousse, concentration, golden fruits, beautiful acidity. Looking forward to my next time drinking this.
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It’s starting to inch along the maturity curve but still a few years at least from prime time. Even now though, there was more layers of flavor than the other ‘08s in the mini-vertical. Not as soft or peachy as young Cristal in the past, there’s more concentration, acidity and bitter apricot. Exuberant and foamy with a nice couronne in the glass. Lovely.
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Friday Night Brown Bagger (R&D's): Served double blind to the group. Light color. Opens with a terrific toasty top note, with orchard fruit underneath. Adds citrus, ginger, peach, honeycomb and pear qualities as sits. Extremely fine bead. Flavors of baked apple, pear, ginger, toasted biscuit and mineral.
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Crisp, balanced, bright, with the amazing tiny Cristal bubble package that look like tiny beads from a gold geyser. I like this Champagne and I think that Cristal earned its snobby price in 2008, but nothing really jumped out at me, convincing me that this was any better than a good year from Cristal. Worth holding....
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Nothing like starting a few days ahead of 40th and opening this wonderful bottle! Citrus and peach flowed first but minerals and creaminess follow. Bubbles were heavy on the pour and so drinkable.
Yes - caviar to balance it but by itself its great!
This is a complex, delightful bottle - only wish there were more in the cellar!
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Pale yellow with a powerful nose of white and yellow citrus. Yellow citrus, red apple skin, and brioche on the palate with an incredibly refined mousse. Quite drinkable now, but clearly room for improvement with age. Excellent today, but should be a classic in a decade or more.
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I love this wine, and experience is consistent with other tastings...BUT, I want to add a note here that others may, or may not, know: I was drinking this with a friend who told me he attended an Champagne tasting of older Champagnes, and was told by the host that all tasters should "chew" the Champagne to break up the bubbles and release more flavors.....I thought it sounded like rubbish, but I tried it anyway....OMG! It was different! "Chewing" on this Champagne led to a whole new flavor profile, i.e., seemed to release more acidity and more citrus flavors, especially lemon and grapefruit. The acidity in the wine increased to the point where I can see why many say this wine is still too young.
My usual way of drinking Champagne is more like eating oysters, i.e., I let is slide down my tongue, to my throat, then swallow the Champagne so it is about flavor AND texture....of course, the flavor profile is different, i.e., no grapefruit, less acidity, less lemon, and a fine mousse that is missing from the "chewing method. I am going to need to try this technique on all my Champagnes! Also, I can see where the "chewing" technique may benefit an older Champagne if it releases more acidity and presumably more fruit/citrus flavors. Still a 98, but excited at the prospect that this may further improve down the road! I guess I better slow down my consumption!
Andrew's Birthday 2021: Pop and pour and follow over an hour. Strong yeasty notes immediately upon pouring. Mellows over time to reveal warm brioche and citrus zest. Expressive palate, lemon curd and bright acidity. This bottle was stunning and among the best bubbles I've ever had.
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Gift from Arnie, popped for 18th anniversary. I’m reluctant to share that this was paired with pretzel bites from Red Robin (inside joke with K) and takeout Chinese. Surprisingly worked well with both. What to say? I’m not a big fan of bubbles but have had my fair share of both horrible and brilliant. This tops them all. Freaking amazing.
1889 Enoteca for a family birthday. This wine is as good as Champagne gets with a pale colour, fine bead and a ever evolving nose of delicious apples, white peaches, wild strawberries and lemonade fruit with touches of nougat and brioche. The palate reflects the fruit but is distinguished by great authority with lovely texture and depth that sets this Champagne apart. There is bracing acidity and minerality but it is completely balanced by the intense line of fruit characters. The final puddle at the bottom of the last glass just lifted things further suggesting age should add even more to the story !
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Let it age! A delicious and very energetic Cristal, which seems to be made to travel through time. Very focused, refined bubbles, lots of tension and freshness, high acidity, very long on the palate, while clearly too young. It gives you a clue on how good it may be when it has reached its plateau, but this will require a great amount of patience (10 years+). The 2002 which is a superb cristal in its sweet spot will probably be outperformed by the 2008 once mature.
Champagne & Sparklers (Calistoga): Fresh and crisp the way only a young Cristal can be, the 2008 spits out lemon pith, yellow citrus, and bitter chalk notes with determination and some grit. There is an angularity that is currently present here; air is your buddy, but time in-bottle will be an even better friend. Measured up to some of the other Champagnes at the table, the Cristal was one of the most spun-up and taut. Of course, compared to its schizophrenic acid-monger little brother the 2013 Cristal, this 2008 was a walk in the park.
Ultimately, this was zippy and spunky, but it lacks some finesse on the back end and finishes with some abrupt sourness. Sit on these for another decade and hope to be rewarded. 92-94+ points now, with an optimum drinking window around 2030.
Dinner with Charles M - Champagnes and Burgundies (Blacksalt, Washington DC): Incredibly energetic and precise nose displaying concentrated yet delicate yellow fruit with a hint of white, lemon curd, fresh lemon, apple, smoke, light honey, honeysuckle and crushed rocks. Beautifully integrated refined palate, finely layered sweet yellow fruit, perfectly precise, balanced and detailed, incredibly fine mousse, bright acidity, strong mineral and a seamless long pure yellow and white fruit driven finish with honey and limestone at the end. There is so much energy and tension. Despite being very youthful, this is drinking incredibly well. The 08 Cristal is more refined and detailed than the 08 Dom, like Chevalier vs Batard.
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Very young and not at all complex as notes would leave one to believe. I bet it will be a fine Cristal in time, that time is most certainly not now. Primary and honestly four square in character.
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Always fun to pair vintage Champagne with A5 Wagyu Strip Steak, especially when the Champagne is as good as this one. Tiny bubbles, clean lines, very pure and silky smooth. The acid cuts right through the buttery texture of the A5. I prefer the '08 vintage of Cristal to the '09, but I still love them both.
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Cristal and Fontodi Flaccianello plus Riverain and Schrader (served blind) (Foretti's in Corona Del Mar): Served alongside the 2009, both blind. We had the 2006 and 2002 late release also in the flight but neither of those can compete with the 2008 and 2009 in my opinion. The 2008 has a pounded rock aroma, with white flowers, tropical fruit and some toast. The core of the wine for me showed slate, golden apple and the sexy richness that for me is the 2008's profile. While this does have some of the citrusy/rocky tones that make the 2009 outstanding, the 2008 just seems to convey a citrusy, gorgeous power that should make for a long timeline of enjoyment. I still preferred the 2009 for the sheer pleasure it imparts now, but the 2008 is not far behind.
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2008 top champagnes - horisontal wine tasting dinner (Rest PG (kg arr)): The third time I taste Cristal 08, but never in direct competition with 8 other 2008 top champagnes. How did it go? Not bad. For me it was no 2 of the evening, but it needs time in the glass. Not at all close to its top. It is youthful, but nevertheless I rate it 95 at it's stage right now. Extremely impressive. Note, it really needs time in the glass to open. Extremely delicate aromas. still dominated by green apple and a little tertiary nutty note. The acidity is extremely high, the highest in the tasting of the 9 2008's. The mousse is delicious delicate. I look so much forward to following my other btls. It might end close to 100/100.
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Showing more than I expected with excellent richness of lemony fruit combined with perfect acidity and great elegance. Finishes complex already with excellent mineral intensity but this remains a puppy and is worth hiding in the cellar for a decade or more. 94+
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not released yet, the new Premier Cru A very good NV champagne for a big house. Not too sweet easy accessible. 91
BdB 2013 A treasure, I think the best value you can get ad Roederer. So elegant and The Chardonnay shines fine and reluctant. 94
Cristal 2008 Too young but it shows its elegance. In blind tasting would lose against DP in the most cases. Similar to Comtes de Champagne in the beginning stages. 96
Cristal Rose 2009 A beauty, not detectable as a Rose, it is like silk and velvet. 97
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Open 1hr. Pale lemon yellow in the glass. Small but very busy tiny bead. Bread dough nose with a hint of lemon and a suggestion of the thing I always dread - wet newspaper, which fortunately blew off after a while. This just needs a bit of air after ten years in bottle. On the palate the wine starts out tense and vinous with sharp acidity which changes from harsh lemon to crisp green apple as the wine opens up. There is a saline quality here that I like very much and the steely focused precision and minerality of the wine gives the impression of drinking liquid diamonds.
I'm normally a 'blanc de blancs from tank' kinda guy and I approach anything pinot heavy or that's seen any oak (which this has) with caution, but this actually ticks all my reductive boxes. ie. no wet wool, no oxidative notes - instead crisp, clear and round and refreshing. Quite obviously needs more time so I'm considering putting away a few bottles at the back of the cellar. I imagine this would be something special from magnum in 8 - 10yrs time.
On the evidence of this bottle at least, the Cristal '08 is some years from its peak. The wine kept developing over the evening and the last glass was the best. If you are thinking of opening a bottle, do so an hour in advance or better still, pour out a glass and put it back in the fridge for an hour before trying. This needs air time.
Cristal 2008 Krystallklar, intens, ren og elegant med fantastisk løft. Dette er gudenes nektar for meg. Perfekt mousse, skyhøy lettbeint konsentrasjon med et lekent syrespill. Er så vakkert! Fryktelig ung, men umulig å ikke la seg begeistre. Uendelig lang finish. 96P+
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This bottle was great right on opening, when the richness and the acid were working great together. Lots of lemony citrus. As it aired out further and warmed up, I noticed the green apple note really come through and also the wine lost some of the richness and replaced it with structure. Like most Cristal, it never seems to get more than 30 mins before the bottle is drained. One of these times I have to force intention to save a glass for the following day. I still think the 2009 is superior to the 2008 but what the hell do I know.
Light gold color. Split bottle over 2 hours. Brought this to Spoon & Stable for my bday. I've been pretty reluctant to open any ony of these, but figured what the hell, it's a big occasion so we'll see how it's drinking now. Past bottles I've experienced have been very good, but not mind blowing in their relative youthfulness, but showing great promise. Tonight's bottle clearly demonstrated that promise, and it didn't hurt to be able really examine it over a longer time frame. There's literally a tornado of wispy ultra fine bubbles that never slows down - it's really quite mesmerizing to watch. I'm struck by the purity and brightness right off the bat. Incredible fresh sea air/breeze nose, with bright green apples, followed by a burst of green melon, Meyer lemon, honey, chalk, with almond and hints of nutmeg. The nose is blissful and lifted with the palate providing that same divine level of lift and elegance. Starting with the lacy featherweight mouthfeel and green orchard fruits with the pear and green apple out front, bright, lively, and crystalline, this dances across the senses. There's a really tangy green apple sweet tart sense that morphs into lychee and Meyer lemon. Wow, this is so pure and driven, and lest I neglect; this is like a mineral snow storm of ultra fine chalk and stone that balances the fruits perfectly. Almond cream, lemon, honey and a delicate panna cotta texture adds to the mandarin orange creme brulee finish. Wow, this was spot on. Despite all that, I think this has so much further to go. 97(+)pts.
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BYO - Erik: Extremely young wine that must be kept for a lot longer. There is plenty of flavors to enjoy but it is evident in the flavors that there are so much things that will develop over time. It is just packed with youthful acidity and a dense core of crushed rocks. Great wine! 95-96p
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Lovely bubbly and very much like champagne - sure it is really good, no off tastes, well balanced and long aftertaste but ultimately it strengthens me in the notion that not everyone goes bananas over bubbles of this caliber...
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For some reason I’ve never had Cristal until this year. And I’ve had the absolute pleasure of having the 08 three times since. I love Champagne and I really, really love this bottling. Such verve! Lemon, chalk, white flowers, vanilla, and orange/nectarine on the palate. The nose is all flowers, citrus, vanilla. It’s like a lemon cake with bubbles. Electric on the palate. Getting a few more bottles to see where this goes with age. Probably my fav sparkler!
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Coincidental that a few days after trying the 2012, getting to try the 2008 again. This is firing on all cylinders. Peach, green apple, Bright lively acidity, dancing on the palate, and again laser focused. Great bottle.
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This continues to be my benchmark Champagne! It has tiny bubbles that lend to an exquisite appearance and mousse like texture. The nose shows plenty of toasted brioche notes, some yeast, some stone and some grass bones accompanied by citrus note, as well as stone fruit and a faint note of honey or wildflower. The palate is just as enticing with notes of toast, limestone, green apple, pear, melon and a hint of Meyers lemon. The finish is long and impressive, and coerces you into another sip. A great wine and worthy of its hefty price. Still the best Champagne I have ever tasted. 98, no problem.
PnP'ed. Compared to previous (4) bottles that I've tasted, this one seemed to have lost a bit of the punch (intensity) & exuberance (electricity) that I've come to like so much about the '08 Cristal. Perhaps it was also partly due to the setting/food combi? where the previous times were had with fine Chinese cuisine, but this was with robust Western cafe-cuisine... That said, this was still a fine drop - almost feminine/soft - bits of apples & brioche with a fine mineral/chalky streak/backbone. Harmonious, but would definitely had preferred it with more "presence"...
bright light yellow with a hint of gold, soaring floral and cream nose with a sharp red berry note over a soft bed of bread notes, on the palate lush and sweet grapefruit on a grander scale than usual, citrus notes, a certain saline quality as well, long lime-tinted finish with pronounced bright acids, as with many 2008s the last couple of years have allowed just enough time for this to begin to come together, still primary and unusually large in scale- but losing none of the haunting finesse that is the hallmark of a great Cristal, approachable despite the dominant presence of its stern finish- but I remain of the mind that this will take a very long time to reach its glorious peak.
(*****), 2035++
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HQ champagne dinner at home (Home): So far I have not been a fan of 2008 - much too young. However, now things are changing. Extremely delicate and feminine. Overripe apple and bread dough. Shows beginning tertiary notes like hazelnut, and toffee. Long finish and very good balance. Despite the youth: Outstanding based on performance right now. Look forward to following the development. Extremely high expectation. It was directly compared to Comtes de Champagne 2004, which was more rustic and not at the same quality (rated 93)
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Lys gul, gullaktig. Sitrus, røde epler, gjærbakst og svakt nøttete. Høy syre, utrolig sitron frukt, balanse ut av en annen verden, nydelig konsentrasjon med litt østersmineralitet. Fantastisk mousse. Pirrer og sitter ut i evigheten. Blir gøy å følge med tiden.
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Very nice champagne - prominent acidity, nice and fresh fruit and lots of brioche and nuts. Needs some time in the glass and it should not be too cold - otherwise it is too harsh and lacks the lovely yeasty notes.
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This was in a great place for my tastes. Honey, orange, blossom on the nose. On the palate, very pure and elegant yet very rich at the same time. Long and tangy. Opens up to a more floral nose with a deep rich coconut note too. So good.
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Tons of energy right out the gate. Opulent aromas, intense acidity, and tremendous density. Not as generous as it was on release, but it was still very pleasurable. It opened up more with about an hour of air, but by then, most of it was gone!
Gonna try the next bottle in a few years, at minimum.
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This bottle was not flawed but not right. After 2 minutes in glass it was flat, very little mousse. It was a bit sweet, my first bottle was nails, so evolving, but think in a dumb phase or juts a weird bottle. The first bottle was amazing, so I know what this can bring. This did not deliver
Second try on this Cristal 08, Previusly a bit more open (in 2019) and less dense, is it closing down a bit ? might be so, I would stock this in the cellar behind a wall of Delamotte 2008 and drink those first .. . it's a wine with a huge amount of acidity, it's does not "destroy" the pleasure, but clearly need food, not a nightclub Cristal, like the 2004 or 2006 - I can see why Roederer did ajust the dossage over the years, now 7,5 gr in 08 and 7 gr in 2012, it's really dress the wine well, before hand it' was up too 10/12 gr per liter - that combinned with more and more mature fruit and warmer vintages was not a good mix ! This Cristal 08 is pure very dense, a intense Champagne with fresh Italien lemon's with a hint of bergamotte, and green orange peels. This has a sparkling minerality, this is an enormous wheigty Champagne, but not Selosse heavy (Sometimes Selosse is like fat boy trying to jump .. . and Cola without bubbles .. . ) LOVE the bubbles here, small and dense, retasted 24 hours later, and it's had not moved at all !! drink the 2007/2009 (both 93/100) now and stock this for the future .. . Sofar best 2008's Chetillons Pierre Peters, Bollinger GA, Winston, Delamotte Bl des Bls. Dom Perignon (Not tasted yet is Comtes des Champagne & Egly Ouriet 2008) Drink 2028-2040
Eh for $225/$250 there are better options at this stage in its development for my palate. Today this is drinking too linear however has great structure to outperform it’s peers in 5 years. For me this is a hold until 2025.
One year to the day since my last bottle. Still quite lean and taught. Mouth watering on the back palate with citrus, seashell, chalk, etc. a characteristic unique to Cristal. The acuteness is outstanding. Laser beam. Will revisit again in a year.
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Celebrating the new year with this champagne. This champagne is perfect. Will try my hardest to keep my hands off other bottles. This is 7th time tasting each tasting is Vetter than the last!
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I intended to cellar this bottle for several more years but the circumstances called for this bottle on this day!
Drank at 2:00PM on New Year's Eve with my wife after closing on our new house, which was originally scheduled to close on 8/17/20 then moved to 10/31/20 and ultimately delayed until 12/31/20 mostly due to reasons directly and/or indirectly connected to COVID-19. When it was all said and done, I couldn't have asked for a better day to close or have my first experience with a bottle of Cristal!
The champagne was initially served at 49 degrees and warming up to approximately 53 degrees by the end of each glass. My ideal temp for champagne is 50-55 degrees. I drank it out of a Grassl Liberte glass. The cork was popped for 20 minutes prior to serving.
The champagne was drank over 2 hours with the bottle returning to 49 degrees after each pour.
The nose was of white flowers. The initial sip was overwhelming with flavors. Once my senses calmed down a bit and I was able to zero in on some flavors, I was able to taste marzipan, lemon, toasted almond and Italian ricotta cookie. Over time, the toasted almond was prominent. The wine was light on its feet and very smooth. It had very fine bubbles and displayed elegance.There was bright acidity that was mouthwatering. The finish just went on and on and left you wanting to go back for more. I had to use great restraint to not drink this wine quicker.
IMHO, this wine is a step ahead of Dom Perignon 2008, Krug 164 (2008 base vintage) and Bollinger La Grande Annee 2008 (which I had last New Years Eve). In addition, it showed better than the La Grande Annee 2012 that I had later thar night (Wine Spectator 97 rating and #10/100 Wine of the Year in 2020).
I have never drank a Champagne like this before. It was one hell of a sensory experience. I think it has room to improve even a bit more and possibly reach that elusive 100 point mark in future years! I have one more bottle that I plan to hold at least for 5 more years. If it was priced lower, I would stock up on the 2008 Cristal. This was the best Champage I ever had and is tied for my WOTY with a 1990 Ridge Monte Bello that was enjoyed in August.
Doesn’t hold a candle to my go to of Bollinger Le Grand Annee, but is always nice on a special occasion! Was very restrained and probably will be better in 5+yrs.
I only bought 3 of these and have already opened 2 for two very special days. My 65th Bday this past summer and tonight for Nita's 65th. Christmas babies like my wife often get cheated with Christmas so close. Cristal is an amazing wine and the perfect way to add a little extra excitement to a special birthday! With Covid, there's no whisking her off to Hawaii or Europe anytime soon like I'd prefer.
This was thrilling tonight with oysters and seared tuna crisp. Occasionally DP and Comte rise to this level but for me the most consistent and sublime experience in Champagne is Cristal. Tonight's btl almost defies description because its so ethereal and complete. Certainly it has extraordinary; balance, purity of fruit, beautiful effervescence, brilliant color & constant tiny bubbles and the most elegant and yet racy mouthfeel. This really does "dance across your tongue". Drinking this reminds me of my first listen to Steel Dan's head turning Can't Buy A Thrill & Pretzel Logic albums. Steely Dan rocks but they also added a whole new level of sophistication to any music buff's play list. Cristal has that same sophistication and appeal for me. And Cristal uniquely finds a way to balance all its focused class with delicious layers of weightless citrus & stone fruit that's never over the top. 2 out of three are gone. I'm going to have hide my last and savor it a few more years out. Easier said then done but a happy problem.
A blend of Grand Cru Pinot Noir (60%) and Chardonnay (40%); 25% of the wine was aged in oak casks and 16% of the wine went through MLF. After the bottling, the wine was aged for +8 years sur lattes on the lees. 12% alcohol, 7,75 g/l residual sugar.
Pale straw yellow color. Sweet, complex and quite autolytic nose with aromas of chopped nuts and almond paste, some yeasty tones, a little bit of ripe, zesty citrus fruits, light biscuit aromas, a hint of French loaf bread and a touch of toast. The wine is quite ripe, rather dry and even somewhat chewy for a Champagne on the palate with a rather full body and intense flavors of grapefruit, autolytic brioche and yeast, some apple peel bitterness, light pithy notes of lemon, a little bit of chalky minerality, a hint of leesy creaminess and a sweet, slightly evolved touch of wizened stone fruits and lemon curd. Beautifully soft, plush and silky mousse. The bright, high acidity gives the wine good energy and sense of focus without making the wine too tightly-wound. Dry, firm and precise finish with intense and remarkably long flavors of lemony citrus notes, yeasty tones, some pithy grapefruit bitterness, a little bit of tangy salinity, light autolytic nuances of chopped nuts and French bread, a hint of toffee and a touch of tart green apple.
A beautiful, harmonious and very nuanced vintage of Cristal. There's a lot of everything, but nothing in excess. Seeing how 2008 was a somewhat cooler vintage with remarkably good weather in the late summer and over the harvest, the wine did show the sense of precision and concentration I expected, but the wine wasn't as brisk and racy as I expected - especially after the mousse had toned down a bit, the acidity felt very balanced, but perhaps even a bit lower than I expected. Nevertheless, the wine is all about harmony, nuance and still unrealized cellaring potential. The wine might be already 12 years old, but for a Cristal, that's really nothing yet. This is very rewarding already now, but most likely it won't be showing its true colors until its 25th birthday. Let it wait - this is really built for the long haul.
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blind nose wise I thought it could be Selosse or Krug but the palate was 2008. So powerful and balanced. Great ripe fruits with enough acidity. Very elegant. Phantastic. for the next 30 yaers 96+
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Quay lunch (Quay): Pale yellow. Everything about this wine is a display of balance and finesse. Energetic fine bubbles that burst delightfully in the mouth. Slight autolysis notes, green apple and lemon curd flavours, chalky and mineral, fine persistent acid spine, length for days, the thing that stands out is how none of the notes overpowers another - it's just seamless and harmonious.
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A year+ after the last bottle, it was time to check-in again on this much-lauded wine and vintage. It has not moved much in the past 12 months. The highlight still is the unbelievably soft yet fresh structure with the finest bubbles out there. While it is already very harmonious, it is only slightly more open than it was a year ago and is clearly still not fully ready. While you can sense that there is more, it is not yet the complex wine it will develop into. For immediaty consumption, I find the 2012 Cristal superior to this vintage. 94/95 points with potential for more in the future.
TN: Very fresh, medium+ expressive bouquet displaying toasty, citrus notes and some yellow fruit. Same aromas along some more mineral notes on the palate. Not overly complex but what is there is delivered quite precisely. The structure and texture are impeccable with the right amount of well integrated acidity, a creamy, yet weightless texture and feel as well as an incredibly fine mousse.
Decanting: Not decanted, good from the go but improved in terms of complexity the longer it sit in the glass (slightly).
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Decanted for ~2+hrs before pouring. There's just something similar between this & the Krug 164 - a most floral nose of white-flowers, apples & just a tinge of nuts/brioche. Youthful on the palate, but full of power enveloped by ripe fruits & great freshness that left a long trail to the finish. Solid! My favourite champagne bar none!
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Lightly toasted brioche bread, pear and citric fruit and just a tad smoky. Fresh and lemony on the palate, incredibly smooth with a mineral granite rock finish. Incredibly fine bubbles and the freshness sits on a slightly creamy under-floor which provides for an amazing texture. There is so much finesse with crystal-clear aromas and spot-on precision. It's been 18 months since I last tasted the Cristal 08 and it has come a long way already with the fresh acidity now even better framed by a structure that is settling down. In terms of quality and performance this remains a benchmark in Champaign 2008-country where only a very few can measure up. Have consistently scored this 97-98.
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Celebrating yet another Wall Street rally and starting to realize the Dom 08 IS too young it had to be same vintage Cristal for a fair compare.
Served at maybe eight degrees Celsius. Very yeasty on opening . Bread dough fills the table. Relatively quickly evolves info acid fruits on the nose. Needs some air. Giving it some minutes to get to know the glass. Fine but quick mousse. Evolves into baked bread, sweeter fruits but still not very awake. May need more years to impress at opening. Nothing negative.
Taste is closed in the beginning. Clearly a story wants to be told, but still just mumbles. Giving it a degree to breathe. Yeast is gone, strawberries arrive. Not the perfect ones from southern Norway, more the dutch industrial ones. Acid. But good. Notes of apple, citrus. Clearly quality apples in the finish. Balance evolving into perfection as time lapses and even one more degree is added. Accepts rising temperature with dignity and gracefulness. I do not taste very complex fruits at this time, weight on apple and strawberry. Potential to evolve.
Bubbles are present, but so fine it is almost so you wonder from where. Very easy mousse in the mouth. Reaches its peak after half an hour. Peak is long.
Absolutely no rush yet. Clearly a collection keeper.
Opened to celebrate the election, as it felt appropriate. Cristal is so far my favorite 2008, though I do think it's a slightly overrated vintage (as I prefer Chardonnay) - I like the 09 better, but we'll see how this ages. That said, it's an absolutely delicious wine with great tension.
2008 Cristal feels appropriate tonight. Bright yellow, lemon, hazelnuts, yellow apple and slight yeast on the nose. Sharp and bright palate, with lively acidity. Persists in the mouth. Excellent.
Great structure here. Acidity, freshness, depth, intensity and the tell tale sweetness is kept in firm hands. Very young, give it more time. 95+ #IB#Palmer1961-night
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Blind. On the nose I thought this was a grower champagne as it was extremely youthful and chalky. Flinstone vitamins. Palate was similarly youthful but had good density and weight. I totally missed the higher dosage and sweet character here. I don't love Cristal stylistically and this was less objectionable. Extremely young and less approachable and open than '08 DP, which I already love right now.
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Short note - nose is a bit closed, fresh, lemon, apples, nugatt, palate is extremely complex and concentrated. Long finish, needs time, outstanding quality 94p
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With almost impossible hype to live up too, this is one of those instances were it is truly justified. I have never had any type of beverage (let alone a champagne) that provides the perfect union of richness and tension that is on display here. Truly a wow wine.
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Served ice cold, which probably prevented me from tasting a lot of the nuance that makes people give this high ratings. Smooth, creamy, balanced, and delicious.
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SMD at Yan (Yan, National Gallery, Singapore): A baby, but boy this was absolutely lovely. We decanted it for an hour or so, and it really opened this up beautifully. What a lovely nose this had, with drifts of spice and flowers and apples, beeswax and honey - a lovely raft of aromas. The palate was young, but entirely lovely, with sweet apples and ripe lemons gliding across the mouth in a wonderful show of precision and grace. Neat little finish too, with little notes of lemon zest, mineral, and just a hint of florals. There was just a crystalline cut and thrust about the wine, but also a creamy, almost palate-enveloping fruitiness - so that it drank so very easily, almost making the wine seem simpler than it actually was. A real sleight of hand there. All in all, a wonderful champagne, with its best years still way ahead of it yet.
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Brioche toast and yeasty notes on the nose. Secondary notes of orange blossom and citrus rind. More orange zest on the palate with a strong backbone of acidity. Good weight and well integrated mouthfeel. Well balanced with a lingering tartness. Very young, but has the stuffing to continue to improve for many years.
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Palest straw. A purity on the nose, all clean elegance. A touch more creamy development on the attack than was evident a year ago, just staring to show signs of relaxation before the tight, zesty and very mineral back end of the mid-palate gets you, followed by a fine and dry extract packed long finish. If you have lots of this no crime to enjoy one now, but really it needs another decade of slumber and development to be close to showing its full potential. ***(**)
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#2 of 12 had first bottle two weeks ago, couldn’t resist a revisit. See prior note for details but simple truth is this is just delicious, had the first half of the bottle to start the meal and loved its energy and attack.. switched to a 2001 Fournier GC Combe aux Moines, which was delicious with duck breast In a sour cherry sauce and came back to this with dessert and cheese two hours later to find an impressive, complex, more vinous, champagne
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Not sure I have had this from a white wine glass before and while this showed very restrained and linear from a flute, it really blossomed in a Burgundy glass. Huge, fresh, not lactic like some Cristal. Complex, impactful, and precise this might be my favorite Cristal.
Thankfully, my third tasting of this wine. Is it ever lovely. High pitched and spectacularly piercing, it features that rarest form of energy. Also, very clean, almost unbelievably so. Impression of liquefied precious stone, followed by appealing salinity. Exceptional!
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Ok, this did not disappoint and lived up to its pedigree and vintage. Terrific tiny bubbles. Sleek, elegant, racy fruit and minerality. Weightless concentration with a mouthcoating persistent finish. So refined and yet authoritative. Impressive! Nice way to ring the 65th bday with the family.
Had a bottle of this 18 months ago and was blown away at its explosive fine mousse, bright fruit and mineral cut. I purchased a case and put it in my cellar. This is my first revisit since then, it has settled down a bit and picked up complexity, wider range of white fruits, added limestone notes It is weightless but persistent, Good acidity, excellent balance with an impressive finish.
It's great, but is it 3x as great as the already pretty great Roederer Vintage Champs? No. Still, worth it for a special occasion, and it does live up to the hype. I think this is the highest I've ever rated a wine.
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Gorgeous classic bread dough notes, yellow fruits and white flowers; excellent balance, still very youthful with high acidity but great intensity, length, and balance. Has opened up a bit in the last year and a half but has a lifetime ahead of it. At Hiro's backyard.
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A small gathering with COVID safety measures at Bryan's (Undisclosed location in McLean, VA): Incredibly youthful and energetic nose displaying concentration yellow fruit with a hint of white. Lemon curd, lemon, granny smith, light caramel, smoke, spicy spices and limestone. Exceptional concentration, layers upon layers of concentrated yellow fruit, very precise, focused and detailed, very fine abundant mousse, bright acidity and strong limestone mineral, and a long concentrated yellow fruit driven finish with spicy spices and limestone at the end. Although very young, it is drinking incredibly well, kinda champagne that rejuvenates your spirit.
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Wow.. stunning bottle. I wasn't sure how this would live up to the silly hype around it. Expressive orchid fruit, a touch of sweetness on the mid palate, and high acidity, wound together with great energy. With some air, it just kept getting better. Yum.
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Tim's 50th Dinner #2: White florals, orange peel, spice and a touch of herb giving it some early interest. Amplified power on the palate, full and superb line and length. Almost too easy to drink with how delicious it is.
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Cristal 2008. Dronningen av eleganse. Alt er så lett, rent, lekent og vakkert. Dette er fasit på vektløs intensitet. Brer seg ut som en sumobryter. Hver millimeter av munnhulen har sitt eget raveparty. Fantastisk konsentrasjon, syre og lengde. Sublim mineralitet. Nesen holder litt tilbake, ellers magisk. 96p
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A lost Friday afternoon gathering – COVID safety measures - Mostly Blind (Reston, Va): Expressive energetic nose displaying opulent yellow fruit, fresh apple juice, lemon curd, light caramel, white pepper, saline, smoke and crushed stone. Excellent concentration, very finely layered perfectly ripe yellow fruit, very fine abundant mousse, rich yet fresh and precise, perfect amount of acidity and mineral, and a seamless long perfectly ripe yellow fruit driven finish with lemon and limestone at the end. The 08 magically combines perfect intensity, precision and balance.
A great Champagne and an excellent vintage of Cristal. Not quite at the level of 96, a little less fruit driven/more classic than the 2002, richer and better though than 99,04,05, and on par with 06 IMHO with everything in wonderful balance, classic Roederer Cristal style, brioche, yeast, white stone fruits. Nice persistence and lift, just a delight to drink. Should be evolving nicely for up to another decade. 94+
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It was not my lot of 08 Cristal but my friend brought one for the appertizers. It was too early to consume but it still providing a firm structure, complex aroma and palate. A wow wine in the future!
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Toasty nose, apples, earth, rich citrus. Featherweight on the palate, and intensely focused acidity. Very juicy and rich, with flavors that match the nose. Flinty and mineral. Long finish. Extremely creamy bubbles. Wow.
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Nose: The nose is deep and elegant with a regalness to it, filling the glass with meringue, pears, baking spices, vanilla beans, green tea, apples, saline, peaches, ginger, brioche, biscuits, and warm dough. This benefitted from a few hours of air and showed off something already beautiful.
Taste: The feel is Medium bodied with tart, high acidity. The acidity has some punch, but beneath it lies a gorgeous and textured feel with meringue, pears, apples, peaches, ginger, saline, vanilla beans, biscuits, and warm dough.
Overall: This is a stunner already and there is more it can give. The nose is a bit coiled up but the feel is where it’s really at right now. This is lovely stuff that needs a lot of air if drunk now or even better, 5+ years to let itself come together.
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This wine still looked young with a light, shiny gold center and clear rims. The nose grew as the wine aired to show white stone, gooseberry pie, and apple. It was young and tight but still balanced and attractive.
The mouth followed the nose with refined well balanced flavors. The mousse was fine bubbled and relatively aggressive. Along with the crisp acidity, these attributes caused the wine to have great length.
It is still a little early on this one but it is another stunner from Crystal. I think there is at least another point of upside.
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First post-COVID dinner at Chez Marina et Jeff: This remains a clean, precise, and acid driven - I think this has a great future ahead of it. There's a touch of lime on the finish, though it's not as distracting as on the 2008 Dom. It's possible I like the 2009 rendition of this better for current drinking.
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Noticed the lemon stripe here a lot more than a little bit ago, but I enjoy it immensely and like the overall to this wine a lot. Great acid and the lemon strides on mineral compliment. Long and subtle finish.
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Touch sweeter than your average champagne, but still has tear your face off acidity. Citrus, cream, almond, toast. Pear, apple, peach, lemon, grapefruit, honeysuckle. Toasty and brioche central. Love it. Really opened up. Amazing.
My benchmark for Champagne! This is by far the best Champagne I have ever had, and as close to perfection as I can imagine! It has everything you could ask for in a Champagne...pale gold color, effervescence of tiny bubbles that are a constant reminder of its crispness and freshness. Lovely on the nose, reminding you of a breezy Spring day with freshness in the air, then in the distance, and growing stronger, fresh baked bread, an ocean breeze, and some baking spices and toasty oak. On the palate, you are whisked away with a complex, but very pleasant assault of minerals, wet rock, stone fruit, baked pie, and sweet toasted bread. While you are enjoying the foray and identifying nuances, you soon realize the bottle is empty! A classic wine, in a classic vintage....can't imagine a better wine, but left a couple points open in case I am fortunate enough to ever find one! I could drink this everyday (if I could afford it!). A treat to drink, and well worth every penny!
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Amazing. Definitely the most complex champagne I’ve ever had. Lots of citrus on the front pallet, which is rare in champagnes. High acid as well which tells me this will age beautifully. Glad I bought a few more to lay down. Should easily age for 30-40 years.
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The wine deities smiled on me, affording me a second opportunity to taste this transcendent offering. Generous and beautifully framed, notable saline elements, delightfully satisfying finish. Stately poise, impeccable precision! 97-98.
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The hype is real. This is so focused, so balanced, and so intense that the overall impression is totally electric. This is super young, of course, but it’s already so good and it will be thrilling to see where it ends up. In a very impressive lineup that included Rousseau, Liger-Belair, Dom Rose, and other gems, this was WOTN.
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Still as great and superb as I remembered it (my 3rd bottle) to be. White flowers, apples, smoke & nuts on the nose. Beautifully layered (nice mousse) with great (yellow) fruit intensity and also bursting with energy (minerality) & freshness at the same time. Incredible, incredible champagne!
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At Corella Restaurant, Woolloongabba. This is a young and beautiful wine with a pale colour, fine bead and a nose of red apple, fresh lemon, white peach and a touch of red berries and nougat. The palate is intense yet tightly bound with a fine acid and mineral finish that keeps on and on. Terrific stuff just starting out.
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Gareth's blind 2008 Grand Marques (Chez Bruce): Tasted blind. Crystalline, candied nose. Really energetic on the palate, with acidity very prominent for the time being. This feels the furthest from being ready of the 2008s tasted tonight.
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Unbelievably energetic and precise nose displaying perfectly ripe yellow citrus fruit, lemon curd, granny smith, caramel, a hint of cedar, white flowers, rainwater, smoke and mineral. Exceptional concentration, finely layered concentrated yellow fruit, very fine generous mousse, beautiful detailed, energetic and precise, bright acidity, strong limestone mineral, and a long perfectly ripe yellow fruit driven finish with perfume and citrus at the end. This is the first time Steve H. is drinking the 08 Cristal and mentions how much he loves the incredible amount of dry extract. Although incredibly youthful, it is drinking beautifully.
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Jamming with Stu (Dune, Fort Lauderdale): This literally filled the room with its aroma on opening - you hear that now and then but rarely experience it. Peach, lemon, zesty acidity, very intense and fun to drink. Will likely improve with age but hard to resist now. My favorite of the Champagnes this evening, with the 1996 Krug nipping at its heels.
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This has really tightened up over the past few months and is now a kinetic ball of vinous energy. It has some red fruits, white peach and loads of chalk. There’s a razor-sharp line of acidity and it finishes with a huge squeeze of lemon.
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Sommelier Appreciation Dinner 2020 (The Brown Residence): Combining incredibly finesse and energy. Fresh white fruit, granny smith, pear and a hint of lemon curd. Excellent concentration, fine generous mousse, bright acidity and strong mineral. Drinking exceptional well but a long life a head.
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Beaucoup de vin dans ce Champagne célèbre, c’est impressionnant par sa puissance et son côté tranchant. Je suis toutefois un peu troublé par le dosage qui me semble trop présent, donnant un aspect un peu lourd en bouche et grossier.
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This bottle was drank after the Super Bowl. It should have been in celebration, but it wasn't. It's really good. If you don't like it, you don't like champagne.
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Holy smokes. Among the best champagnes I have tasted. Balanced, focused, vibrant. There is so much going on in the glass. Honey, apple, ginger, cherry, toast. Phenomenal. Liquid elegance.
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Special! Beautiful mousse, riveting energy, piercing acidity, transcendent purity! Cut diamond-like precision, lovely salinity, seductive textures, mind-bending finish. The whole package, and in the top five most memorable Champagnes I have tasted, which includes the 1996 Krug Champagne Brut, 2006 Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin Brut Rosé La Grande Dame, and NV Egly-Ouriet Grand Cru Blanc de Noirs Les Crayères. In its infancy, and improvement seems likely. Serve at 48 - 53 degrees for maximum pleasure. 97-98...99?
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The ‘08 Cristal is arguably the best vintage of the 21st century for drinking today. Luxurious, ripe but not sweet, fruity and elegant. More complex and interesting than the others this century which remain surprisingly backward in Cristal terms. Plenty of room to grow and already delicious.
What can I say about this champagne it is linear travelling in a black hole! No bruise apples and tropical fruits nonsense or oxidative. Sniff it , my favourite toast not over oak deep sweetness from just ripe grapes makes it pure and retaining the abundance acidity of the vintage! Sweetness over intensity while drooling and finishes dry! When I say linear travelling through a black hole ,this is a century champagne! To the point I totally enjoyed it now as it has all the elements I like! If I would like to compare a category of white burgundy I will put this with the approach of Arnaud Ente , Roulot or Coche in this vintage or perhaps I have delusions of grandeur! 95now and 3-5 points more later!
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I drink champagne a few times a year. My palate is not attuned to it.
I found this champagne too acidic and not very appealing. My dining companions had similar reactions. I had trouble identifying the features that would have led some critics to rate it 100.
In the past, I have preferred older and yeastier champagnes. I want more flavors to balance the acidity.
People have been waxing lyrical about this vintage, so I thought I'd best try it before the price shoots up. Lemon colour. Mild but nice, bready nose with apple, a little honey and lemon, and a floral element. Very creamy mousse. It is delicious - well-integrated and focused, but also generous. Somewhat savoury - I often think of puff pastry in wines like this - but there's also lots of crisp fruit. A tiny bit of salted caramel. After some time, lots of sweet lime. Great concentration, I feel like this has more to offer than the '09 I had a couple of years ago, which was a bit delicate. Drinking very well now, but with the capacity to score slightly higher in ten to twenty years. [Cork + cage; 12% abv; Majestic, £189].
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Sur deux jours. Très parfumé après aération sur les pommes vertes, les poires, les agrumes et les amandes grillées principalement, quoique pas particulièrement vibrant ni élégant. La bouche est ample, fraîchement tartrique et persistante mais passablement gommeuse même sur ce millésime avec une finesse et un éclat tout juste honnêtes pour le niveau. L'effervescence est assez fine, la finale très longue mais le dosage me dérange ici encore. À moins d'une mauvaise bouteille, ce qui m'étonnerait, j'ai vraiment du mal à voir la grandeur qu'on lui attribue... un vin à servir à l'aveugle. Pas mal, mais 250$ trop cher... 90-92+
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Almost a full year since I last had this, and just a sublime. I said it then, but this is the best young champagne I have tasted. Pale straw. High acidity, fresh and cutting. Powerful intensity masked in such a delicate and elegant package. Lots of minerality. Super fine bubbles. Just brilliant. Shared by TL at Dewakan
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Way too young and sharply acidic. I’m probably not as experienced as those who say nice things about this but Seems it needs at least 5 years of aging to mellow??
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distinct nose of german baumkuchen. same taste, accompanied by flavours of key lime pie, citrus and ginger. very well integrated acidity and aftertaste.
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Wine Flock Champagne Gala (Park Ridge CC): Among the better Cristals that I've ever had. Refined and delineated with plenty of stuffing. Like the floral character. Got better with a couple hours of air.
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Big & powerful with lots of citrus, peaches, some brioche-yeast note, lots of acidity & minerals. Quite young and will need some time on the cellar. Will get better. Revisit in 2023?
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A small impromptu dinner - 08 Champagne and Chateau Margaux (Clarity - Vienna, Virginia): Exquisite nose displaying rich yet energetic and refreshing white and yellow fruit, apple, pear, apple pie, a hint of pineapple, sap, candied ginger and limestone. Perfect balance and harmony, very finely layered concentrated yellow fruit, very fine abundant mousse, rich yet elegant and perfectly precise, bright acidity and mineral, and a seamless long decadent yet pure yellow fruit driven finish. I am not a big fan of young Cristal as I find them to be very rich but slightly lacking energy and freshness. The 08 combines the rich Cristal style and the precise and energetic 08 vintage character. Incredible showing. Everyone is impressed.
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extremely structured. lots of minerality and huge citrus notes with some yeasty notes as well. very high acid. I have a feeling this wine is a ways off from being at its peak. i would drink 2023-2048
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A Splendid Pre-Holiday Celebration With the London Crew (67 Pall Mall): Fresh, intense and perfectly balanced, with a tremendous acidity that was well complemented by the very dense lemon, lime and green apple notes. So much upside, of course, yet I really relished getting a look at this young stunner in its primary phase, and would not hesitate to open another.
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I guess I'll depart from the herd a bit here. This was more impressive than enjoyable. Perhaps it will be better with some age, I sure hope so for the price. I guess I want my Champagne either a bit more suave or with a bit more personality.
What a treat! Brioche, almonds, green apple all day. Wonderful and quite youthful. Fine bubbles, among the most we have ever seen from a bottle. For my money, I prefer Schramsberg Reserve for half the price, but it is hard to find many flaws or shortcomings with this beautiful sparkler.
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Despite its youth, showing very well. Nose of lemon, brioche, yeast. Very rich. Palate with frothy palate, almost a foam. Very intense lemony palate that melts into more exotic notes. Great balance despite high acid. Very long. A real wow.
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Dinner with the wine group (Zazie, SF): High intensity aromatics, delicate, elegant mousse, slight brioche but pretty fresh; palate is absolutely searing acidity, but also a wonderful density and complexity to the fruit which holds its own, green apple, delicate mousse, flavors persist through the midpalate; finish is clean, mouthwatering tart lime acidity, immediately freshens the mouth for another sip. This is incredible for such a young wine, great intensity. Once it develops more maturity and complexity it will still improve. 95-96++ 2 hours later: just as exciting if not a bit kore stuffing and complexity. Vibrant and ridiculous.
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Tasted together with Dom Perignon 2008 and Krug NV (edition 166). This is almost a frightening champagne in the sense that it is so intense, so razor sharp, and still so inviting. Brilliant colour, fine and very persistent bubbles. A nose dominated by young fruit like citrus, green apples, some peach and a bit of vanilla, in addition to those mineral, chalky tones, almost like wet iron. Hits the taste buds quite hard with lots of acidity and bubbles, but soon gives leeway for fruity aromas of citrus, green apples and white peach. IN the fresh finish, the mineral tones emerges and makes the wine more reminiscent of a great white Burgundy than a Champagne. Extreme length, and almost unpleasant acidity at this point in it's life. A wine for eternity. Amazing.
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Tasted alongside 2008 Vilmart Coeur de Cuvee. This Cristal shows amazing depth and intensity, an opulence that almost goes over the top, but remains controlled. Nose of a good white Burg with a touch of brioche, bit of lemony tartness. I can see how this impresses, it is a fantastic Champagne of richness, power and depth. Still, the Vilmart shows me an elegance and complexity that is just more compelling to my palate.
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Binny's Champagne Gala (Binny's Oakbrook): My first ever encounter with a Cristal and one approaches almost with reverence and trepidation. Thanks to Binny's for the generous pours on a number of luxury cuvees. It's elegant; it is beautiful; but would I actually prefer it over the Brut Premier? I also found the Dom from the same vintage to be more complex.
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Yellow fruits, bread dough, ginger, full, powerful, lots going on, with a tart, cut, sharp but long finish. This is still a baby. Capital Seafood for DD.
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Pulled from the cellar and then blinded the bottle, pouring into several glasses. Was uniformly enjoyed. In this bottle, I found oranges, lime zest, green apple, and good intensity. Drinks with a purity and balance that is lovely. And I will also add a point about drinking now....while this doesn't show the softer and more open-knitted feel of the 2009, for me there is nothing wrong with drinking the 2008 now. With air in the glass, this showed well to me. I recognize I am going to be in the minority in my view, but drinking this now does just fine for me. It's an amazing wine for what it is. Broadly, I am not buying stuff to age for a decade or more. Life now is about sharing, enjoying wines with others and not putting my wines into a cellared prison for years and years. This is just me.
Kelvin T's 40th Birthday (Imperial Treasure Teochew, Tanjong Pagar): The sole baby Cristal coming before of the trio of mature Krugs - this struck a very different tone, but was absolutely lovely even in its youth. It had such a pretty nose, with cream custard, strawberries, sweet apples and perfumed florals, with a bit of brioche on the side. Beautiful. It was still really youthful on the palate, with fine mousse and lemony acidity racing through beautifully pure, focused flavours of green apples and lemons pierced by a lovely minerally spine. Primary and a bit clenched, but this was such a wonderfully pure, refined mouthful. A Champagne of incredible finesse I thought. Still a bit tight and unyielding, but this is bursting with potential.
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Very light (in terms of weight), brioche, lemon, faint McIntosh apples; palate is lively, acidity balances the ripe fruits on palate. Medium plus finish.
Beautiful Champagne. Pale in color, fine mouse, fragrant nose. Very concentrated, yet very noble and light in weight. The house style, but multple times better than a typical Cristal. Fresh, but a hint of age. A lot of complexity and with much dimension, fabulous mid palate, and crazy long length. I can taste it for minutes after each sip. Gets more and more flavorful as it warms up a tad in the glass. Went through a bottle with a friend over 1.5 hours. Wow, this is stunning. 98-100
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Still very tightly wound, precise, mineral, almost austere and pretty closed at this point. I've had this 4 times and so far not even close to opening up. 92 for now. Wait another 3 years minimum to try again. Unless someone else opens one for you. Southern Tasting
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Far too young! Lemon, green apply, super racy, slight brioche but barely. Lean. LEAN. Not showy at all, compared to some of the other big house 08s. Very shy.
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Very strong minerality on the nose. Crisp on the palate. 60 / 40 Pinot Chardonnay, 100% Grand Cru. Pinot from Ay, Chard from Cramant. That is super young and super tasty. Needs a goodly amount of time.
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Birthday Clash (MG): Not blind A tremendous champagne. Elegant, reluctant but pure Energy. The best Young Cristal I had so far. I think in a blind tasting of 2008 it will never win but the velvety is convincing 96(98)
First Cristal ever. I know this is probably too young but having read all the rave reviews I had to see what all the fuss is about. Drank over 4-5 hours during and after dinner.
Nose is initially closed with mostly steel and generic yellow fruit. Opens up eventually with better definition: apples, yellow plum, almost ripe lemons, hints of vanilla. Also yeast and quite a lot of minerals. Iron mingle with salt, chalk and iodine. Fine mousse. Sleek and elegant. Very good complexity. Very, very long. Just needs a few years to harmonize and soften slightly. Score is for now, guessing 1-4 points upside.
At Tasting Event...Surreal, complex, quality of a great vintage and the future looks amazing. Almost clear with golden hue the 1 oz pours were, bubbles lined the top layer. Longest they ever aged/held a Cristal before release, 10 years. This was so good the (2) pours received were smelled and sipped over 20 minutes each. Had (2) bottles, just bought (4) more for the next 20+ years. Served to us chilled from bottle. Tasting score 95-96, future potential 98-100.
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Remarkably focused, precise, with a vast array of flavors, my mind kept bouncing between the lean/ripe yellow fruit (apple, pear, citrus), minerals, and a distinct saline spine...oyster jus used below is right on the mark. With the fine, energetic mousse there’s almost too much going on, and it drinks so young that I’ll go off the reservation and describe it as not yet harmonious...too many individual components vying for attention. I believe this will be a great thing over the next 5-20 years. Fascinating and i think it gets better.
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If there’s only one word to describe this it’s “power”. Very tight at this young stage and yielding more in day 2. The fruit concentration and structure are there and it’s quite dense. Going to be a stunner in a few years - recommend tucking away for a decade before trying.
Also tried different bottle at PnP event a few weeks later where bottles were showing more open. Still needs time to allow everything to shine through.
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Nose of lemon, lime, apple, pear, peach, and slate and shale, same on the palate, big body, intense mouth filling fruit, rich fruit, young, needs 7 years to peak, good acid, good tension, and good attack, long, long, lovely finish and aftertaste.
Great to revisit Cristal 2008 and this time I feel the Crystal 2008 is more expressive and approachable. Decanted for half an hour (always controversial decanting Champagne but I like it less fizzy). A generous nose of ripe orchard fruits, fair amount of crunchy Pinot Noir red fruits, very chalky and steely. Full bodied with focused acidity. Someone guessed Clos de Goisse which I thought was a good guess. (93/100)
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Guys Night Out with Wagyu Tenderloin and Crepe Cake: The nose is fresh bread dough. At first, there was significant acid, that calmed down after about 20 minutes. This wine is explosive and amazing. The finish lingers for at least a minute.
Annual Chicago winos visit - Champagne, White Burg, DRC, La La and SQN (Officina - Washington D.C.): Expressive nose displaying succulent yellow fruit with a hint of white, apple dominates, granny smith, a hint of apple pie with cinnamon, pear, sap, oyster jus, honeysuckle, ginger and limestone. Remarkably harmonious and energetic, very finely layered rich yet pure white fruit, abundant very fine mousse, excellent precision and detail, bright acidity and mineral, and a long sweet yellow fruit driven finish with apple and sap at the end. Drinking incredibly well, a great future ahead.
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DC/Chicago Wine Dinner Extravaganza (Officina - Wasington, DC): Bright lemon with yellow and green apple with so much power, yet so much finesse. Lean, precise and very long. Better now vs when last tasted a year ago, and this will certainly be even better five years from now. One of the guys at dinner owns 500 bottles of this wine. I can almost understand.
Domaine de la Côte New Release Tasting and Dinner Hosted by Raj Parr (Manhatta Restaurant, NYC): The grand finale at the Domaine de la Côte Dinner hosted by Raj Parr. Also in attendance was Xavier Barlier, head of US marketing for Roederer. Served with a selection of cheese, this was a real treat. 60% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay. The nose is explosively yeasty and reminiscent of half baked bread in the oven. It is tremendously lively and bright with lime/lemon zest, white flowers, green apple and lots of mineral notes. Incredible depth of flavor, texture and length on the finish. This should be wonderful for decades to come!
Accessible, ripe fruit as I’ve come to expect from Cristal, marked by mixed apples and a light brioche accent. There’s slightly elevated acidic freshness to the 08’, very appealing, and very much drinkable today. As I normally find Cristal more of a direct hit than seriously complex, I’m not as big an advocate as others, though one could do a lot worse.
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Very powerful and precise, with green apple, red fruits and bakery notes. It has a rigid, minerally spine, super-fine bead and is so sharp and focused. It is complex, nuanced and far too young. Should be legendary in a decade.
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(Disgorged in 2018) Lovely butterscotch note on the youthful nose combined with some tropical mango notes. Opens up with roasted notes in the glass in a lovely way. Rounder acidity with a touch of tropical fruit and a nice sweetness on the finish that is also showing some ginger as well. Very intensive and pleasant and leaving a lovely saltiness on the lips. This will evolve for many years to come, but is already very delicious.. (Best 2028-2048)
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Another lost Friday afternoon gathering – 96 Dom, 08 Cristal and a Rudy blend (Blacksalt, Washington DC): Expressive nose displaying perfectly ripe pure yellow fruit, fresh apple, lemon curd, a hint of red currant, candied lemon peel, honeysuckle, butterscotch, ginger, spicy spices and limestone. Exquisite palate, very finely layered pure yellow fruit, incredibly fine abundant mousse, very generous and opulent yet pure and perfectly precise, bright acidity, strong acidity and a seamless pure yellow fruit driven finish with spicy spices and ginger at the end. It magically combines the Cristal richness and the 08 vintage elegance. It is still drinking perfectly in a youthful way.
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I was flabbergasted by the 2008 Cristal, tasted blind and thought it was not one of the three common grapes of Champagne (Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier) based on the floral perfume of the wine. White blossom, fresh tree fruits and intense pear with bright acidity, which reminded me of Pinot Blanc or Fromenteau, few of the forgotten grapes of Champagne. In my opinion the 2008 Crystal showed better than the exaggerated 2008 Dom Perignon, however it is still at an infant stage and requires extensive cellaring.
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Brød, søt tropisk frukt (mango?). Utrolig lett og frisk eleganse i munnen. Klar, fin sitrusfrukt hele veien og ender i delikate sitrondrops. Utypisk champagne - lite bitterhet. Konsentrert, med intens tilstedeværelse i munnen. Rund, elegant og kraftig på samme tid, med delikate bobler.
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Les Crayères (Reims): Lithe, elegance and then a steely core. This is statuesque in its lines, and clean and tight as marble. Beautifully balanced but decades from maturity. **(***)
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WX Dinner: The 2008 completely eclipsed the 2006 bottle and was even more impressive than the aged 97. This bottle is a stunner. Got tons of capital to spend on great wine? Look no further. This is it. The hype is real.
This is the Champagne to get. There is no close second.
A very serious champagne with plenty of stuffing. Apple, minerals, chalk, citrus and stone fruit all wrapped in a tightly knitted and punchy package. The intensity on this young champagne is truly impressive. 95 potential.
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This was just so clean, elegant and complex. Needs some time to open but comes with lovely green apple, fresh pear aromas and an integrated toasty whiff. The mouth feeling is incredible, so delicate mousse, millions of tiny bubbles fills the palate. Balance, subtle and long. Best 08 Champagne so far.
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This really needed a good 4+ hours to open. I can finally understand why people say these are wines that should not be opened before 20+ years post vintage. I think I'll try to check back in 9 more years. Outstanding!!!
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Nahe^3: 10 vintages of Halenberg, Hermannshöhle and Felseneck + X (@Private location, Frankfurt): *** brief note from an extensive tasting *** Glass: Gabriel Gold Citrus, biscuit and brioche in the nose. Very precise and refined. On the palate very fine and long lasting mousseux, salty citrus notes, some mellow apple, brioche. Great balance and precision. Lots of pressure. Very long. Still young. Great potential. 94-95++
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2008 Champagne horizontal (Medlar (London)): Having had this wine before twice (and scored 95 & 96) I immediately recognised it. It was by a margin the best wine of the night served so far (clearly a notch above great Dom and Grande Annee) and proved to be the best white champagne when all was said and done. The only champagne beating it for WOTN was a bottle of utterly sublime Cristal rose. Reflecting on this performance in this context I have no other choice but to up my score and go for a 98. The concentration was otherworldly here and people agreed fairly unanimously that this is epic. I am now convinced this is going to be monumental and will have no choice but to purchase more and follow this wines evolution over the next decades. Wow!
Ripe citrusy nose with grapefruit and nectarine. Some fresh cream and pastry notes also on the background. Rich and round palate but slightly more developed.
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Lost Friday afternoon gathering – 08 Cristal and Dom, Raveneau, Rayas, Chevillon, Gouges and etc. (Black Salt, Washington DC): Expressive nose displaying rich red and yellow fruit, per Bill red currant which I agree wholeheartedly, a hint of cinnamon apple, honeysuckle, candied lemon peel and strong limestone mineral. Already showing perfect balance and precision, mindbogglingly rich and decadent yet incredible energy and focus, very fine abundant mousse, bright acidity, strong mineral presence and a long rich red and yellow fruit driven finish. This is like a great Yquem or a great Batard, i.e. so rich yet airy and weightless. Although the 08 Dom is very special, this seems to be richer and more concentrated while remaining elegant and precise in this occasion. For my palate, Antonio is pretty much spot on for Champagne.
Leiden again in Rotterdam at Fitzgerald: Soft nose, brioche, citrus, delicate mousse. Hugely concentrated, laser sharp acidity, citrus taste. What is most impressive is the enormous length, this Cristal stays singing around in your mouth for minutes.
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Ahhh... renere enn dette blir det ikke. Elegant som et silkeslør i vinden. En verden av fresh frukt, krittmineraler og florale toner. Fantastisk mousse laget av mikroskopiske bobler. Som vanlig en vektløs intensitet av en annen verden. Vokser i glasset. Skyhøy kvalitet i frukten. Ren, vakker, balansert og leken. Pirrende. Vektløsheten varer helt frem til finishen hvor den er helt vanvittig rå. Saltaktig elektrisk finish - elsker finishen! Sitter i en evighet med fantastisk mineralitet. Selvfølgelig ung, men er så deilig hvis man bruker tid på den. 96 for nå.
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Jailbreak Wine Dinner - 08 Cristal, 16 PYCM Remilly and etc. (St. Anselm): For those who love the richness and the concentration of Cristal, the 08 also adds the incredible precision and focus, reminding me the 96 Salon upon release a bit. Perhaps it is slightly less precise and the fruit is richer and sweeter. This is drinking incredibly well in a youthful way but will improve for a few more decades if cellared properly.
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Picked up a few bottles from Costco this week here in the OC. One comment about the packaging, coming from someone who thinks a lot about the environment. There is a lot of packaging, and 95% of it is paper so that can be be recycled but there must be 2 pounds of it for each bottle, plus the gold plastic wrapping. As a customer, I don't need this but in an era of marketing and branding, all I can do as one person is make the remark. As to the wine, this is power. Intense lemon, and the aromatic is like smelling the chalk/soil. Zingy, with intensity of length from the palate long into the finish. Some apple, light caramel, pure lemon. This is a helluva wine, and while the 2009 I had earlier this week was more elegant and stony, this is more powerful and citrus infused.
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Lots of stuffing here, but nothing to write home about, and I see the critics have universally gone goo-goo over this. go figure. The charitable interpretation would be that its closed and needs time. The 08 Dom Perignon, which was consumed side by side, on the other hand was singing.
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Heidi's Redux: More Heavy Hitters (St. Genevieve, Mpls, MN): Light gold color. Drank a glass plus over 45 minutes. I was really looking forward to trying this with all the hype over this wine let alone '08 in general. Very explosive bead of ultrafine bubbles. This is mineral driven and very complex, dleicate lemon aromas, quite elegant but wih obvious power, very fresh, lemon panna cotta, pear. There's a a gorgeous texture and lithe weight to what is a very precise and focused wine. This does feel youthful, but it is ready to play. Patience will be rewarded justly though. Right now this is 94+(+) for me with an obvious big upside. I'm exited to see where it goes and glad to have a little stash.
Same Btl as BradE & rocknroller. There was one guy at our table who was a little "bonkers" but, the rest of us totally got this! Not quite at the level of '02 & '96 yet, but very impressive and very crystalline like the best Cristal. Precise and driven with a laser beam of minerality and multi dimensional citrus. Weightless concentration. I loved it and am excited to get to one of my 3 in six months or so. I loved it! Thanks Dave!!! Hopefully, the guy who was a bit "bonkers" will come around on the next btl :).
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Not blind The best young Cristal I've had in my glas. Very similar to the DP 2008 which we had side by side. Citrus, biscuit, discreet, elegant, precise, accessible. Maybe a touch too sweet. 97(99) I can't say which one I prefer. This is Kate Moss, DP a porn star
The first time I have truly been impressed by a Cristal, this vintage is a different animal than those I have tasted previously. Notes of apple, pear, marshmallow, Meyer lemon and almond. Fine bead with bright supporting acidity. Orchard fruit, ginger and raw almond. Long finish. Gorgeous. 96-97 for both Domino and I.
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I wanted to see for myself what all the fuss is about with the 2008 Cristal... and I got the feeling that the high praises of the critics and the community are deserved - although the wine needed some time to get there. At first closed and muted (and worth 91 points?) this wine needed time and air. I kept a full glass and went back to it throught the evening. The wine opened up nicely, became more intense, showed a broader aroma spectrum and finally, after three hours, the aromatics started to match the structure which was amazing from the start. I‘m very optimistic about this wine’s future. How great will it be once the age unlocks all the aromatic complexity which you get only hints of right now? 93 points with lots of potential.
TN: The first two hours belonged to the structure which is so soft and subtle with ultra fine bubbles and a very well-integrated quite perfect acidity. It‘s all about finesse and elegance. With time the shy brioche, bakery and herbal scents get more and more intense and are joined by lots of minerality, wet slate, citrus peal, lime, some hints of sweet(er) fruits. Very pure. The weightlessness and elegance of this wine is spellbinding.
Decanting: This wine is too young, clearly too young. I would decant the wine for at least an hour if you pop a bottle today and follow it over a few hours.
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Oxidative overlay of hazelnuts and almonds and, for want of a better word, a rusty touch. Green pear, lemon juice, thin layer of yeast and toast. White flowers and herbal, greenish notes accompany a decent amount of minerality. Ultra-fine bubbles endlessly bouncing up and down. Clearly high acidity but refreshing and supporting a multifarious texture. Long, mineral finish with citrus flavours invoking a fresh sensation. What is clear is that this is a masterpiece of craftsmanship. Intricate and secretive at first, more outgoing and coy after a while. As only 3 months ago when I had this last, I remain convinced that this continue to become better and better as bottle age increases.
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This champagne is really something. I am rating it 96 with the potential in future to become a perfect wine. This is extremely young and primary but you can see burried under the youthfulness a 100 point wine in the making. Extremely complex and each sip reveals a different flavor than the last. Lemon, smoke, green apple. Some have referred to this wine as the Montrachet of champagne and I agree. Very acid forward in a Burgundian pleasing way. I can definitely see this upstaging 1996 Dom Perignon with bottle age. I will try my hardest to keep my hands off it for now!
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Drank side by side with Dom 08. Both are equally fine structured,creamy, concentrated and layered. Dom has more minerality, pungent spice and green citrus fruits together with exotic fruits while Cristal express a slightly more complex arrays of ripe fruits from red apple, apricot, peach to BBQ pineapple. Cristal 08 is slightly more approachable now.
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Short note - nutmeg, Nutts, cocoa, apples, lemon, long finish, acidity seems maybe higher than it actually is, long finish and very complex, alive, this is outstanding quality, 94/95p with long potential for agening
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I have only had a handful of 2008s, but I am already starting to think that this will go down as one of the best champagne vintages of all time. Whilst I sadly have no formal notes, this was full, lush, utterly elegant and perfectly balanced. This is already drinking so well, but will clearly last decades. Perfect acidity will make this approachable both now, and in the future.
The best young champagne (under 15 years) I have ever tried.
And to be clear, if I try this again, and it shows as well, and this ages as I think it can, this could easily be a 100 point champagne for me. It could be perfect.
I didn't expect to enjoy this so much in its youth but I admittedly do! Aromas of toasted almond, bread dough, pear, white flowers, lemon, wet stones. On the palate, there is a HUGE lemony punch paired with wet chalk, salinity, bread dough, white flowers and strawberry. It is going to be really, REALLY difficult to not touch our other bottles but it will surely be worth the wait to leave them be for another 5-10 years, at least.
Full tasting note: https://uncorked.fr/louis-roederer-cristal-2008/
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Another strong showing of this - confirming this is already delicious but will obviously age with a great future. Also see my previous more detailed note. A lot of red apple for me here. Delicious.
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Probably my favorite among the 12 champagnes presented at the Hollywood Wine Society champagne tasting. Very approachable, flavorful and juicy. Not too sweet, not too fruity, not too acidic. Delightful already in its infancy.
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spontaneous PnP by our very generous host. golden color with faint persistent bead. Nose deep, fudgey figgy fruits, some yeast, lightly waxy. Palate precise/cleanly delineated white stone fruits with outstanding depth, high acidity with a stony mineral quality. Still so young and wouldn't touch another bottle of this for another few years at least, but already with much promise. Thanks so much SW. 95 pts
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Uuuuh NOW we're talking! I'm not such a big Champagn drinker and clearly lack experience, but this is phenomenal. Very fine yeasty nose, some kiwi, a bit citric and smokey, hints of vanilla and wet stone minerality- but with an incredible delicacy. Bubbles are spread out in the glass, capturing all available space. On the palate great freshness and perfect balance. Still super young and probably a mistake to open this early, but couldn't resist. I have never tasted such a fine Champagne - and bottle age adding more complexity will only make it better. Perfect score could easily be reached in the coming years...
Paired with an entree course consisting of black truffles (will use white next time!), spinach, egg yolk and mashed potatos. Great harmony with the acidity balancing the fat and umami flavours.
By the way: We later had an NV Louis Roederer Brut which the crowd much preferred arguing it had more "character". But in my view that was mostly the a strong yeasty expression which left a much stronger initial impression if you're drinking for joy (which we did, New Years!). The Cristal requires time and leisure to fully appreciate.
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Given recent showings of other '08's, I had half expected this to be tight and unyielding. It was wide-open and quite stunning. There is serious complexity to the nose, starting with baker's yeast, working through some spice then presenting the full gamut of citrus fruits. The palate is rich and full but light as a feather. Pin head sized bubbles whip up a frenzy of flavour. There's a note reminiscent to Bickford's brown lime cordial and the finish has great lemon and chalk cut. Length is fantastic.
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I'm not the best person to rate Champagne, especially young Champagne, but this was delicious! Peaches, citrus, minerals, and some nuttiness with floral notes. Complex, well balanced, and a very long finish.
Similar notes as the last bottle. This was wonderfully enjoyable. It was at once plush/rounded, but at the same time, intense, steely & electric with great freshness. Really walked the tight-rope in terms of balance & finesse. Finish that went on... and on...
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Followed over three hours. Fantastic from the start and it never slowed down. So well balanced - rich and intense, but not heavy at all. Should age wonderfully. Very, very good.
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HDH December auction; 12/13/2018-12/15/2018 (Chicago, IL): Brilliant. Super young, but so much power and intensity here. A slight hint of breadiness on the nose, with some brioche, but then the lemon, apples, and all that good stuff starts to show up. Tons of precision but incredible power as well. Racy acidity. Possibly better than the Dom, at least to my taste...
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I was determined not to be seduced by the hype, and I failed. This is really good. Flowers and red fruits on the nose but the palate is where this is so special. A wow palate of rose petals, crunchy red currants, nuts, citrus and pear. So long on the finish. An absolutely delicious champagne.
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Wonderful nose of green apple and yeasty notes leaped out of the bottle. When poured into a champagne glass, the flavours seemed to be a bit close. It tasted like green apple juice with mild yeasty notes.
After about 30 minutes, the persistent acidity was nicely balanced by complex notes of green apple, brioche, orchard, lemon, smoke and minearlity. The flavours were nicely balanced, but lacked intensity and depth. Medium and minerality-driven finish.
After another 1 hour, the alcoholic heat became more prevalent and fruit flavours receded.
Very approachable now, but should get better with further cellaring.
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Wine Workshop: An evening with Cristal (Atera - 77 Worth Street in NYC): I'll admit when this wine was first released I was a bit of a skeptic given the much higher price than in previous years. But the hype is real. Estate knew - they kept this for 8 years on the lees and 2 years in bottle before release. Really lovely wine. Ripe green apple. Some nice spicy notes which I don't always find in a Cristal. A certain level of depth to the wine. You can tell there's layers there yet to be uncovered. Some fir tree. Really quite enjoyable.
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I'm usually not a big lover of cristal compared to some others but this tasted more like a classic old Dom Perignon to me. Fantastic stuff. Hope I can hold onto next bottle a few years.
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Still closed nose, not giving up much, but on the palate, fine, compact, intense, ultra fine bubbles, creamy mouthfeel, super long. This almost has aggressive acid at this point but htis is built to last. Don't open for at least 3-4 years IMHO. (the 4 bubbles: Pol Roger BdB '08, Cristal '08, Clos des Goisses '08, Krug 164) EWG 10 years on dinner.
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The snobbish part of me wanted to like this, but find reasons where the hype exceeded the actual wine and find it "pretty good, but...". Wow, this is flat out great. Absolutely electric in the mouth, face slapping acidity moderated by a supplementary mousse, kaleidoscopic flavors, at both points assertively youthful, but also with a gingery patina of age. My immediate reaction drew me to great vintages of D'Yquem, where you know you are drinking greatness but the complexity leaves you grasping for words to put it all in context. Accessible now, but has the stuffing to last as long as the cork holds up. Fantastic.
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Effusive, young nose of yeast and green apple. Exquisite balance. One of the best young Cristals (like I taste these all the time--NOT!) I've ever tasted.
Enjoyed a bottle of this during dim sum at Hakkasan - served in Riedel Riesling glasses and drank over 2 hours, served at around 8-10 degrees, i.e. not ice cold which suited the wine. Red apple, persistent classy not tangy. Pinot driven with chard lending some structure and freshness. As it got more air it kept on improving. Some sweetish white peach fruit unfolded. A beautiful champagne/wine and to my surprise actually pretty open for business already - no hard edges, no astringency. Maybe not a classic Cristal in the sense that I missed the lactic notes I often associate with it. Not sure how this will age and I somehow don't see these long drinking windows offered by the critics (extending to 2095+ for some). Although I would love to be proven differently and being served this again in 77 years. I don't think there is any harm in enjoying this today - don't serve too cold and I think a wine class suits this champagne. 96+
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La Fete 2018: Immense delicacy between very fine stem and nut, backed by a dry, sweet fruit in the background. Gorgeous balance. One of the best at the tasting.
Kraftig, packad med frukt. Bra syra. Rätt tillgänglig från början men upplevdes sedan yngre och mer sluten efter ett par timmar. I vilket fall som helst ett stort vin. Stor utvecklingspotential.
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Very tight, crisp, clean, compact, and cold. Not sure what to think of this now-- very shut down IMHO. Do not open for another 3-5 years minimum. Southern Peterson Museum tasting
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My first crack at the 08. It was good, but not as impressive as my expectations given the reception it's had upon release. Will open another in the near term.
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Gathering at Brian's (Brian's Home): From memory. Apparently opened 45 min before everyone arrive. Beautiful concentrated apples, citrus and unripe pears and brioche aromas. Palate has more apples, citrus and unripe pears complemented by herbs, minerals. Still coiled and holding things in reserve. Excellent concentration and weight. So enjoyable now but will be fantastic when the wine opens up. Would love to try this again in another 10 years.
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pale lemon color, intense baked bread on the nose, roasted nuts, a spherical array of orchard fruits with great depth very much in hiding but seemingly eager to burst forth, on the palate very tight and undeveloped, long acid driven finish, as with the fruit on the nose- the mousse is in hiding but evident and quite promising, long finish with brilliant acids, fantastic, ripe, orange notes on the tail end, despite clearly having all the lusty potency of the vintage- Cristal remains Cristal and the structure kept this wine elegant and refined- two qualities which will carry it forward to a wine of breathtaking grace and nuance in the fullness of time, highest potential here- but patience is a must. (*****), 2035-2060.
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Ok we drank this too young but it was fresh and forward with apples, pears, under ripe peach, ginger, melon and lemon. Too many bubbles. Long long long.
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SLDS Single Bottle Dinner: Intense nose - ginger, lemon, white florals, saline and a slight earthy note. Similar intensity and profile on the palate with a lovely tangy line of acidity. Awesome release of this wine.
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An "atypical" (of sorts) Cristal. This was so very good. Nice refreshing nose - a bit of nuts, white-flowers and tinge of tangerine-peel. Almost full-bodied/plump on the palate, but seemed so light/weightless at the same time, buffered by great freshness/acidity rendering it so drinkable. It also doesn't have the "sweetness" of a more typical Cristal. So very enjoyable!
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Nice rich, aromas touch of roasted nuts. Nice sweetness. Nice sweet flavors. Nearly lush. Ripe round, nice tart finish. Very good length. Drinking well. Sweet sour edge. So good now will it last.
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I was very surprised to see how easy this was to drink already, thinking the high acid 2008 vintage character would make it austere. But no, this is Cristal, maybe the most user friendly of all champagnes. If anything the acids are even a trifle low. Peachy and Uber-fruity as usual and really lovely vanilla and citrus fragrance as well. Interestingly, after a couple of hours in the open bottle, both aroma and flavors deepened, making it seemingly 5 or 10 years older. A super nova.
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Second time tasting, consumed the whole bottle. Super sharp and linear, like a razor. Nose is a bit muted, with hints of ocean air, lemon zest, white chalk. The palate is where this wine shines, with an explsive amount of effervescence, flavor profile shoes young lemon, green Apple, white flower, chalk and flint, with a long finish of lemon curd and a touch mouthwatering lemon drop candy. This wine has a lot of finesse more than anything.
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IMW 2018 Champagne - Prestige Tasting (Hyatt, San Francisco): $262, 60-40 pinot-chardonnay, 10yrs on lees. Pale straw color. Quite reductive nose - faint green apple with toasty firecracker / noble reduction. Not unpleasant, but not very expressive at this stage. Sweet - 10g (actually 8g), with high acid. Clear green apple and wet stones on the palate but pretty lean at this point.
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This is pretty darn good. It’s creamy and rich but not heavy as there is a crisp vein of acidity to put things on balance; makes for a deft touch with a hint of nuttiness to it - just under the surface... waiting to come out in time. Lemon meringue pie on the finish.
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Quite possibly the most impressive infantile champagne I've experienced. Upon first pour it was quite closed offering not much more than a rush of effervescence and some subtle saltiness. Pale yellow.
Very quickly though it transformed - changing quickly minute to minute. It became like freshly polished liquid gold opening dramatically in aromas of kumquats, apricot, and tongue searing acid. The salitness was strong as if it were meant to season meat. I can't imagine what this will be like in time.
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Rating is not a future prediction, just drinking here and now. Had next to Krug 166. Pretty amazing presence with oodles of stuffing. Super fresh fruit, especially citrus, apples and peach. Some minerality and chalky type notes. Became more approachable and interesting with an hour in the glass. Balanced and delicious, albeit super young and tightly coiled. Agree with the critics that this should become simply magnificent; but while it is enjoyable now and no crime to have one or two of these when young, it is not 98-100 points out of the gate right now. Incidentally, maybe I am getting used to Bouchard or something, but this struck me as super-effervescent (i.e., too much).
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the most acid driven Cristal I’ve had. But still has a lot of the template of ripe orchard fruit of Cristal. Right up there with the 02 which was a little more full bodied on the release. I'm surprised by how easy it is to drink right now. Much more obvious and forthcoming than the 08 CDG I had a month ago, which was a mousse spice laden champagne still growing.
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Release party at Ai Fiori. Tasted along side the 02, 07, and 09. Clearly showing it’s distinctiveness and finesse. Very clean and linear while also possessing a long and lingering finish which was very impressive for such a young wine. Very balanced with citrus and chalky elements followed by a crema of lemon curd, apples and hints of yeast. More full bodied than other cuvees.
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5/4/2024 - "Rhône Rider" wrote: 100 Points
Stunning, flaske med brioche, grilla sitron, kalk. Ganske mye lengre enn forrige flaske for ca to år siden. Ettervern med blomster, røyk, evig lang ettersmak med revet sitronskall. Balanse ut av en annen verden. Min første 100-poenger. 100
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4/26/2024 - csimm wrote: 96 Points
This bottle was all sorts of good. It had the energy and freshness I expect, with the elevated budding complexity and focus I expect from Cristal. This bested a 2015 by a decent margin (which most would say no surprise, but I’ve had some hit/miss encounters with the 2008 over the past couple of years). I had a number of other top big house producers crush a bottle of 2008 Cristal, giving me slight pause at times.
As it goes with all things wine, a very good bottle one day can be a great bottle the next. So is the case here with this bottle of 2008. One of the better showings this time around. For me, I still think the 2013 is stronger overall and will/has/does typically lap the 2008. I know the 2008 is the darling vintage for Champagne, but I have yet to be convinced it is the vintage to end all vintages, as declared by others.
I say start drinking these 2008s now if you value freshness. Obviously it can hold for some time if you are seeking more oxidative features.
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4/13/2024 - bsumoba Likes this wine: 98 Points
Not much more needs to be said. Super yummy. I wish I had some, but I have friends who love this wine, so I will pester him every time he is in town to bring one.
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4/13/2024 - WineBurrowingWombat Likes this wine: 98 Points
Eyes Wide Shut - Day 1 (A quiet place): Nose: Fresh white and yellow fruits, with clean, dry and wet sparkling minerals. Quite lively and exciting. The fruits here are quite aromatic.
Palate: Clean and refreshing on the palate. Lots of clean fruits, light hay, minerals that are lightly sweet yet dry, as if it there were tropical fruit juices splashed onto a dried stone.
This was like a well needed, refreshing shower for the tongue after a long day. Cleans the palate very nicely.
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4/13/2024 - MN Wine Junkie Likes this wine: 98 Points
The Blind Side - no, not football! (Chateau Simms): Still going strong! Love this Champagne! Not much to say that hasn't already been said. Still a benchmark Champagne I think I will never tire of drinking! Still a solid 98!
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3/29/2024 - Puteljen! Likes this wine: 94 Points
Initially a bit closed with a shy nose of lemon and honeydew melon. Steel and chalk on the palate. Very fine mousse. Gradually opens up with more generous fruit, some bread and nuts. Reminiscent of a good panettone. Very, very long, chalky finish. Still young days here. Very good already but needs at least 4-5 years yet, probably more.
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3/24/2024 - BLam Likes this wine: 94 Points
Jim brought this wonderful wine for his BD dinner and it was impressive.
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3/18/2024 - Cailles wrote: 95 Points
It has been 18 months since I last tasted this vintage. Until now, I found it not overly expressive or layered but always with an unmatched elegance in structure. My ratings have consistently hovered between 93 and 94pts. Revisiting now, I've observed a significant evolution: it has finally intensified in both concentration and expressiveness, though at the slight expense of its finesse. Still, this was the best bottle so far. And it's also the first bottle that made me more confident about the longer-term potential of this wine. But contrary to critical opinion, I don't think that this will be the best big house 2008 (and btw, the 2012 always showed more promising and still does). 95/96pts
TN: Expressive right from the go and without much air. Layered and highly precise aromas of peach, lemon,white fruit, slate and saline minerality, a beautiful toffee and slight buttery note. Super mid-palate weight and long finish. Great freshness and a lot of cut. It’s no longer as fine and elegant as before but gained some edges but still well-built and time will bring that softness back. All in all a great Champagne to drink.
Decanting: No extensive decanting needed.
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3/1/2024 - sirpat00 Likes this wine: 98 Points
Checking back in after my last visit in 2022. Since then this started to add more autolytic notes of bakery and brioche to complement the mineral notes of crushed rocks. The fruit profile consists of pear with a splash of lime juice. Also elements of almonds and bergamot. The palate adds more nutty complexity, comes across as precise and linear with crisp acidity providing characterful edges. The finish requires binoculars to spot the end. This is gaining in breadth and structure, has become more vinous in the overall mouthfeel and if anything is even better than early in the bottle.
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2/22/2024 - lousall Likes this wine: 95 Points
Great bottle...sad that I don't have another. Opened for my wife's 65th birthday at a Michelin 1 star. They both delivered!
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2/18/2024 - Eriklainen wrote:
Per 50. Hazelnuts and egg yolk, mandarins and marzipan. It is so well balanced. Acid now much more relaxed. Lovely reduction. Evolves.
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2/14/2024 - Montesquieu wrote: 92 Points
Rating just this bottle, and not a prior one, I'm underwhelmed by the experience relative to the price and hype. The lemon intensity overwhelms other flavors. I didn't experience great complexity or beauty. It was simple, crisp, clean - solid, but not 100 points or $200+. I've had $30 California sparklers of comparable enjoyment. My rating reflects glasses over the first two hours after opening and again the next day.
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2/12/2024 - Jeremy Holmes wrote:
Still very youthful, but starting to relax and shows its dosage a little. Fresh orchard fruits, biscuit and brioche. Fine, fluffy and intense. Cut by the wonderful acidity of the vintage. Very long.
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2/10/2024 - SARED wrote: 95 Points
Tight and fruity on open. Picked up oxidative notes after 30 minutes. Best glass was just before it was finished after 2 hours of air where the fruit and complexity started to get married together.
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2/4/2024 - SH Wu Likes this wine: 98 Points
Opened 2 hours ahead of serving. Served via direct waterfall from a porron.
The penetrating beam of cristal acidity strikes the palate with explosive impact. A variegated spectrum of rich orchard fruits fan out on the palate, with a piercing ray of acidity keeping the fruit party going from the front of the mouth to the back. A lemon creme brulee finish engulfs the energetic liquid down the throat.
One could argue this was not the best serving method for wine appreciation. However, with how well the wine showed (perhaps from aerating on the way out the porron), the 08 delivered pure visceral exhilaration that could not be matched any other way.
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2/4/2024 - D!n@sh Likes this wine: 97 Points
Opened 1st one of the 6 I had bought. Amazing champagne. I was worried that this maybe closed. But amazing fruit. It balances toasty notes and clarity in a way there aren’t many champagnes out there.
Came home and pulled the trigger on another 6. That’s how good it was.
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1/20/2024 - chablis28 wrote: 97 Points
Same btl as rocknroller. Nita & I along with Kevin & Vicki to further celebrate our 45th wedding anni at The Kenwood in Minneapolis. This is a legend in the making and thus there's a tendency to come in with 110pt expectations. There is still so much power to unwind & depth yet to emerge but, if you take a breath and sit with this through the evening you realize it's already amazing. The concentration, intensity and purity here is something to behold. I only have one and its wonderful to check in on this masterpiece! I'll do my best to make sure Kevin & Vicki are available when we open our last. I only open wines like this for momentous moments like Nita's & my 45th and, when possible, in the Tetons after a hike, climb or a great day fly fishing! A truly special wine only for special occasions, for me. Thanks guys!
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1/20/2024 - rocknroller wrote: 95 Points
Light gold color. Drank 2 glasses over an hour plus. The aromatics on this are seriously impressive, they hit at the highest olfactory register with intensity, filled with this pristine sweet essence of fruit, so floral, bright and forward, orchard fruit on the nose, more apple and pear withsome peach notes, which gradually give some way to allow the mineral notes to emerge. The palate is equally invigorating, as it brings forth that lovely fruit, starting with green fruits, especially the tart green apple, then ushering in more Meyer lemon and minerality and some saline on the back end as the chalk shows itself. Very, very long as this really lingers. Extremely enjoyable now, but this is back to really being a baby again. 95(+)pts.
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1/20/2024 - Keith Levenberg wrote:
Nice stuff. Meyer lemon fruit with lots of zest and chalk to give it texture, and picking up some thickness and creaminess with bottle age. Cristal always tastes more like BdB than brut to me and so it is again here. Just a few more years should put it in the perfect spot.
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1/18/2024 - aquacongas wrote: 96 Points
not blind
Still a very young champagne. You could drink 2-3 bottles if they wouldn't be that expensive. 2 decades ahead. 96
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1/16/2024 - PanosKakaviatos Likes this wine: 97 Points
An evening of fine wine and food (Black Salt Restaurant, Washington D.C.): At first it seemed a bit "merely" citrus, especially when one considers the price of this wine, and the vintage. But do not be quick to judge. Over time, the wine showed off subtle depth and body, with structure to last, although I prefer Cristal when youthful. Over time the brightness also increased in excitement, with vivid notions of white pear, lime/lemon and gorgeously savory blood red orange. The finish was especially long and tonic. A superb wine that paired very well with briny raw oysters, which we had ordered to start.
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1/3/2024 - vespa110 wrote: 95 Points
Giallo paglierino scarico, naso bianco di frutta e fiori, cenni minerali e di pietra, bocca suntuosa, nervosa, frutta bianca, scia elettrica ma necessita di tempo.
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1/1/2024 - zanksta Likes this wine:
‘Wow’ stuff. So glad this bottle delivered the goods.
The fruit is gorgeous and varied: citrus, fleshy tree fruits. At the same time bread and toast weave in and out.
I’m not any kind of champagne expert but this is far and away the best pour of the stuff I’ve experienced.
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12/31/2023 - UFGators Likes this wine:
Another year on the books. Give this at least an hour open preferably two and it will be singing. Epic juice. Keeps getting better and better. Still so youthfull. This will improve for 5-10 years and then last for at least another decade.
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12/25/2023 - JenVinoCO Does not like this wine:
Ick
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12/24/2023 - galewskj wrote: 96 Points
A very small pour because there were a lot of people at the party who were deservedly gushing over this and they'd never had Cristal before. Nose of lemon, pear, bee balm. The palate is incredibly lively, energetic and ends on a creamy note.
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12/23/2023 - WST Likes this wine:
Our Annual Champagne Tasting: My bottle. This is starting to enter a nice drinking window. It's still dominated by lemon like all young Cristal, with great structure. Other citrus including pomelo, plus red berries, floral notes.
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12/23/2023 - MN Wine Junkie Likes this wine: 98 Points
Meeting Delphine's Family (Scott and Amy's House): PnP - This Champagne never disappoints! Layers of golden fruit and minerality with small bubbles that coat the mouth in luxury. The palate is filled with poached pear, honeydew, brioche and oyster shell with some limestone and chalk and an amazing finish. Still a standard bearer for Champagne! I absolutely adore and am smitten by the 2008 vintage! 98 points for my palate!
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12/21/2023 - Burgundy Al wrote: 96 Points
Holiday Champagne Gala (Wilmette Harbor Club): Walkaround gala tasting. Magnum. So dense and powerful with impeccable balance, great length. WOTN?
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12/21/2023 - Nanda wrote: 96 Points
From magnum. This continues to drink sensationally, and even better from magnum, with so much concentration of fruit and intensity of flavor in a refined, focused palate.
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11/23/2023 - Handy1 wrote: 94 Points
Some brioche notes with citrus and mineral. Tasted young. Would wait on drinking few more years. Preferred Dom 2008 by far when i had it recently.
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11/21/2023 - beatles wrote: 95 Points
Still extremely young. Pronounced acidity, albeit rich and caressing as always. Citrus dominates, lkegth is impeccable. Wait foir this one. 95+
#Schur
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10/15/2023 - aquaman Likes this wine: 96 Points
Drank at birthday party. It didn’t have the usual lemon and other young notes. This was smooth and settle but good. I usually have it within a few years after release. And wasn’t impress and not worth it but after this. It’s worth it
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10/14/2023 - hprphf wrote: 94 Points
Again, drinking better with age, good balance and power, "Cristal" clear white fruit. 93-94
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10/5/2023 - Kim Gerner wrote: 95 Points
2008 top champagnes - horisontal wine tasting dinner (Rest MG (kg arr)): Second 2008 horisontal champagne half blind tasting dinner. First time June 2021. Back then the vintage was extremely youthful. How is it now? An almost unbelievable development in just 2 years. As a wine enthusiast I must simply surrender. I was skeptical about the drinkability at this point for this extreme vintage. That skepticism was proven wrong. 2008 can definitely be enjoyed now. For me, it's one of my really great tasting experiences. And there has certainly been many... Add to that, the vintage is only in its initial stage of maturation and therefore still youthful but extremely charming and open. I really look forward to tasting the 2008 vintage once a year in the coming many years experiencing the tertiary notes develop.
Lemon colour. Creamy mousse, medium+ finish. Aromas of green apple, lemon but also little ripe apple.
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9/29/2023 - Collector1855 wrote: 96 Points
2008 Champagne - 25 top names tasted blind: Discrete nose, swirling brings complex aromas to the surface with a mix of citrus, wax, apples, some red fruits as well. Very precise, complex but still quite hidden. Chiseled palate, good mouthfeel. This and Krug fest the youngest to me. After revealing I was please to see that this was Cristal. I have a few showings before that were even more closed. This has potential but I would wait till 2028 with this.
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9/26/2023 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Oh damn, its so good. Just so precise and crisp and mineral.
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9/22/2023 - hprphf wrote: 94 Points
Good to revisit, aging well, lovely brioche notes with excellent embedded acidity. 94+
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9/21/2023 - drjb wrote: flawed
This bottle showed all the initial characteristics of a fine Cristal with verve and texture but the flavours were closed down and persistently dull. Prolonged airing revealed the telltale touch of TCA.
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9/20/2023 - WillersC wrote: 91 Points
A somewhat disappointing showing. Powerful citrus fruits but very one dimensional. Didn't really evolve much over the 2 hours that we enjoyed this wine.
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9/12/2023 - DAN BAILEY Likes this wine:
Wow! Blows the nostrils wide open. Lemons and vibrant mousse. Such energy and vibrancy. Like a very top chevalier montrachet with bubbles. Simply superb and WOTN.
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9/12/2023 - Monica L Likes this wine: 98 Points
very structured, tight and even severe, but in a good way. definitely ripe apple, stone fruits, citrus, brioche, honey, minerality like wet rocks. Very persistent and long aftertaste. Very fine bubbles and mousse. Super enjoyable
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9/11/2023 - rbrock05 wrote: 95 Points
Drinking very well. Hints if citrus friuts
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9/7/2023 - brigcampbell wrote:
Blind: no idea
Kind of funny when Cristal comes in 4th out of four in a champagne flight. That's not a bad thing, that just says how great the champagnes were. Flavors of tart yellow fruit and lightly bodied and colored. This just seemed to be coiled up and since I was driving I didn't revisit it later.
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9/7/2023 - kr522 wrote: 96 Points
Consistently excellent
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9/7/2023 - Frank Murray III wrote:
Bookclub--All Wines Tasted Blind (Foretti's in Corona Del Mar): When we first poured this around the table, it seemed lean, coiled, very powerful but shut down. Some creaminess tried to make it through the wine but the minerally note was overtaking the wine. Savory apple, tangerine and citrus rind, seemingly young. But, with air and patience, this really softened a lot. The tangerine persisted and then a liquified minerality is the best way to describe the finish. Needs air, but in turn, this drank just fine for me once the air had done its good work. Lovely.
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9/7/2023 - ubercuvee wrote:
Cristal Night; 9/6/2023-9/8/2023: There's not a lot more to write about this. It's an exceptional champagne, but probably 10+ years away from being at its very best. We opened a bottle and magnum side-by-side, and the qualitative difference between formats was smaller than I expected: the mags were disgorged much later so maybe that extra development is flattering the 750sml. The recent fall in Cristal pricing has made this look pretty attractive again (at least for me). This will certainly be a future legend.
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9/5/2023 - domco wrote:
Our 3rd bottle of Cristal (3 different vintages) and you can't go wrong here... it is always delicious. But found it interesting that it was generally viewed as the 3rd best champagne of the night (6 people for dinner) behind the 2013 Vilmart CDC and Emotion (at 1/3 to 1/2 the price).
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8/28/2023 - Sean Tay Likes this wine: 98 Points
Pronounced nose with pear, apple, lemon, brioche, yeasty and toast. High acidity and already starting its drinking window. Will definitely improve with time.
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8/14/2023 - hajoha wrote: 96 Points
Cristal 2008.
Fortsatt bare ungdommen.
Meeen for en ungdom!
Floral og parfymert med den lyseste frukt.
Er så vakker og elegant - en oppvisning i finesse.
Sexy.
Uhyre konsentrert, likevel så lett på tå.
Stor drikkeglede selv om det beste ligger i fremtiden.
Renhet og nerve som få.
Lang elektrisk finish med sitrus og mineraler.
96p
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8/13/2023 - rc@ughey wrote: 94 Points
I'll echo the other comments about how tight this is showing. Everything is here for an insanely bright future, but it's coiled up in a ball at the moment. Don't get me wrong: it's immensely enjoyable. But I'll probably give mine another 3-5 years before opening another one.
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8/13/2023 - BradE wrote:
Last year all the bottles were outstanding. This was only good. Shifter's theory on a shut down may be correct.
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8/11/2023 - Alex G. Likes this wine:
From magnum this is so youthful but it’s also a lot of fun. Great way to bring second wind to a party after a bunch of reds. In a decade this will be bonkers.
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8/5/2023 - dsimmons Likes this wine:
This was good champagne but a bit of a disappointment. Did not have
the wow factor I had hoped for. I will hold my remaining bottles for a while.
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7/26/2023 - galewskj wrote: 96 Points
Open that bottle - Joe chooses 2008 Abreu Madrona (Jason's house): Amazingly floral nose. The palate is so bright, with a creamy mouthfeel and acidic zing on the finish. The finish is persistent. Brioche, toast, pear, Orange and lemon. The lemon is gorgeous and the pear stands out the most.
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7/26/2023 - AGELVIS Likes this wine: 96 Points
PNP. Straw color. Brioche and melon dominate the nose, but that doesn’t do it justice. Dry, vibrant palate, with a nice volume of medium fine bubbles. The acidity has a very long linger. This is elegant and engaging and difficult to articulate how good it is.
I’d Rather Be Drinking Wine was kind enough to open this at a great dinner party. The theme of the party was “You’re going to open THAT bottle?”. One of the best Champagne I’ve ever had.
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7/26/2023 - I'd Rather Be Drinking Wine Likes this wine: 97 Points
Open THAT Bottle! (Jason's House): Love Cristal, especially the 2008 vintage! Super fine mousse mouthfeel makes this wine taste creamy and delicious! Of course, being well structured with toasted brioche, pear, green apple and a hint of lemon meringue, all surrounded by chalky minerality and hints of saline don't hurt it either! 97+ without hesitation....why not 98? Probably because I am slightly penalizing this wine (maybe a half of a point) for not being quite at the standard of Salon or Selosse, but admittedly, this is a much better value than those wines and will remain one of my favorites for quite some time!
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7/22/2023 - cristalmania0813 Likes this wine: 96 Points
야와에서 1/3
방에 들고와서 1/3
다음날 1/3
다음날이 최고였다. 산미는 그대로, 치즈, 꿀은 폭발
충분한 브리딩이 필요한 강건한 샴페인
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7/22/2023 - cristalmania0813 Likes this wine: 95 Points
여전히 어리다.
산미 굿.
2년뒤나 마셔야지
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7/15/2023 - ttholst wrote: 99 Points
Fullkommen vin
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7/1/2023 - nmmnori Likes this wine: 93 Points
Tasted with TH Pan. Took many hours to unfurl. For those unopposed to the idea, I would strongly recommended a decant. This champagne, with a lot of air, is at a beautiful and open stage of its development.
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6/16/2023 - Eric wrote:
M&PD Tasting: Lark (Seattle, WA, USA): Powerhouse, citrus, mineral, such a fine bead, silky, long, mouthwatering and creamy.
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6/11/2023 - fcxj wrote: 92 Points
Immense potential, ultra tight today.
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6/10/2023 - Kirk Grant wrote:
Still quite youthful and lacking a level of depth that I was hoping for. Honestly a real big letdown.
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6/5/2023 - ovenmitt wrote: 93 Points
Too young.... too young.... too young. Great potential! Check back in on remaining bottles in another five.
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6/1/2023 - csimm wrote:
2016 Napa Cults Blind - and a few Champs and such for fun: Wine is funny. More specifically, BOTTLES of wine are funny. When I first took a stab at the 2008 Cristal a while back, I found it to be a “very good,” “fine,” “a solid 94” (which is nothing to scoff at of course) type of bubbly. A try or two later, I found bottles to be even more banging with spritely merriment – though not as much as the even better 2013 Cristal. (Here’s where the 2008 Cristal fanboys start to lose it with me). In any event, here we are again with not one, but two bottles of 2008 lovingly placed in front of our group, and I’m back to friend zone mode here.
And just to add insult to injury, since finally getting to writing these notes, I’ve had the 2013 twice again and it is so much more energetic than the 2008. Obviously, you clearly get a sense of my current 2008 vs 2013 biases here (Hint: 2013 is better vintage than 2008 – and let the missiles fly!) Do with that what you may.
In any event, the first bottle of 2008 Cristal was almost dull and without proper polish, and I suspect had some sort of bad day that led up to its eventual assassination. The second bottle was in line with previous experiences, except that it too was a bit toned down. Add to the fact that there was a 2013 Philipponnant Goisses at the table having a field day at the two Cristals’ expenses, the whole thing made for a bit of a ho-hum dealio with the blessed Cristals. Mind you, the second bottle was still in the low-ish 92/3-ish realm, but nothing like the 96 I gave the last bottle I had in April. Maybe it was a root day for the Cristal, and a fruit day for the Goisses, or a leafy lunar eclipse for the Cristal and a flower-power blossom blowout for the Goisses. Whatever excuse fits your fancy, go for it. And, as is not uncommon for my tasting notes, I offer zero comfort and advice on what to do with the thousands of you holding bottles of the ’08 Cristal. I mean, drink ‘em. That’s kinda what they’re for. One thing to note, serve ‘em pretty cold. Too warm and they just get too yeasty for me, ultimately flattening the fruit and killing the excite vibe.
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5/28/2023 - Cbailey501 Likes this wine: 99 Points
This is one of the best Champagnes that I have ever had. It is at its perfect stage in life. Nose is buttery brioche and hints of honey while the palate is still full of golden delicious apples yet creamy texture and a long finish that taunts you for more. Many sparkling wines are too acidic and harsh for my taste - this one is perfectly balanced and will be so for a number of years to come.
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5/25/2023 - shifter wrote:
Richebourg and Meursault: After last month's bottle was so tight I wanted to give this another chance with plenty of air, so opened and recorked 5 hours before dinner. So incredibly tight on opening, it relaxed some over the afternoon, but was still very shut down. A bit disappointing as I had hoped the lovely lemon curd and white fruits would be more prominent as they were a couple of years ago. This seems to be officially in a dumb phase right now and probably won't open another one until at least next year.
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5/19/2023 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Well that is just fantastic. Cream, but direct and crisp. Oh so darn good.
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5/1/2023 - aquacongas wrote: 97 Points
blind, from Magnum
delivering as a machine. This time a bit more powerful than usually. 97
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4/26/2023 - Javachip Likes this wine: 96 Points
From magnum. Clear light straw color with persistent very fine bead. Notes of quince, honeycomb, Easter lily pollen, croissant, chalk. Beautiful poise and balance. Complex, sophisticated, regal, refined.
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4/26/2023 - Collector1855 wrote: 95 Points
Champagne blind tasting dinner. Discrete nose, hinting at complexity after swirling, oak, flowers, mineral, herbs, closed still. Elegant palate, dosage noticeable after the many zero dosages coming before but in a good way. Gives it some charm. Precise, lightly bitter finish. I think this is very young still. Need more charm and mid palate for a higher score. Next bottle to be opened in 2028. 94-96
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4/24/2023 - csimm wrote: 96 Points
Man, this thing took off like a rocket, and a much more lively performance than the last time I sampled the 2008. I would have guessed this was the 2013 given its electricity. The finish is 'literally' sparkling on the back end, like a sack of lemon pop rocks snapping on the back end and creating a super vibrant whip of flavor and intensity on the tail. Lemon juice, chalky minerality, and sea spray are just so spritely, but not so much that it takes away from the balance of flavor and ability for the wine to properly delineate its essences so that focus and judicious drive are maintained.
I have preferred the 2013 over the 2008 consistently, but this bottle's performance was on par with the 2013. The 2008 has really picked up speed. This and a 2013 Pol Roger Churchill performed really well side by side, though their profiles were a bit different. The Pol Roger showed more Pinot fruit, while this bottle of Cristal was on the yellow/white spectrum. Both will age wonderfully.
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4/22/2023 - jkoenen wrote: 97 Points
Splendid start of a week full of tastings...
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4/21/2023 - shifter wrote:
Atlanta Musigny & Chevy Dinner: PnP. Right out of the gate it was wide open and brilliant. Aromas bursting out of the glass and all there on the palate. Could have been WOTF. Unfortunately 10 minutes later it shut down hard and was brutally tight and unyielding for the rest of the evening. Needs many years.
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4/20/2023 - kr522 wrote: 96 Points
So fresh with great intensity of fruit and racy acidity. It feels like it will open up more in time, but this is so focused and precise it calls you back for another sip over and over
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4/6/2023 - fclarity wrote: 96 Points
This wine was nice when opened, maybe a 92. After an hour of air this was firing in all cylinders and was great. This bottle was even a touch better than my prior experiences. Entering the drinking zone In style!
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4/2/2023 - MartyL wrote: 94 Points
Wow. This has definitely moved on to a richer/more decadent profile relative to what it was like on release. While it has lost some of its zippy/bracing acidity, it’s gained something in terms of depth and sweetness and there is no mistaking its breed.
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3/30/2023 - acyso wrote: 95 Points
Olive Garden Party (Cristal vertical) (Chicago, IL): Wine of the tasting, without a doubt. Laser-focussed, but lemon cream at the same time, this just has it all. The acidity is pronounced here versus all the other wines, but it's not in your face. This is perfectly balanced and simply put, a complete wine. Given the weight and acidity here, this is undoubtedly the Cristal to own and age if one had to choose but one vintage.
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3/29/2023 - blanquito wrote: 95 Points
Enjoyed next to the 08 Dom, the Cristal is comparatively elegant and balanced, with nary a hair out of place. So seamless and classy, it is able to subsume all its remarkable levels of extract and depth, but make no mistake, this bubbly is just stretching its legs and will ascend the pinnacles once more fully mature. Still, I loved it now for its verve and depth, but its best days are 10 years or more down the road.
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3/17/2023 - aquacongas wrote: 93 Points
semiblind, Tasting of 16 big 2008's
10th wine. Completely lost against Clos du Mesnil, but this was not a perfect bottle. Later the Magnum was perfect again. Less elegant as usually. 93
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3/16/2023 - aquacongas Likes this wine: 97 Points
blind, from Magnum
great again, in a big 2008 tasting we had a little bit off bottle. But this one was shining again. Brilliantly fresh, lemon zest, a hint of apricot and biscuit. At least 20 more years. 97
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3/12/2023 - mark2eye Likes this wine: 95 Points
So dang linear
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2/28/2023 - Krokfjord Likes this wine: 93 Points
Sitrende sitron, syngende syre, salige salttoner, robust ryggrad, lang og lengre enn lang lengde. Vennlige vaniljehint, en bitteliten tropisk touch dag to.
Fortsatt ungt - men ingen skam å drikke dette nå bare glassene er store nok; Zalto burgund funket fint. Så bra dette er.
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2/20/2023 - fclarity wrote: 95 Points
From a magnum, this wine had a light yellow center and solid effervescence. The medium- intensity nose generated gooseberry, almond paste, lemon, and mineral notes.
In the mouth, this wine was gorgeous. It was refined as usual and, of course, a bit young and tight. However, the balance and sophistication of a top class Champagne were clear. The fruit, acidity, and effervescence were blended together in such a way that it was hard to tell where one stopped and the other started.
While fun to drink now, this will be in peak form in 5 years and last another 5 or so after that. I anticipate another point or so of upside.
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2/17/2023 - vetty wrote: 93 Points
drinking with 12 and 06 salon. This one is crispy, but has less intensity.
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2/11/2023 - cristalmania0813 Likes this wine: 94 Points
브리딩도 필요없이 좋은
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2/9/2023 - chablis28 wrote: 95 Points
Chef Don Saunder's food entices 7 city dwellers to our place in the exurbs! 8 of us plus Nita & Joe enjoyed Don's magnificent food tonight 30 miles from downtown Minneapolis. What a night!! CV,KB,SS,CS,DM,DD,LI, & DS. Dan's marvelous blt tonight. Spectacular Champagne by any standard. Racy as hell! A thoroughbred waiting at the gate. Tonight, it was holding back a bit though and keeping its best stuff under raps. Personally, with only one in the cellar I'm going to hold onto to mine for a minimum of 3 more years. Open perhaps for my 70th in 3yrs? This is a masterpiece waiting in the making. Thankyou Dan!
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2/9/2023 - rocknroller wrote: 95 Points
Going Up The Country: Suburban Bliss & Wines to Match (Craig & Nita's Place): Light gold color. Drank a glass over an hour. Fresh cut pear, quince, yeast, apple peel, white flowers, stone and apricot on the effusive and complex nose. The palate is resonant with apple, pear, quince, apple peel, very tart and crisp, candied orange peel, though less distinctive minerality. Excellent length and purity. This bottle was more youthful. 95+pts.
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2/9/2023 - aquacongas wrote: 96 Points
not blind, together with Cristal 2002 late release
I love this freshness and precision. it was 3:3 in this flight. Elegant, lemon tart but not heavy and buttery. you feel the lower dosage in the recent years. 96-97
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2/3/2023 - WST Likes this wine:
As I expected would happen someday, this has finally surpassed the incredible and precocious 2009. Once again, a chalky kaleidoscope of citrus. I swear I could pick out lemon, orange, pomelo, kumquat, yuzu jam, plus red berries, a little plum, and dense florals. Great cut as well as texture. My best bottle of the 2008 yet, and one of my WsOTY so far.
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1/28/2023 - colinscellar Likes this wine: 90 Points
Quite lean and citric. Hopefully still just a bit young and it will come together with time but at the moment it's underperforming it's reputation and price.
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1/28/2023 - dream Likes this wine: 96 Points
In this amazing dinner which included 27 bottles of Cristal from 1985-2014, the '08 vintage stands out in every way. Simply superior intensity and material with great precision and cut. Succulent and so fine on the finish with great complexity and grip. Rich fruit balances it all out and while this is still so youthful and so promising, its' so worth drinking at this stage or probably any stage. 96+
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1/26/2023 - paul195 wrote: 96 Points
3 of 12 Chet’s Cristal Dinner @ Claud …. Brought this to an epic Cristal Dinner (1985-2014) Brut, Rose and Vinotheque many en Mag … This was in everyone’s top 5 along with the 2008 Rose en mag, 96 Vinotheque,en mag 96 Rose and 02 Brut ….still remarkable energy, minerality, balance and now gaining complexity and dimension 🥂
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1/22/2023 - Rezy13 Likes this wine:
Noble, almond, dough, weight and richness but such cut, beautiful balance and class.
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1/20/2023 - Neras Likes this wine: 94 Points
My son said I opened this to early. And I probably did. Balanced, fresh and gentle. However, lacking depth in my opinion. This may come over the years, as the wine is still young and very much alive.
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1/10/2023 - aagrawal wrote: 95 Points
Dinner with Herwig (Heirloom Cafe, SF): Exceptional aromatics, fresh but with some richness from age, high acidity; long long finish. Lovely young champagne. 95
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1/8/2023 - peternelson Likes this wine: 94 Points
Lighter bright yellow; Med. yeasty, clean, BdB freshness, yellow apple, angel food, lovely balance and concentration with elegance. Very present zippy acidity. But this was not the '07 BdB Comtes I thought it was. This was by far the best '08 Cristal I've had yet. Previously they've been too tight and not giving up much. It's coming into it's own finally I think. My #2(and really pretty much tied for 1st place for me) and second place by the group as well. Yarom Group DD Champagnes at Blooming VIP Chinese.
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12/31/2022 - llavoe Likes this wine: 96 Points
Popped for the ball drop.
Rich in mineral and lots of life left in the 08.
Not as sweet as other vintages
Reminded me a lot of the 04's weight and texture.
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12/26/2022 - MWiking wrote: 94 Points
Väldigt ugn och sluten, nästan lite tjurig.
Finns massa fina toner och det är riktigt god champagne men idag får den 94. Ser fram mot när den ger ifrån sig 100 pinnar framöver
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12/20/2022 - Burgundy Al wrote: 95 Points
The Best Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Dinner (State Street Manor - Chicago IL): So dense and concentrated with a broad array of bright fruit - lemon, lemon curd, lemon peel and plenty of apple. Absolutely great richness and depth.
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12/20/2022 - Nanda wrote: 95 Points
Wow, this keeps on delivering with aplomb. Bright, energetic, rich with excellent length and precision.
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12/16/2022 - BradE wrote:
Outstanding and a crowd favorite. Loved it.
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12/7/2022 - Collector1855 wrote: 93 Points
Salon Focofi Paris walkabout and dinner, so no detailed tasting notes. From MAG. Still closed, strict, spicy, compact with lots going on underneath. I would drink this in 5 years only. 92-95
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12/3/2022 - aquacongas Likes this wine: 96 Points
not blind
Very elegant expression of this vintage. Comparable to Comte de Champagne. Not that loud as DP but fine lemon zests and tea biscuit. 96
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12/1/2022 - Juliansi Likes this wine: 94 Points
Bro TC spoiled DQ, BL, SKT, MK at our first night's dinner in Bangkok recently, with my first ever experience of "Cristal", which ranks as one of the most decadent and "Made famous by MTV and Instagram" Champagnes ever.
Ultra fine bubbles, incredibly luscious mouth-feel, brioche and toasted bread notes, this is a very special bottle of bubbles. I couldn't help but imagine that this magnificent 2008 vintage could be cellared for another 10, 20, 30 or more years. Nevertheless, its in a special place even right now.
The citrus notes helped bring out the freshness, which was delicate at the same time, and the mid-palate was beautifully chalky and had a mineral feel too. The finish was powerful and long!
Why is the 2008 vintage special for Champagne?
This is a dry but cool vintage, creating density and power which are the signature notes of this 2008 vintage. The achievement of a perfect balance between concentration and freshness was obviously achieved.
All the critics agreed that Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon has made an outstanding Cristal in the divine vintage of 2008. This blend of Pinot Noir (60%) and Chardonnay (40%) comes from 36 plots in Grand Cru terroirs, with a dosage of 7.5 g/l. In fact, the Roederer Cellar-master, describes this as "the best wine he has made in 30 years at Roederer!"
The grapes are all organically farmed, from the estate vineyards in the mid-slope of the Mountain of Reims, Côte de Blancs, and Grand Valley of the Marne.
I, along with SKT and DQ, were very grateful for this chance to try Cristal as an aperitif to our meal at Oriental Infusion (Chef Josh from Scotland, UK), as well as TC's Yquem 2003 which we had as the digestif.
1 Dec 2022
Bangkok (Wongwian Yai BTS station)
Thailand
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12/1/2022 - hprphf wrote: 94 Points
All three bottles show decently bright fruit but better composure than last few times tasting them. Coming together. 93-94
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11/25/2022 - The Vines That Bind wrote: 93 Points
Straightforwardly delicious although I find Cristal a little too sweet, even here. This is more crisp white fruit and citrus to toe it together. Very nice, very pleasant drinking. 93+
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11/24/2022 - shifter Likes this wine: flawed
PnP small glass, recork into the fridge. First glass reveals just a hint of lemon zest, marzipan, honey. So weightless with a beguiling depth. Palate is much more open than previous bottles at this stage, but still very tight and only showing a fraction of the potential. So very tart, the acid overwhelms the finish.
After 3 hours in the fridge it's integrated better, drinks very nicely on the palate, but still overwhelming acid on the finish. More time and all the fruit is gone. This is definitely flawed.
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11/18/2022 - dcwino wrote: 96 Points
A lost Friday afternoon gathering – Cristal, DP, Giacosa, Produttori and etc. (Black Salt, Washington DC): Medium expressive nose displaying concentrated dense yellow fruit with a hint of red, lemon curd, baked apple, sour apple, a hint of cherry soda, honey, crème brulee, smoke, brioche, pine needle and limestone. Excellent concentration, slightly coiled super concentrated yellow fruit, rich and deeply toned, fine generous mousse, bright acidity, strong limestone mineral, and a long dense yellow fruit driven finish with a hint of smoke at the end. This is not as expressive as the 08 DP. Surprisingly, the 12 seems more elegant tonight.
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11/13/2022 - galewskj wrote: 93 Points
No poker night (Jason and Mariellen's house): Not nearly as expressive as a bottle we had a year ago, or a 2005 Cristal we had 2 nights ago. A bit shy with really tangy acid. It certainly opened up with time but this bottle drank very young.
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11/12/2022 - WineBurrowingWombat Likes this wine: 98 Points
Wine weekend in the Twin Cities; 11/10/2022-11/12/2022 (Where the frosty air is refreshing.. kind of): N: Restrained and refined white fresh fruits and subtle stones. With time, an elegant ripe fruit with a gentle touch of creaminess, gentle toasted bread notes, white flowers and peach fuzz.
P: Matches nose completely. I love the restrained elegance with power. Amazing ripe white and yellow fruits but great acidity to keep the fruits balanced and from being too much (not that too much fruit would've been a bad thing). Savory minerals with some brightness like limestone. Nothing sticks out here and works so well together.
Time in glass helped this tremendously. At first I was thinking this is not as fruit forward like the '13 Cristal but with time in the glass, I realized there was a lot of fruit, just a different type of fruit profile compared to the '13. Amazing elegance but with intensity as well, so damn nice. Another thing to note is that for both the '08 and the '13 that I've had was with a Bordeaux glass, not a flute. My first glass of this was with a flute but it seemed very restricted; changing out of the flute made a huge difference.
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11/12/2022 - I'd Rather Be Drinking Wine Likes this wine: 97 Points
Sorry, Not Sorry! No Poker on Poker Night! (Jason's House): A great Champagne! I liked this much better than the 2005 we had, but it is a matter of preference. I found this Champagne Champagne just had a little more of everything, i.e., more fruit, more acidity, more minerality and more mousse, with a more silky and creamy mouthfeel than the 2005, although the 2005 was still drinking remarkably well. To me, this showed the pedigree of the vintage. I do agree with another taster that it was slightly behind previous bottles, but still absolutely stunning. 2008 Cristal is my benchmark Champagne, and this was not quite up to previous other bottles. I am not sure if that is due to bottle variation or if this Champagne is getting ready to shut down some (or totally). Still, for now, and this bottle, a 97 point wine for me!
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11/12/2022 - Hanibal Likes this wine: 94 Points
I have had the chance to drink this wine on 4 or 5 occasions already. Every time I have it it just delivers in spades. The bubbles on it are still a bit powerful. Needs time to soften up a little but I am splitting hair here.
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11/12/2022 - Derek Darth Taster wrote: 93 Points
Paulee wedding lunch at Nicolas.
Nose tight but at least showing on palate. Potential not realised yet.
Definitely for more ageing.
Chalky limestone mineral, rounded peach, tart citrus lemon, fresh green apple. Very long finish.
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11/12/2022 - etyc Likes this wine:
PnP'ed. Green-apples, citrus, white-flowers, baking-spice & some smoke greeted the nose... such a fresh feel - like an early morning walk thr' the park. Very elegant on the palate, but coupled with precision & tension too, with fruit/weight (apples, with a tinge of ginger) lurking underneath that veil. Such great minerality, with a wonderful long-tailed finish!
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11/10/2022 - Brolawa wrote: 96 Points
Not your typical Cristal imo. Very light, crisp and angular. I loved this wine. Usually Cristal is so big and heavy that it can be overdone. This was instead razor sharp and clearly has years ahead. Even with its crispness, there is a ton of mature flavor - fruit, nuts and wood. Would happily drink this over and over.
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10/28/2022 - James Kim Likes this wine: 93 Points
Brought by Brian. CO2 spritz on the nose, followed by tart apples, grapefruits, and minerals. Lovely balanced palate with tart apples, grapefruit flesh and pith, minerals, herbs. Excellent acids with great concentration and depth. This is still young and has so much more to show but drinking really well now, which I'm a bit surprised at to be honest. 93+
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10/28/2022 - aquacongas Likes this wine: 96 Points
blind
Nailed it, the most elegant champagne together with Comtes des Champagne from this vintage. From the beginning very balanced and approachable. Still lemon dominated but a touch of nougat is coming through. 96
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10/27/2022 - finediningnyc Likes this wine: 95 Points
Albeit young, 2008 Cristal is drinking even better than 08 Krug at this point in time, even if the latter may eventually be the wine I prefer. Drank solo over the course of 3 hours in a Burgundy glass, it had plenty of time to evolve and express. 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay, 08 Cristal flaunts a gorgeous bouquet of fresh white flowers, yellow orchard fruit, baking spice, vanilla beans and crushed seashells.
The palate is searingly intense with ripping citrusy acids, incredible elegance and pin point precision in its delivery before giving way to a saline and mineral infused finish that just keeps going. Again, very young, no doubt, and while already terrific, it’s easy to see what the fuss is about and how special the vintage will be down the road. But in my opinion there’s no harm in drinking now if you accept and enjoy the stage it will be in.
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10/21/2022 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
NY Wine Experience 2022; 10/20/2022-10/23/2022 (Marriott Marquis): From a magnum. Good morning to you too. Orange zest, very light and fresh, kindof melts in the mouth. A lot of the conversation was about how to manage the high acidity that '08 created. For the first time Cristal opted for malolactic fermentation (about 19%) to ease that a bit. Interesting fact. Wine is good. Not the best day that I've had it, but this is a great vintage and easy to see why.
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10/15/2022 - jnewman77 Likes this wine:
Ordered at a restaurant as it was reasonably priced and wanted to try a bottle of this young. Incredible wine, but as many people have noted a baby. The nose was fabulous initially with lemon curd and peach blossom, hints of brioche; over time opened to show fresh buttery pastry dough with a hint of vanilla, orchard blossom, green apple and lemon peel. The mousse and mouth feel was incredible. Super refined and silky feel. However on the finish it tightens up significantly and becomes quite austere. Don’t get me wrong it is incredibly delicious but you definitely feel on the finish that there is a lot left to come from this. What a phenomenal champagne!
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10/9/2022 - Sean Tay Likes this wine: 99 Points
A very well make Champagne with notes of cream, yeast, bread, green apple. High acidity and long finish.
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10/3/2022 - Ltrain1282 Likes this wine: 97 Points
I love 2008 champagne and this is no exception. Such good balance of green apple acidity and creaminess. I get some key lime pie here too. Give it a few minutes for the bubbles to dissipate and drink up. This is just so so good. This is in a good spot but will likely get better over next 5-10 years.
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10/1/2022 - NoTrollingerPlease Likes this wine: 94 Points
Knoll Ried Schütt vertical + X (Restaurant Brunnenstube, Beinstein): Popped and poured. Right after the bone dry Lauer the Cristal seemed very fruity and rather sweet. But anyway, this is a monster in the making. Beautiful harmonious and deep nose. Palate with great pressure and tension, fine, long lasting mousseux and a wonderful creaminess, balance and harmony. Wonderful acidity. Very long! Still young with a very safe upscale potential for at least a decade. 94++
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9/27/2022 - Topper wrote: 95 Points
Tasted alongside the Krug 164 which has a base of 08 Vintage and both were excellent, but different. The Cristal was pure, elegant and crisp whereas the Krug had more power, structure and a touch of purposeful oxidation. I loved them both but would give the very slight nod to the cleaner and more elegant Cristal. The group was pretty evenly djivided as to preference but both wines were appreciated by everyone.
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9/18/2022 - aquacongas Likes this wine: 95 Points
blind
Even the bottle was open for 10 days, you still recognize it is a champagne. And a really good one. Fine, elegant, not the power of a great Burgundy but still with a fine concentration. Reminds me to Jura wine. 95 knowing how long it was open.
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8/26/2022 - canan wrote: 95 Points
This is certainly at a good spot right now. Piercing green apple acidity and lots of depth with green apple and lemon. It has an amazing creaminess and continues to develop in the glass.
As it evolves it starts to taste like lemon meringue pie but with loads of acidity. Loved it!!
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8/24/2022 - Cailles wrote: 93 Points
It has been 18 months since I’ve last tasted the 2008 and I see little change since then. The wine is still only medium expressive and doesn’t show that layered (other 2008s are showing more) and still relies on that unbelievable elegance and softness, that luxurious structural frame only. After this third bottle I’m still not convinced that this will live up to the hype. Maybe it's just shut down hard at the moment. From 2008, I prefer Dom Perignon (last rated 96 pts) and Comtes de Champagne (95 pts) at the moment, mainly thanks to that additional crunch and verve (especially the DP, Cristal seemed soft, almost a bit flabby!) as well as a more expansive aromatic profile already shining through (both).
TN: Medium intense nose with faint autolysis aromas, citrus shining through. On the palate this is a bit expressive than the last bottle two years ago. Citrus dominated, with fine green apple, some brioche and caramel notes in the background. From the go, the structure is the winning feature here, unbelievable elegance and roundness, very harmonious, ultra-fine perlage. I didn’t found the acidity to be that pronounced, in fact it is so soft and in the background, so well integrated that I wonder if there is really enough for the decades to come. Today it is quite perfect, no doubt. With time and air the wine gets a bit more expressive on the nose and palate but overall the intensity and aromatic complexity is not on par with the best Champagnes.
Decanting: Not decanted, followed over three hours, opened up a bit (so in need of a bit of air).
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8/20/2022 - Satoshi Nakamoto Likes this wine: 94 Points
The CFO's Birthday: Opened for a few hours. Yum! Deep, generous yellow fruit with brilliant acid, great persistence, and wonderful balance. Impressively hung right in there with some big company.
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8/10/2022 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 100 Points
Served slightly less than chilled, nose of lemon, lime, Gala Apple, pear, peach, orange, slate, shale, smoky char, hint of caramel coated apple, and Old English Rose bouquet, same on the palate, big body, intense mouth filling fruit, rich fruit, complex, layers of flavors today, even better in hour two and three due to chilling, good acid, good tension, and good attack, long, long, long, lingering, lovely finish, photo uploaded.
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8/10/2022 - BradE wrote:
Excellent.
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8/7/2022 - sirpat00 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Haven’t had this in a while now. Almond, marzipan, lime, green apple and pear and even a layer of something resembling baking spice. But there is more: a fine mineral dimension, a pinch of smoke and herbal seasoning. Perfectly crisp acidity along a just slightly creamy texture. Delicate and precise with an attention to detail that is in my view still without match. However, in this social drinking context, a certain lack of intensity proved a bit more of an issue than in the past. Have scored this 97-98 in the past, but this bottle was a notch below.
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8/7/2022 - dagij Likes this wine: 96 Points
This is the first time I open one of the 2008s, and what a treat! The color i bright golden with an intense greenish glimmer. The mousse is very persistent with cascades of bubbles for a long time. The nose is still bit one dimensional, dominated by lemon, pickled oranges, some green apples, and an underlying tone of chalk. Clean, without any of the oxidized and yeasty tones one often finds in great champagnes. The mouthfeel is silky at first, lots of lemon and lemon curd, then a biting acidity kicks in at the end of the mouth. The finish and aftertaste just explodes into lemon, lemon curd, chalk and green apples, all packed into a frame of small and caressing bubbles. The aftertaste lasts for more than a minute and evolves into a chalky tone combined with some sweet vanilla tones. Again I have to repeat myself saying that this is not just a great champagne, it is a great white wine. Drunk together with Charles Heidsick's Blanc des Millenaires 2006, and the Cristal was just in another league. Still probably too young. Keep for five more years and then enjoy for the next two decades (?).
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8/5/2022 - joshabramson Likes this wine: 95 Points
Loads of acid, precise and youthful. Very good now, but you can also see the huge potential for long term aging.
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7/26/2022 - rc@ughey wrote: 96 Points
A legend in its youth with an impossibly bright future. Rich and deep and already complex but also laser-focused. Everything I could ever want in a Champagne.
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7/4/2022 - brigcampbell wrote:
The sparkler just continues to improve from the previous two tastings over the last 4 years. I don't know if I would say it's my favorite champagne but it's been better than all the others had to head. So I guess it must be. It just hits on all cylinders with lemon and citrus fruit, acidity, chalk, velvety texture and all around enjoyment.
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7/3/2022 - fcxj wrote: 94 Points
Consistent, fine bubbles. Delicate, elegant.
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7/2/2022 - shifter Likes this wine: 95 Points
PnP a small glass then recork for an hour in the fridge. So tight at first but really benefits from the air. Nose is full and bright with lemon and orange zest and toast points. Creamy and delicious with lemon curd and bright acidity. This is such a classy drink and in a good place, but with tons of upside.
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7/1/2022 - Frank Murray III wrote:
Tasting w/ The Gang @ Counselor Seiber's Pad (Orange County, CA): Brief notes here as there were too many targets on the table and I just can't do it all to the degree I would like. This seemed to have the bright acidity and powerful density of the 2008, with the wet rock tactile impression.
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6/26/2022 - WST Likes this wine:
If I had to pick three words: dense, pure, young.
Expanding on the synopsis, there’s a chalky kaleidoscope of citrus, with lemon, lime and orange, plus a little plum. It improves from glass to glass, and while gorgeous now, it is embryonic in development and begs for more repose in the cellar.
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6/19/2022 - Goldstone Likes this wine: 96 Points
Drank with family over 2 dozen oysters at Raw Bar 8 in Sheung Wan. My first of 18 bottles bought on release and it was a nice occasion to try one even though realising it might be infanticide...it wasn't quite!
Served in medium-sized white wine glasses. Very light silver gold colour. Moderate mousse but millions of the tiniest ever bubbles in endless streams. Nose is beautifully tensioned ozone, grated lemon rind, grated lemon grass and that sensation of static electricity in the air on a summer thunderstorm night. Palate is gorgeously alive and a super mouthfeel that is bursting with 'frizzante', chalky and very elegant and understated. Wow…. this just explodes inside the head! Absolutely stunning. An easy 96 but can only improve with a lot more age....I will try to limit myself to one bottle a year to chart its progress and to maximise the anticipation. Truly memorable.
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6/17/2022 - oxwombat Likes this wine: 93 Points
Opened at Otto e Mezzo in Hong Kong. Enjoyed over dinner with a friend.
I had high expectations for this champagne, especially given my fondness for Cristal and the vintage, but this somewhat fell short. That being said, it was still a great Champagne (and I have scored it to reflect the experience), but it simply didn't have the Cristal purity that I have come to love.
Looking forward to trying again, bottle variation is always a thing...
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6/13/2022 - Jammy Wine wrote: 93 Points
The 2008 Cristal is without a doubt one of the finest wines Louis Roederer has ever produced. Light and elegant on the nose with a massive flavour expansion that lingers on the palate. Tight wound and energetic array of fresh pear fruits and citrus. Brilliant vibrancy and a touch of sweetness from the dosage balancing out the razor focused acidity. Delicious. Drink now to 2036. (93/100)
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6/8/2022 - JordVW Likes this wine: 100 Points
Drank this side by side with the 2008 Dom Perignon, which was an incredible privilege.
The Dom Perignon was grand, but the Cristal was perfect. Very likely the best champagne that I've ever had.
On the nose clear notes of smoke, yeast and wet stone, alongside apple and citrus fruit. Chardonnay is very recognisable here, giving off blanc de blancs vibes. Incredibly structured, powerful yet clean, supple and perfectly balanced on the palate. Extremely long finish. What a treat this was.
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5/27/2022 - DrZett wrote: 96 Points
Had this in 2019 the last time. Fantastic Champagne with a beautiful fresh acidity and an amazing fruit structure. Incredible complexity. It was showing better than 3 years ago but it still feels very young, give it a few more years and drink from 2025-2035. (IG)
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5/11/2022 - jamesabdavis wrote:
Lovely nose, very fresh.
Searing acidity, super-intense. Very focused.
Fantastic, try again in a decade!
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5/9/2022 - fizz wrote:
It’s rich, firm, intense and powerful. Citrus, ginger, chalk. The acid is striking at first. Needs time in the glass, with some coaxing, to reveal itself. Apple, lemon, baking spice, limestone. It’s so vibrant and youthful.
A small sample the following day was just as fresh, with a much more open and accessible palate. Delicious.
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5/6/2022 - aquacongas wrote: 96 Points
not blind
Still fresh, lemon peel, no nougat, cristal clear and elegant. But the aftertaste is long and precise. Prefer the DP at the moment. 95-96
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5/2/2022 - beatles wrote: 95 Points
Vibrant, intense, closed, citrus notes galore. This is very much a 2008 in terms of concentration - but tonight no tell-tale signs of Cristal, no roundness or sweetness, no nightclub feeeling - quite closed and much too young.
#Sonne
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5/1/2022 - GFischmann wrote: 95 Points
Great
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4/29/2022 - mchern02 wrote: 96 Points
Ridiculous dimensionality to this wine with rich and deep palate, fresh fresh, and enormous power while feeling weightless. Strikingly fresh fruit and striking acid make this a huge winner built to last.
Can't wait for this to evolve and unfurl.
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4/25/2022 - mye wrote:
Another btl, another fantastic drinking experience. Just so open, expressive, approachable on pop & pour. Delicious and never seems to fail. Sure it'll age, but man is it great right now.
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4/22/2022 - uncorked.fr Likes this wine:
We have enjoyed a number of bottles of this in recent years, but this is admittedly the first time since January 2019 that I am doing another proper tasting. Naturally, it has evolved somewhat since my last evaluation but this vintage remains remarkably youthful and fresh (not to mention darn delicious!) Its cellaring potential should not be underestimated; this still has a glorious, long life ahead of it (perhaps well beyond anything that anyone is currently predicting).
APPEARANCE:
Color & intensity: medium gold
NOSE:
Intensity: medium (+)
Aromas: yellow apple, toasted almond, brioche, smoke, mirabelle plum, lemon, crushed chalk, hint of baking spices
Development: developing
PALATE:
Sweetness: dry
Acidity: medium (+)
Alcohol: medium
Body: medium (+)
Mousse: delicate
Intensity: pronounced
Flavors: lemon, brioche, yellow apple, mirabelle plum, crushed chalk, lemon zest, bread dough, hints of salt and honey
Finish: long
CONCLUSIONS:
Quality level: outstanding
Potential for ageing: can drink now, but has excellent potential for further ageing
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4/10/2022 - dcwino wrote: 97 Points
Beautifully balanced nose displaying perfectly ripe yellow fruit, lemon curd, fresh lemon, baked apple, honey, light caramel, sweet spices and limestone. Perfectly balanced palate, layers upon layers of perfectly ripe yellow fruit, rich yet very precise and beautifully detailed, very fine generous mousse, bright acidity, strong mineral, and a long ripe yellow fruit driven finish with mineral and brioche at the end. Another beautiful showing but no need to hurry.
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4/10/2022 - N.Bonaparte wrote: 94 Points
This needed about 2 hours in the glass to open up. Already very good balance and a long finish. This still needs another 3 plus years to open up. Reminded me of the 02 Cristal and 02 Krug. Missing the massive energy that the 08 Krug has and will drink well for at least a couple of decades. Revisit 2025
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3/10/2022 - zimmy07 Likes this wine: 93 Points
This has not produced like the first bottle. My last 2 have not been as good, or maybe I am expecting it it to eveolve more and it is just so damn young. Very singular, beautiful citrus, crish apple on the palate and well balanced. No real secondary notes of nuts, yeast, etc that I usually get with Cristal after 12-14 years since vintage. Now 2008 is not like other vintages. I will hide these away, because it was still really good, but I will try not to touch another one for 4-5 years .
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2/27/2022 - vetty Likes this wine: 95 Points
White flower, white fruits like pears, orange, good acidity. Open and drink, already pronounced flavor intensity. Great potential for aging. This bottle is not as crispy as other 08.
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2/25/2022 - Morten VB Likes this wine: 95 Points
No doubt this is a high quality wine in a great vintage. The sharpness and freshness of 08 really shows here and the wine appears very young and vivid.
Green apples, peach, lemon cest and salty notes along with hints of green herbs. Really a beautiful wine but s as t it’s young stage with only very small hints of honey, burned caramel, yellow apples and butter which I am sure it will build on over the next 10-15 years
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2/21/2022 - BradE wrote:
Like last month, this bottle was fantastic. Intense and approachable. Very happy how this vintage is progressing, as my initial bottles three to four years ago were good but not great. That has changed.
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2/20/2022 - mflesh wrote:
Tasted blind before a wine lunch. Everyone at the table thought that this one was quite vibrant and was more reductive than oxidative but overall still had the rounded character of your typical big house champagne producer. Only one person of 8 thought that this was more of a balance between oxidative and reductive. The palate was more apples and a touch to the acidic and tart yellow fruit side of things. Hint of roasted nut and herbal touch. The wine was quite vibrant. I guessed that it was more "Eme Krug-ish" in style yet everyone agreed that it was a younger champagne (or more current release) from a big champagne house. I have one of these in the collection at the moment and really think that this actually needs more time to figure itself out. Not so sure I would rate this 95 or higher based upon my experience today.
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2/9/2022 - aquacongas Likes this wine: 95 Points
blind
Late in the evening yet not in best form I couldn't detect it. Elegant and reluctant, less biscuity notes than usually. Balanced and today better than DP 2008. Still in his primary notes stage. Good acidity structue. I had it better and more expressive. 95
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2/6/2022 - MarshallLi Likes this wine: 97 Points
Definitely one of my favorite champagne!
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2/5/2022 - EZEddie Likes this wine: 96 Points
Pale gold in color with fine bubbles. Well balanced creamy texture on the palate. Superb.
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2/5/2022 - LiteItOnFire Likes this wine: 90 Points
Not much new to add from previous tasting notes except a slight move in the right direction. Hands off until 2026.
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1/7/2022 - fredb Likes this wine:
Very fine bead. Ginger and lime on the nose and palate with biscuit notes framing the fruit nicely. More kaleidoscopic than the '08 Dom Perignon. Very classy wine that shows its bones well.
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1/5/2022 - azzah Likes this wine: 98 Points
I don’t have a lot of experience with champagne but this is about as close to perfection that I’m going to try. Just perfect line and length, seamless complexity, brilliantly balanced, long flavours, not a hair out of place. A wine that grabs your attention and makes you take note. Green apple, lemon, freshly cooked bread, white flowers, a hint of peach. Still so young - that acid so vibrant and minerally. A privilege to drink.
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1/2/2022 - bobadopolis Likes this wine: 95 Points
Next bottle 2030+
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12/31/2021 - Ramberg wrote: 96 Points
NYE dinner - short note.
Nose is very floral, lovely perfume, with minerals, white flowers, bread, hints of white stone fruits, lovely citrus, clean minerals and already some nuttiness.
Palate with ripe citrus, waxy apples, honey, white stone fruits, strong chalky minerals and fine cutting and lifting acidity.
Excellent depth, mousse, balance and length.
Young but ooh so good.
Actually - wow!
This will be one for the history books, and Im looking forward to follow this wine for the years to come.
(96 - 97++)
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12/31/2021 - oldwines Likes this wine: 98 Points
Another great experience with this wine. It is the real deal. Nice yeasty nose that reminds me of my sourdough starter, great acidity, lemon and lime notes throughout, green apple, white florals and a saline character that coupled with the acidity make it so mouthwatering. A truly wonderful wine with decades of great drinking ahead of it.
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12/31/2021 - Gilles Dupont wrote: 100 Points
Simply perfect champagne, nothing else to say. Am fortunate to have quite some bottles in my cellar, but will consider buying more. Wil only improve in years to come. In +10 years, will be out of this world champagne.
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12/25/2021 - Isaac L Likes this wine: 95 Points
Electrifying. A complete champagne but still primary. Hit with a wave of apple on pouring. Tense and charged. Brioche and hazelnuts. Soft and slightly creamy mousse. Slight loss for words. Everything present in spades, but all in balance. Wonderful now, spectacular in future.
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12/22/2021 - gilrbo Likes this wine:
Drunk accompanying a dinner for two. From memory.
Impressive depth and complexity of flavors, while at the same time easy and very enjoyable to drink. The mineral and deep midpalate evolves nicely to a very long and lemony finish.
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12/18/2021 - mxpbuy Likes this wine: 95 Points
It's been quite a few years since I've had a Cristal. This was very young and restrained from what it will certainly become but it was simply too hard to put down, even now. Floral citrus fruits, touch of straw and cream. Excellent balance. Long finish.
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12/16/2021 - I'd Rather Be Drinking Wine wrote: 98 Points
Guys Night Out - Holiday Edition!: Love this Champagne and it remains my benchmark Champagne! Nothing I can say that has not already been said! The creaminess, the brioche, the minerality, the citrus, pear and green apple....yummy! Darnit! I forgot to "chew"! 98 points yet again!
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12/16/2021 - galewskj wrote: 96 Points
A Guys Night to Remember (Jason's house): Amazingly floral nose. The palate is so bright, with a creamy mouthfeel and acidic zing on the finish. The finish is persistent. Orange and lemon. The lemon is gorgeous.
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12/16/2021 - rocknroller wrote: 97 Points
Guys Night Out: One to Remember - Heavy Hitters (Jason P's, St. Paul, MN): Light gold color. Drank a glass plus over an hour. Tonight's bottle was amazingly floral on the nose, incredibly bright and bouyant, and the red berry fruit was shining through like I've never seen before. There was this aroma of the most alluring strawberry pastries I could imagine capped by a blissful creme Chantilly; along with peach, stone fruit and that subtle tropical note too all layered into the much more subtle mineral notes tonight. The palate shows the stony minerality much more so, yeasty, crisp and energetic, great clarity and elegance, crisp cut apple, Meyer lemon, quince spice and stone fruits. Very long, very exciting, and featherweight on the lifted palate. Fantastic and a little different from the last bottle. Can't wait to see where these go with time. 97(+)pts.
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12/15/2021 - fussyeater Likes this wine: 96 Points
Second encounter with this vintage of Cristal... Pale yellow in colour and nose showed plenty of interest, like a V8 engine purring away on ignition. The wine remains dense and hugely concentrated and absolutely exploding with energy on the mid-palate with serious persistence and a wow finish. Probably needs 20 years + but still an absolutely divine treat to enjoy now.
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12/15/2021 - NickA Likes this wine: 94 Points
"Good bottles" (67 Pall Mall): At present this wine is brooding, keeping much of itself in reserve, but you can't miss the understated quality as you drink it, like the satisfying clunk of the door of a Mercedes. Nearly two years since I last tried it, much of the screaming energy of youth has receded, but the perfect, crystalline nature remains. To my taste this was more enjoyable still once it had warmed up slightly, bringing out a subtle creaminess to accompany the fruit. Already looking forward to the next bottle!
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12/12/2021 - BradE wrote:
It's been a few years, and tonight I thought the 08 was terrific. Will put this vintage in rotation, but no hurry.
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12/7/2021 - Teknsteel wrote: 92 Points
Golden hue. Faint nose and not the most expressive palate. Traces of oysters and minerals faded to nothing really with just a slight increase in temperature. Not very complex at this stage. Hold.
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11/25/2021 - merlotsmile Likes this wine:
Provning 00,08,09,12,13 hos mig
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11/25/2021 - GFischmann wrote: 97 Points
Stil amazing!
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11/22/2021 - peternelson Likes this wine: 93 Points
This was really fine, taut, very precise, high acid, and intense. Not for the faint of heart. Is this the most serious Cristal out there? It is not a crowd-pleaser or for the novice IMHO. Very excellent, but still so closed, so full of tension (which I like), but needs to evolve more and gain some weight and complexity. Do not open for another 4-5 years! W/M&D my house before dinner.
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11/22/2021 - Jeff Leve wrote: 98 Points
The balance here between all the crushed rocks, stones, ripe citrus, green apples, lemon peel, flowers, honey, brioche, and racy acidity is just perfect. The bubbles are elegant, long, and fresh, giving you the perfect level of effervescence and fruit. I have tasted this at least 6 times, and with the exception of one bottle, they have all been extraordinary. I do think the initial bottle I tasted, which I posted a note on previously might have been opened too soon after shipping because subsequent bottles have all been better.
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11/21/2021 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Opened on a sorta whim and while delicious wasn't thrilling. But it had stiff competition on this day.
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11/20/2021 - Burgundy Al wrote: 95 Points
Wine Tasted at Acker Auction (Marea - New York NY): Small glass, brief note. Ultra. Right apple and lemon, great length and finesse.
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11/20/2021 - hprphf wrote: 94 Points
JK's 50th Birthday: Clearly a step up from DP 08 on the side… tremendous energy. Super detailed aftertaste. 94+
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11/15/2021 - lepetitchateau wrote: 97 Points
Brilliant
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11/13/2021 - BilboBaggins wrote: 95 Points
Clean, fresh, precise. Fairly open and generous, but stayed in the white/yellow fruit, citrus, flowers, fresh honey, vanilla, almond side of the spectrum. Fairly intense both on the nose and palate, but not too sharp. Not overly complex, but not too simple either.
Enjoyable now and of very high quality. Served next to Leclapart l’Apotre 2008 to show the difference between Grande Margue and grower champagne at the highest level, which worked well.
This was the 3*** French restaurant next to the new Nordic Noma of the Leclapart. Correct, precise and excellent, but maybe a little boring? I preferred the Cristal, but many guests were more impressed by the Leclapart.
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11/1/2021 - Krokfjord wrote: 95 Points
Som forventet syk intensitet, men overraskende åpen når drukket fra Zalto Bordeaux. Hvit frukt, brioche, toast, svakt hint av smør, boblene leker i munnen med en fantastisk eleganse og mineralitet. Selv om dette er helt fantastisk å drikke nå aner du samtidig hva som er i gjære – bortimot perfeksjon på gang om 10-20 år her.
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10/30/2021 - hajoha wrote: 96 Points
Cristal 2008
Så uendelig vakker som alltid.
Lekenhet og eleganse på øverste nivå.
Sublim munnfølelse.
Starter rolig før den eksploderer i munnhulen.
Rå konsentrasjon, særdeles fresh med en fantastisk energi.
Har et langt og lykkelig liv foran seg.
Intens drøyt lang finish med en mineralitet som bretter seg rundt hele munnhulen. 96p
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10/29/2021 - birdeaux Likes this wine: 98 Points
Upon first taste, I said “wow,” and my wife finished the thought with “that’s amazing.” Caveat: I like champs too cold and without aerating; this really delivered under those conditions.
Lemon and slate, with a touch of green apple on the nose. Long, long, long and appropriate & ample acidity. Great now and likely stunning in time. Brings a smile.
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10/27/2021 - MC2 Wines wrote:
Chateau Grillet Tasting + after.... (De Gustibus + Hutong): Served way too cold which made the wine pretty basic. Maybe at the very end of the night it was starting to warm up but given my previous experience with this wine where it was just straight up singing this was not that at all.
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10/23/2021 - aquacongas wrote: 96 Points
not blind
Side by side with the 2002. Still elegant and reluctant, precise and clear finish. 95-96
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10/22/2021 - fcxj wrote: 94 Points
Reliable.
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10/17/2021 - Frank Murray III wrote:
My final bottle of the 2008. Opened to share with some guests last night, and of note this 2008 followed a mag of the 2009 that we had finished an hour or so prior. While in my note about the 2009 I commented I was disappointed, I do also want to call out that the 2008 was far superior last night, with the tension, chalk and acidity that makes the 2008 drink well. I do like Cristal but have reached the point now that I would rather drink Vilmart Coeur de Cuvee that is both cheaper and to me of the same quality and expression as the best Cristal. I know that my opinion here may be in the minority, but I do believe this to be true.
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10/16/2021 - glou.sf Likes this wine: 97 Points
Bright nose with lemon notes and lots of minerals. Really lovely and nuanced but also a bit restrained at the moment. High acidity on the palate with fine mousse and more lemon and citrus notes. Long finish. The wine is bright and fresh and drinking quite well, but clearly not showing everything at the moment. 96-97++
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10/8/2021 - kr522 wrote: 97 Points
I’m not the Champagne cognoscenti, but this really hits the mark for me and is one of the best champagnes I’ve tasted….great complexity and the peacock’s tail finish. Delicious every time
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10/1/2021 - LB88 wrote: 94 Points
This was lovely, dense concentrated and yes still too young.
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9/28/2021 - lightning wrote: 97 Points
To celebrate the Dees' premiership. Intense chalk, mineral and slate. Deep and powerful yet weightless with great length and bracing acidity. Definitely should hold for longer, however needed to celebrate in style and this was called upon.
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9/17/2021 - wjl88 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Drank at Atomix, during their Fall Menu.
Felt like the bubbles dominated everything at the start - very lively, with minerals, lemon integrated within the bubbles. Acidity slowly comes out on the back of the palate and into the finish, and the rest of the notes slowly come out. Very precise, which allowed it to pair beautifully with multiple courses. Quite elegant, but still clearly too potent.
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9/9/2021 - PKim wrote: 96 Points
Drank for Megan’s birthday
All the elements are there; fruit, acidity, length and chalky notes. Given a little time and was gradually more expressive.
Needs time to integrate and develop but will be superb in 10-15 years.
The viscosity for a champagne was incredible.
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8/28/2021 - Paul S wrote: 93 Points
Euming's 40th Birthday (Kingyo, Telok Ayer): Clearly quality, but way too young. The nose was a rather more advanced then on the last bottle, with a more savoury character to it - earth and toast and yeast hints - before a more typical lift of lemons and green apple set in, all this laced with a lovely lining of stony mineral. With time, a little whiff of florals came in as well. Pretty nice. The palate was still really youthful though, almost painfully so. No yeast here, just with juicy lemons and fresh apples at the fore - quite dominating the palate - along with a really refined structure of lacy mousse of fine-boned lime and lemon acidity. There was power and quiet intensity, but such was the elegance on this that it carried its weight effortlessly. Lovely finish too, with a beautiful long tail of mineral and acid puckering the back palate. A really refined mouthful, but this really needs plenty of time yet - give it a decade or two, and it will be a Cristal for the ages. The last bottle I had was decanted for an hour or so, which opened it up far more nicely - we should have done so with this one as well.
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8/25/2021 - marcus_francois Likes this wine:
Drank after a lot of alcohol and this still showed its pedigree, which is a sign of a very good champagne imo. Elegant mousse, concentration, golden fruits, beautiful acidity. Looking forward to my next time drinking this.
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8/24/2021 - sdr Likes this wine: 93 Points
It’s starting to inch along the maturity curve but still a few years at least from prime time. Even now though, there was more layers of flavor than the other ‘08s in the mini-vertical. Not as soft or peachy as young Cristal in the past, there’s more concentration, acidity and bitter apricot. Exuberant and foamy with a nice couronne in the glass. Lovely.
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8/20/2021 - AllRed wrote: 96 Points
Friday Night Brown Bagger (R&D's): Served double blind to the group. Light color. Opens with a terrific toasty top note, with orchard fruit underneath. Adds citrus, ginger, peach, honeycomb and pear qualities as sits. Extremely fine bead. Flavors of baked apple, pear, ginger, toasted biscuit and mineral.
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8/20/2021 - Purple Tooth wrote: 95 Points
Crisp, balanced, bright, with the amazing tiny Cristal bubble package that look like tiny beads from a gold geyser. I like this Champagne and I think that Cristal earned its snobby price in 2008, but nothing really jumped out at me, convincing me that this was any better than a good year from Cristal. Worth holding....
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8/13/2021 - fcxj wrote: 94 Points
Crisp.
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8/13/2021 - gabird wrote: 97 Points
Nothing like starting a few days ahead of 40th and opening this wonderful bottle! Citrus and peach flowed first but minerals and creaminess follow. Bubbles were heavy on the pour and so drinkable.
Yes - caviar to balance it but by itself its great!
This is a complex, delightful bottle - only wish there were more in the cellar!
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8/7/2021 - CMN wrote:
Pale yellow with a powerful nose of white and yellow citrus. Yellow citrus, red apple skin, and brioche on the palate with an incredibly refined mousse. Quite drinkable now, but clearly room for improvement with age. Excellent today, but should be a classic in a decade or more.
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8/5/2021 - yossarian.livez wrote: 99 Points
Maybe the best wine I have tasted. When the bubbles blow off it’s just as balanced and ephemeral. Tasted it for days
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7/31/2021 - I'd Rather Be Drinking Wine Likes this wine: 98 Points
I love this wine, and experience is consistent with other tastings...BUT, I want to add a note here that others may, or may not, know: I was drinking this with a friend who told me he attended an Champagne tasting of older Champagnes, and was told by the host that all tasters should "chew" the Champagne to break up the bubbles and release more flavors.....I thought it sounded like rubbish, but I tried it anyway....OMG! It was different! "Chewing" on this Champagne led to a whole new flavor profile, i.e., seemed to release more acidity and more citrus flavors, especially lemon and grapefruit. The acidity in the wine increased to the point where I can see why many say this wine is still too young.
My usual way of drinking Champagne is more like eating oysters, i.e., I let is slide down my tongue, to my throat, then swallow the Champagne so it is about flavor AND texture....of course, the flavor profile is different, i.e., no grapefruit, less acidity, less lemon, and a fine mousse that is missing from the "chewing method. I am going to need to try this technique on all my Champagnes! Also, I can see where the "chewing" technique may benefit an older Champagne if it releases more acidity and presumably more fruit/citrus flavors. Still a 98, but excited at the prospect that this may further improve down the road! I guess I better slow down my consumption!
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7/27/2021 - shifter Likes this wine: 96 Points
Andrew's Birthday 2021: Pop and pour and follow over an hour. Strong yeasty notes immediately upon pouring. Mellows over time to reveal warm brioche and citrus zest. Expressive palate, lemon curd and bright acidity. This bottle was stunning and among the best bubbles I've ever had.
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7/26/2021 - tjross Likes this wine: 100 Points
Gift from Arnie, popped for 18th anniversary. I’m reluctant to share that this was paired with pretzel bites from Red Robin (inside joke with K) and takeout Chinese. Surprisingly worked well with both. What to say? I’m not a big fan of bubbles but have had my fair share of both horrible and brilliant. This tops them all. Freaking amazing.
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7/25/2021 - drjb Likes this wine: 98 Points
1889 Enoteca for a family birthday. This wine is as good as Champagne gets with a pale colour, fine bead and a ever evolving nose of delicious apples, white peaches, wild strawberries and lemonade fruit with touches of nougat and brioche. The palate reflects the fruit but is distinguished by great authority with lovely texture and depth that sets this Champagne apart. There is bracing acidity and minerality but it is completely balanced by the intense line of fruit characters. The final puddle at the bottom of the last glass just lifted things further suggesting age should add even more to the story !
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7/12/2021 - Vinum Deorum wrote: 94 Points
Let it age! A delicious and very energetic Cristal, which seems to be made to travel through time. Very focused, refined bubbles, lots of tension and freshness, high acidity, very long on the palate, while clearly too young. It gives you a clue on how good it may be when it has reached its plateau, but this will require a great amount of patience (10 years+). The 2002 which is a superb cristal in its sweet spot will probably be outperformed by the 2008 once mature.
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7/6/2021 - csimm wrote: 94 Points
Champagne & Sparklers (Calistoga): Fresh and crisp the way only a young Cristal can be, the 2008 spits out lemon pith, yellow citrus, and bitter chalk notes with determination and some grit. There is an angularity that is currently present here; air is your buddy, but time in-bottle will be an even better friend. Measured up to some of the other Champagnes at the table, the Cristal was one of the most spun-up and taut. Of course, compared to its schizophrenic acid-monger little brother the 2013 Cristal, this 2008 was a walk in the park.
Ultimately, this was zippy and spunky, but it lacks some finesse on the back end and finishes with some abrupt sourness. Sit on these for another decade and hope to be rewarded. 92-94+ points now, with an optimum drinking window around 2030.
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7/5/2021 - Sieegs Likes this wine: 95 Points
Young, but outstanding.
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6/30/2021 - dcwino wrote: 98 Points
Dinner with Charles M - Champagnes and Burgundies (Blacksalt, Washington DC): Incredibly energetic and precise nose displaying concentrated yet delicate yellow fruit with a hint of white, lemon curd, fresh lemon, apple, smoke, light honey, honeysuckle and crushed rocks. Beautifully integrated refined palate, finely layered sweet yellow fruit, perfectly precise, balanced and detailed, incredibly fine mousse, bright acidity, strong mineral and a seamless long pure yellow and white fruit driven finish with honey and limestone at the end. There is so much energy and tension. Despite being very youthful, this is drinking incredibly well. The 08 Cristal is more refined and detailed than the 08 Dom, like Chevalier vs Batard.
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6/27/2021 - spacewrangler Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very young and not at all complex as notes would leave one to believe. I bet it will be a fine Cristal in time, that time is most certainly not now. Primary and honestly four square in character.
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6/26/2021 - Francophile1 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Always fun to pair vintage Champagne with A5 Wagyu Strip Steak, especially when the Champagne is as good as this one. Tiny bubbles, clean lines, very pure and silky smooth. The acid cuts right through the buttery texture of the A5. I prefer the '08 vintage of Cristal to the '09, but I still love them both.
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6/25/2021 - Frank Murray III wrote:
Cristal and Fontodi Flaccianello plus Riverain and Schrader (served blind) (Foretti's in Corona Del Mar): Served alongside the 2009, both blind. We had the 2006 and 2002 late release also in the flight but neither of those can compete with the 2008 and 2009 in my opinion. The 2008 has a pounded rock aroma, with white flowers, tropical fruit and some toast. The core of the wine for me showed slate, golden apple and the sexy richness that for me is the 2008's profile. While this does have some of the citrusy/rocky tones that make the 2009 outstanding, the 2008 just seems to convey a citrusy, gorgeous power that should make for a long timeline of enjoyment. I still preferred the 2009 for the sheer pleasure it imparts now, but the 2008 is not far behind.
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6/17/2021 - Kim Gerner wrote: 95 Points
2008 top champagnes - horisontal wine tasting dinner (Rest PG (kg arr)): The third time I taste Cristal 08, but never in direct competition with 8 other 2008 top champagnes. How did it go? Not bad. For me it was no 2 of the evening, but it needs time in the glass. Not at all close to its top. It is youthful, but nevertheless I rate it 95 at it's stage right now. Extremely impressive. Note, it really needs time in the glass to open. Extremely delicate aromas. still dominated by green apple and a little tertiary nutty note. The acidity is extremely high, the highest in the tasting of the 9 2008's. The mousse is delicious delicate. I look so much forward to following my other btls. It might end close to 100/100.
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6/15/2021 - dream Likes this wine: 94 Points
Showing more than I expected with excellent richness of lemony fruit combined with perfect acidity and great elegance. Finishes complex already with excellent mineral intensity but this remains a puppy and is worth hiding in the cellar for a decade or more. 94+
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6/12/2021 - aquacongas Likes this wine: 96 Points
not blind, ad Louis Roederer Reims
not released yet, the new Premier Cru
A very good NV champagne for a big house. Not too sweet easy accessible. 91
BdB 2013
A treasure, I think the best value you can get ad Roederer. So elegant and The Chardonnay shines fine and reluctant. 94
Cristal 2008
Too young but it shows its elegance. In blind tasting would lose against DP in the most cases. Similar to Comtes de Champagne in the beginning stages. 96
Cristal Rose 2009
A beauty, not detectable as a Rose, it is like silk and velvet. 97
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6/9/2021 - Burgundy Al wrote: 95 Points
Acker's Post-COVID BYO, Dinner and Auction Simulcast (Craft - New York NY): As great as always. So much fresh, bright apple, layered with fun and energy.
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5/27/2021 - gouldcampbell77 wrote: 94 Points
Open 1hr. Pale lemon yellow in the glass. Small but very busy tiny bead. Bread dough nose with a hint of lemon and a suggestion of the thing I always dread - wet newspaper, which fortunately blew off after a while. This just needs a bit of air after ten years in bottle. On the palate the wine starts out tense and vinous with sharp acidity which changes from harsh lemon to crisp green apple as the wine opens up. There is a saline quality here that I like very much and the steely focused precision and minerality of the wine gives the impression of drinking liquid diamonds.
I'm normally a 'blanc de blancs from tank' kinda guy and I approach anything pinot heavy or that's seen any oak (which this has) with caution, but this actually ticks all my reductive boxes. ie. no wet wool, no oxidative notes - instead crisp, clear and round and refreshing. Quite obviously needs more time so I'm considering putting away a few bottles at the back of the cellar. I imagine this would be something special from magnum in 8 - 10yrs time.
On the evidence of this bottle at least, the Cristal '08 is some years from its peak. The wine kept developing over the evening and the last glass was the best. If you are thinking of opening a bottle, do so an hour in advance or better still, pour out a glass and put it back in the fridge for an hour before trying. This needs air time.
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5/18/2021 - hajoha wrote: 96 Points
Cristal 2008
Krystallklar, intens, ren og elegant med fantastisk løft.
Dette er gudenes nektar for meg.
Perfekt mousse, skyhøy lettbeint konsentrasjon med et lekent syrespill.
Er så vakkert!
Fryktelig ung, men umulig å ikke la seg begeistre.
Uendelig lang finish. 96P+
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5/15/2021 - hprphf wrote: 93 Points
PnP, lots of substance here. 93+
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5/12/2021 - Frank Murray III wrote:
This bottle was great right on opening, when the richness and the acid were working great together. Lots of lemony citrus. As it aired out further and warmed up, I noticed the green apple note really come through and also the wine lost some of the richness and replaced it with structure. Like most Cristal, it never seems to get more than 30 mins before the bottle is drained. One of these times I have to force intention to save a glass for the following day. I still think the 2009 is superior to the 2008 but what the hell do I know.
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5/12/2021 - brigcampbell wrote:
spectacular showing by this bottle. A little playdough on the nose but the chalkiness of the palate balanced with the fruit. really delightful.
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5/10/2021 - rocknroller wrote: 97 Points
Light gold color. Split bottle over 2 hours. Brought this to Spoon & Stable for my bday. I've been pretty reluctant to open any ony of these, but figured what the hell, it's a big occasion so we'll see how it's drinking now. Past bottles I've experienced have been very good, but not mind blowing in their relative youthfulness, but showing great promise. Tonight's bottle clearly demonstrated that promise, and it didn't hurt to be able really examine it over a longer time frame. There's literally a tornado of wispy ultra fine bubbles that never slows down - it's really quite mesmerizing to watch. I'm struck by the purity and brightness right off the bat. Incredible fresh sea air/breeze nose, with bright green apples, followed by a burst of green melon, Meyer lemon, honey, chalk, with almond and hints of nutmeg. The nose is blissful and lifted with the palate providing that same divine level of lift and elegance. Starting with the lacy featherweight mouthfeel and green orchard fruits with the pear and green apple out front, bright, lively, and crystalline, this dances across the senses. There's a really tangy green apple sweet tart sense that morphs into lychee and Meyer lemon. Wow, this is so pure and driven, and lest I neglect; this is like a mineral snow storm of ultra fine chalk and stone that balances the fruits perfectly. Almond cream, lemon, honey and a delicate panna cotta texture adds to the mandarin orange creme brulee finish. Wow, this was spot on. Despite all that, I think this has so much further to go. 97(+)pts.
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5/7/2021 - canan wrote: 95 Points
BYO - Erik: Extremely young wine that must be kept for a lot longer. There is plenty of flavors to enjoy but it is evident in the flavors that there are so much things that will develop over time.
It is just packed with youthful acidity and a dense core of crushed rocks. Great wine! 95-96p
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4/25/2021 - Eriklainen wrote:
Lovely bubbly and very much like champagne - sure it is really good, no off tastes, well balanced and long aftertaste but ultimately it strengthens me in the notion that not everyone goes bananas over bubbles of this caliber...
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4/21/2021 - Vinsant Likes this wine: 99 Points
For some reason I’ve never had Cristal until this year. And I’ve had the absolute pleasure of having the 08 three times since. I love Champagne and I really, really love this bottling. Such verve! Lemon, chalk, white flowers, vanilla, and orange/nectarine on the palate. The nose is all flowers, citrus, vanilla. It’s like a lemon cake with bubbles. Electric on the palate. Getting a few more bottles to see where this goes with age. Probably my fav sparkler!
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4/20/2021 - mye wrote:
Coincidental that a few days after trying the 2012, getting to try the 2008 again. This is firing on all cylinders. Peach, green apple, Bright lively acidity, dancing on the palate, and again laser focused. Great bottle.
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4/17/2021 - I'd Rather Be Drinking Wine Likes this wine: 98 Points
This continues to be my benchmark Champagne! It has tiny bubbles that lend to an exquisite appearance and mousse like texture. The nose shows plenty of toasted brioche notes, some yeast, some stone and some grass bones accompanied by citrus note, as well as stone fruit and a faint note of honey or wildflower. The palate is just as enticing with notes of toast, limestone, green apple, pear, melon and a hint of Meyers lemon. The finish is long and impressive, and coerces you into another sip. A great wine and worthy of its hefty price. Still the best Champagne I have ever tasted. 98, no problem.
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4/15/2021 - etyc Likes this wine:
PnP'ed. Compared to previous (4) bottles that I've tasted, this one seemed to have lost a bit of the punch (intensity) & exuberance (electricity) that I've come to like so much about the '08 Cristal. Perhaps it was also partly due to the setting/food combi? where the previous times were had with fine Chinese cuisine, but this was with robust Western cafe-cuisine... That said, this was still a fine drop - almost feminine/soft - bits of apples & brioche with a fine mineral/chalky streak/backbone. Harmonious, but would definitely had preferred it with more "presence"...
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4/9/2021 - Elpaninaro Likes this wine:
bright light yellow with a hint of gold, soaring floral and cream nose with a sharp red berry note over a soft bed of bread notes, on the palate lush and sweet grapefruit on a grander scale than usual, citrus notes, a certain saline quality as well, long lime-tinted finish with pronounced bright acids, as with many 2008s the last couple of years have allowed just enough time for this to begin to come together, still primary and unusually large in scale- but losing none of the haunting finesse that is the hallmark of a great Cristal, approachable despite the dominant presence of its stern finish- but I remain of the mind that this will take a very long time to reach its glorious peak.
(*****), 2035++
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4/3/2021 - Kim Gerner wrote: 95 Points
HQ champagne dinner at home (Home): So far I have not been a fan of 2008 - much too young. However, now things are changing. Extremely delicate and feminine. Overripe apple and bread dough. Shows beginning tertiary notes like hazelnut, and toffee. Long finish and very good balance. Despite the youth: Outstanding based on performance right now. Look forward to following the development. Extremely high expectation. It was directly compared to Comtes de Champagne 2004, which was more rustic and not at the same quality (rated 93)
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3/26/2021 - Andice wrote: 94 Points
Acid and fruit in great balance. Touches of biscuit notes but doesnt overwhelme the grapefruit and light toasted oak. Harmonious
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3/14/2021 - fcxj wrote: 94 Points
Subtlety, balance and length. In short, a complete champagne.
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3/9/2021 - Vietty Likes this wine:
Beautiful balance of yellow bright fruit with brioche. The wonderful mousse of bubbles and finish is also a highlight.
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3/5/2021 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Wow that is big and toasty and rich. Awesome.
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2/22/2021 - karlsenrm Likes this wine: 95 Points
Lys gul, gullaktig. Sitrus, røde epler, gjærbakst og svakt nøttete. Høy syre, utrolig sitron frukt, balanse ut av en annen verden, nydelig konsentrasjon med litt østersmineralitet. Fantastisk mousse. Pirrer og sitter ut i evigheten. Blir gøy å følge med tiden.
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2/18/2021 - Jofie Likes this wine: 95 Points
Very nice champagne - prominent acidity, nice and fresh fruit and lots of brioche and nuts. Needs some time in the glass and it should not be too cold - otherwise it is too harsh and lacks the lovely yeasty notes.
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2/13/2021 - MattGeneve Likes this wine: 96 Points
This was in a great place for my tastes. Honey, orange, blossom on the nose. On the palate, very pure and elegant yet very rich at the same time. Long and tangy. Opens up to a more floral nose with a deep rich coconut note too. So good.
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1/22/2021 - Satoshi Nakamoto Likes this wine: 94 Points
Tons of energy right out the gate. Opulent aromas, intense acidity, and tremendous density. Not as generous as it was on release, but it was still very pleasurable. It opened up more with about an hour of air, but by then, most of it was gone!
Gonna try the next bottle in a few years, at minimum.
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1/18/2021 - zimmy07 wrote:
This bottle was not flawed but not right. After 2 minutes in glass it was flat, very little mousse. It was a bit sweet, my first bottle was nails, so evolving, but think in a dumb phase or juts a weird bottle. The first bottle was amazing, so I know what this can bring. This did not deliver
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1/4/2021 - In2wines Likes this wine: 96 Points
Bordeaux New Years Evening 2020
Second try on this Cristal 08, Previusly a bit more open (in 2019) and less dense, is it closing down a bit ? might be so, I would stock this in the cellar behind a wall of Delamotte 2008 and drink those first .. . it's a wine with a huge amount of acidity, it's does not "destroy" the pleasure, but clearly need food, not a nightclub Cristal, like the 2004 or 2006 - I can see why Roederer did ajust the dossage over the years, now 7,5 gr in 08 and 7 gr in 2012, it's really dress the wine well, before hand it' was up too 10/12 gr per liter - that combinned with more and more mature fruit and warmer vintages was not a good mix !
This Cristal 08 is pure very dense, a intense Champagne with fresh Italien lemon's with a hint of bergamotte, and green orange peels. This has a sparkling minerality, this is an enormous wheigty Champagne, but not Selosse heavy (Sometimes Selosse is like fat boy trying to jump .. . and Cola without bubbles .. . ) LOVE the bubbles here, small and dense, retasted 24 hours later, and it's had not moved at all !! drink the 2007/2009 (both 93/100) now and stock this for the future .. .
Sofar best 2008's Chetillons Pierre Peters, Bollinger GA, Winston, Delamotte Bl des Bls. Dom Perignon (Not tasted yet is Comtes des Champagne & Egly Ouriet 2008)
Drink 2028-2040
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1/1/2021 - LiteItOnFire Likes this wine: 90 Points
Eh for $225/$250 there are better options at this stage in its development for my palate. Today this is drinking too linear however has great structure to outperform it’s peers in 5 years. For me this is a hold until 2025.
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1/1/2021 - T.E.D. wrote: 93 Points
One year to the day since my last bottle. Still quite lean and taught. Mouth watering on the back palate with citrus, seashell, chalk, etc. a characteristic unique to Cristal. The acuteness is outstanding. Laser beam. Will revisit again in a year.
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1/1/2021 - MAXIMUM SATISFACTION wrote: 97 Points
No formal notes but bested Emanuel Brochet Le Monte, Prevost Les Beguines, Dom 2010, and 2006 Paul Bara Marie. Still young but already very complex.
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1/1/2021 - UFGators Likes this wine:
Celebrating the new year with this champagne. This champagne is perfect. Will try my hardest to keep my hands off other bottles. This is 7th time tasting each tasting is Vetter than the last!
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12/31/2020 - JustBreathe680 Likes this wine: 98 Points
I intended to cellar this bottle for several more years but the circumstances called for this bottle on this day!
Drank at 2:00PM on New Year's Eve with my wife after closing on our new house, which was originally scheduled to close on 8/17/20 then moved to 10/31/20 and ultimately delayed until 12/31/20 mostly due to reasons directly and/or indirectly connected to COVID-19. When it was all said and done, I couldn't have asked for a better day to close or have my first experience with a bottle of Cristal!
The champagne was initially served at 49 degrees and warming up to approximately 53 degrees by the end of each glass. My ideal temp for champagne is 50-55 degrees. I drank it out of a Grassl Liberte glass. The cork was popped for 20 minutes prior to serving.
The champagne was drank over 2 hours with the bottle returning to 49 degrees after each pour.
The nose was of white flowers. The initial sip was overwhelming with flavors. Once my senses calmed down a bit and I was able to zero in on some flavors, I was able to taste marzipan, lemon, toasted almond and Italian ricotta cookie. Over time, the toasted almond was prominent. The wine was light on its feet and very smooth. It had very fine bubbles and displayed elegance.There was bright acidity that was mouthwatering. The finish just went on and on and left you wanting to go back for more. I had to use great restraint to not drink this wine quicker.
IMHO, this wine is a step ahead of Dom Perignon 2008, Krug 164 (2008 base vintage) and Bollinger La Grande Annee 2008 (which I had last New Years Eve). In addition, it showed better than the La Grande Annee 2012 that I had later thar night (Wine Spectator 97 rating and #10/100 Wine of the Year in 2020).
I have never drank a Champagne like this before. It was one hell of a sensory experience. I think it has room to improve even a bit more and possibly reach that elusive 100 point mark in future years! I have one more bottle that I plan to hold at least for 5 more years. If it was priced lower, I would stock up on the 2008 Cristal. This was the best Champage I ever had and is tied for my WOTY with a 1990 Ridge Monte Bello that was enjoyed in August.
Happy New Year and heres to 2021!
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12/31/2020 - PMJak11 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Happy New Year Everyone!!
Doesn’t hold a candle to my go to of Bollinger Le Grand Annee, but is always nice on a special occasion! Was very restrained and probably will be better in 5+yrs.
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12/31/2020 - Floyd77 Likes this wine: 96 Points
The perfect bottle to bid farewell and good riddance to 2020.
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12/22/2020 - chablis28 wrote: 98 Points
I only bought 3 of these and have already opened 2 for two very special days. My 65th Bday this past summer and tonight for Nita's 65th. Christmas babies like my wife often get cheated with Christmas so close. Cristal is an amazing wine and the perfect way to add a little extra excitement to a special birthday! With Covid, there's no whisking her off to Hawaii or Europe anytime soon like I'd prefer.
This was thrilling tonight with oysters and seared tuna crisp. Occasionally DP and Comte rise to this level but for me the most consistent and sublime experience in Champagne is Cristal. Tonight's btl almost defies description because its so ethereal and complete. Certainly it has extraordinary; balance, purity of fruit, beautiful effervescence, brilliant color & constant tiny bubbles and the most elegant and yet racy mouthfeel. This really does "dance across your tongue". Drinking this reminds me of my first listen to Steel Dan's head turning Can't Buy A Thrill & Pretzel Logic albums. Steely Dan rocks but they also added a whole new level of sophistication to any music buff's play list. Cristal has that same sophistication and appeal for me. And Cristal uniquely finds a way to balance all its focused class with delicious layers of weightless citrus & stone fruit that's never over the top. 2 out of three are gone. I'm going to have hide my last and savor it a few more years out. Easier said then done but a happy problem.
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12/11/2020 - forceberry wrote: 94 Points
A blend of Grand Cru Pinot Noir (60%) and Chardonnay (40%); 25% of the wine was aged in oak casks and 16% of the wine went through MLF. After the bottling, the wine was aged for +8 years sur lattes on the lees. 12% alcohol, 7,75 g/l residual sugar.
Pale straw yellow color. Sweet, complex and quite autolytic nose with aromas of chopped nuts and almond paste, some yeasty tones, a little bit of ripe, zesty citrus fruits, light biscuit aromas, a hint of French loaf bread and a touch of toast. The wine is quite ripe, rather dry and even somewhat chewy for a Champagne on the palate with a rather full body and intense flavors of grapefruit, autolytic brioche and yeast, some apple peel bitterness, light pithy notes of lemon, a little bit of chalky minerality, a hint of leesy creaminess and a sweet, slightly evolved touch of wizened stone fruits and lemon curd. Beautifully soft, plush and silky mousse. The bright, high acidity gives the wine good energy and sense of focus without making the wine too tightly-wound. Dry, firm and precise finish with intense and remarkably long flavors of lemony citrus notes, yeasty tones, some pithy grapefruit bitterness, a little bit of tangy salinity, light autolytic nuances of chopped nuts and French bread, a hint of toffee and a touch of tart green apple.
A beautiful, harmonious and very nuanced vintage of Cristal. There's a lot of everything, but nothing in excess. Seeing how 2008 was a somewhat cooler vintage with remarkably good weather in the late summer and over the harvest, the wine did show the sense of precision and concentration I expected, but the wine wasn't as brisk and racy as I expected - especially after the mousse had toned down a bit, the acidity felt very balanced, but perhaps even a bit lower than I expected. Nevertheless, the wine is all about harmony, nuance and still unrealized cellaring potential. The wine might be already 12 years old, but for a Cristal, that's really nothing yet. This is very rewarding already now, but most likely it won't be showing its true colors until its 25th birthday. Let it wait - this is really built for the long haul.
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12/11/2020 - robferguson1 wrote: 92 Points
Ok but light and not fine bubbles
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12/9/2020 - hprphf wrote: 94 Points
PnP, getting better and better. Layers and energy, sharp acidity. 94+
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12/3/2020 - aquacongas Likes this wine: 96 Points
blind
nose wise I thought it could be Selosse or Krug but the palate was 2008. So powerful and balanced. Great ripe fruits with enough acidity. Very elegant. Phantastic. for the next 30 yaers 96+
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11/29/2020 - lightning wrote: 96 Points
Quay lunch (Quay): Pale yellow. Everything about this wine is a display of balance and finesse. Energetic fine bubbles that burst delightfully in the mouth. Slight autolysis notes, green apple and lemon curd flavours, chalky and mineral, fine persistent acid spine, length for days, the thing that stands out is how none of the notes overpowers another - it's just seamless and harmonious.
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11/26/2020 - Cailles wrote: 94 Points
A year+ after the last bottle, it was time to check-in again on this much-lauded wine and vintage. It has not moved much in the past 12 months. The highlight still is the unbelievably soft yet fresh structure with the finest bubbles out there. While it is already very harmonious, it is only slightly more open than it was a year ago and is clearly still not fully ready. While you can sense that there is more, it is not yet the complex wine it will develop into. For immediaty consumption, I find the 2012 Cristal superior to this vintage. 94/95 points with potential for more in the future.
TN: Very fresh, medium+ expressive bouquet displaying toasty, citrus notes and some yellow fruit. Same aromas along some more mineral notes on the palate. Not overly complex but what is there is delivered quite precisely. The structure and texture are impeccable with the right amount of well integrated acidity, a creamy, yet weightless texture and feel as well as an incredibly fine mousse.
Decanting: Not decanted, good from the go but improved in terms of complexity the longer it sit in the glass (slightly).
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11/20/2020 - etyc Likes this wine:
Decanted for ~2+hrs before pouring. There's just something similar between this & the Krug 164 - a most floral nose of white-flowers, apples & just a tinge of nuts/brioche. Youthful on the palate, but full of power enveloped by ripe fruits & great freshness that left a long trail to the finish. Solid! My favourite champagne bar none!
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11/14/2020 - JustOneMoreGlass Likes this wine: 100 Points
Simply the best champagne I've ever had. Fully balanced and powerful. I've purchased more to stock for the rest of my life's milestone.
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11/14/2020 - sirpat00 Likes this wine: 97 Points
Lightly toasted brioche bread, pear and citric fruit and just a tad smoky. Fresh and lemony on the palate, incredibly smooth with a mineral granite rock finish. Incredibly fine bubbles and the freshness sits on a slightly creamy under-floor which provides for an amazing texture. There is so much finesse with crystal-clear aromas and spot-on precision. It's been 18 months since I last tasted the Cristal 08 and it has come a long way already with the fresh acidity now even better framed by a structure that is settling down. In terms of quality and performance this remains a benchmark in Champaign 2008-country where only a very few can measure up. Have consistently scored this 97-98.
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11/13/2020 - DoubleT Likes this wine: 96 Points
Celebrating yet another Wall Street rally and starting to realize the Dom 08 IS too young it had to be same vintage Cristal for a fair compare.
Served at maybe eight degrees Celsius. Very yeasty on opening . Bread dough fills the table. Relatively quickly evolves info acid fruits on the nose. Needs some air. Giving it some minutes to get to know the glass. Fine but quick mousse. Evolves into baked bread, sweeter fruits but still not very awake. May need more years to impress at opening. Nothing negative.
Taste is closed in the beginning. Clearly a story wants to be told, but still just mumbles. Giving it a degree to breathe. Yeast is gone, strawberries arrive. Not the perfect ones from southern Norway, more the dutch industrial ones. Acid. But good. Notes of apple, citrus. Clearly quality apples in the finish. Balance evolving into perfection as time lapses and even one more degree is added. Accepts rising temperature with dignity and gracefulness. I do not taste very complex fruits at this time, weight on apple and strawberry. Potential to evolve.
Bubbles are present, but so fine it is almost so you wonder from where. Very easy mousse in the mouth. Reaches its peak after half an hour. Peak is long.
Absolutely no rush yet. Clearly a collection keeper.
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11/7/2020 - Nicephoras wrote:
Opened to celebrate the election, as it felt appropriate. Cristal is so far my favorite 2008, though I do think it's a slightly overrated vintage (as I prefer Chardonnay) - I like the 09 better, but we'll see how this ages. That said, it's an absolutely delicious wine with great tension.
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11/7/2020 - jfpwine Likes this wine: 94 Points
2008 Cristal feels appropriate tonight. Bright yellow, lemon, hazelnuts, yellow apple and slight yeast on the nose. Sharp and bright palate, with lively acidity. Persists in the mouth. Excellent.
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10/31/2020 - kr522 wrote: 94 Points
great precision and balance....a bit yeasty
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10/30/2020 - beatles wrote: 95 Points
Great structure here. Acidity, freshness, depth, intensity and the tell tale sweetness is kept in firm hands. Very young, give it more time. 95+
#IB#Palmer1961-night
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10/26/2020 - Dnordh Likes this wine: 95 Points
Perfectly balanced
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10/21/2020 - GFischmann Likes this wine: 95 Points
Wonderful balance and great with the meal
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10/17/2020 - The Vines That Bind wrote: 92 Points
Blind. On the nose I thought this was a grower champagne as it was extremely youthful and chalky. Flinstone vitamins. Palate was similarly youthful but had good density and weight. I totally missed the higher dosage and sweet character here. I don't love Cristal stylistically and this was less objectionable. Extremely young and less approachable and open than '08 DP, which I already love right now.
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10/17/2020 - Ebrim wrote: 94 Points
Short note - nose is a bit closed, fresh, lemon, apples, nugatt, palate is extremely complex and concentrated. Long finish, needs time, outstanding quality 94p
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10/17/2020 - Dale M wrote: 96 Points
With almost impossible hype to live up too, this is one of those instances were it is truly justified. I have never had any type of beverage (let alone a champagne) that provides the perfect union of richness and tension that is on display here. Truly a wow wine.
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10/10/2020 - Quiet Lion Likes this wine: 93 Points
Served ice cold, which probably prevented me from tasting a lot of the nuance that makes people give this high ratings. Smooth, creamy, balanced, and delicious.
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10/6/2020 - Paul S wrote: 94 Points
SMD at Yan (Yan, National Gallery, Singapore): A baby, but boy this was absolutely lovely. We decanted it for an hour or so, and it really opened this up beautifully. What a lovely nose this had, with drifts of spice and flowers and apples, beeswax and honey - a lovely raft of aromas. The palate was young, but entirely lovely, with sweet apples and ripe lemons gliding across the mouth in a wonderful show of precision and grace. Neat little finish too, with little notes of lemon zest, mineral, and just a hint of florals. There was just a crystalline cut and thrust about the wine, but also a creamy, almost palate-enveloping fruitiness - so that it drank so very easily, almost making the wine seem simpler than it actually was. A real sleight of hand there. All in all, a wonderful champagne, with its best years still way ahead of it yet.
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9/12/2020 - G_H wrote: 93 Points
Yeast, brioche, minerals, good acidity and tension. Too young for my taste
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9/9/2020 - Moonie Likes this wine: 98 Points
Incredible depth and intensity. Notes of apple, pear and honey. A real tour de force.
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9/5/2020 - shifter Likes this wine: 95 Points
Brioche toast and yeasty notes on the nose. Secondary notes of orange blossom and citrus rind. More orange zest on the palate with a strong backbone of acidity. Good weight and well integrated mouthfeel. Well balanced with a lingering tartness. Very young, but has the stuffing to continue to improve for many years.
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9/4/2020 - SimonG wrote: 95 Points
Palest straw. A purity on the nose, all clean elegance. A touch more creamy development on the attack than was evident a year ago, just staring to show signs of relaxation before the tight, zesty and very mineral back end of the mid-palate gets you, followed by a fine and dry extract packed long finish. If you have lots of this no crime to enjoy one now, but really it needs another decade of slumber and development to be close to showing its full potential. ***(**)
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9/3/2020 - paul195 wrote: 95 Points
#2 of 12 had first bottle two weeks ago, couldn’t resist a revisit. See prior note for details but simple truth is this is just delicious, had the first half of the bottle to start the meal and loved its energy and attack.. switched to a 2001 Fournier GC Combe aux Moines, which was delicious with duck breast In a sour cherry sauce and came back to this with dessert and cheese two hours later to find an impressive, complex, more vinous, champagne
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8/31/2020 - englishman's claret wrote: 97 Points
Not sure I have had this from a white wine glass before and while this showed very restrained and linear from a flute, it really blossomed in a Burgundy glass. Huge, fresh, not lactic like some Cristal. Complex, impactful, and precise this might be my favorite Cristal.
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8/30/2020 - Motz wrote: 97 Points
Thankfully, my third tasting of this wine. Is it ever lovely. High pitched and spectacularly piercing, it features that rarest form of energy. Also, very clean, almost unbelievably so. Impression of liquefied precious stone, followed by appealing salinity. Exceptional!
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8/16/2020 - chablis28 wrote: 97 Points
Ok, this did not disappoint and lived up to its pedigree and vintage. Terrific tiny bubbles. Sleek, elegant, racy fruit and minerality. Weightless concentration with a mouthcoating persistent finish. So refined and yet authoritative. Impressive! Nice way to ring the 65th bday with the family.
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8/15/2020 - paul195 wrote: 95 Points
Had a bottle of this 18 months ago and was blown away at its explosive fine mousse, bright fruit and mineral cut. I purchased a case and put it in my cellar. This is my first revisit since then, it has settled down a bit and picked up complexity, wider range of white fruits, added limestone notes It is weightless but persistent, Good acidity, excellent balance with an impressive finish.
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8/15/2020 - geoffreychambertin Likes this wine: 97 Points
It's great, but is it 3x as great as the already pretty great Roederer Vintage Champs? No. Still, worth it for a special occasion, and it does live up to the hype. I think this is the highest I've ever rated a wine.
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8/1/2020 - peternelson Likes this wine: 94 Points
Gorgeous classic bread dough notes, yellow fruits and white flowers; excellent balance, still very youthful with high acidity but great intensity, length, and balance. Has opened up a bit in the last year and a half but has a lifetime ahead of it. At Hiro's backyard.
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7/25/2020 - dcwino wrote: 98 Points
A small gathering with COVID safety measures at Bryan's (Undisclosed location in McLean, VA): Incredibly youthful and energetic nose displaying concentration yellow fruit with a hint of white. Lemon curd, lemon, granny smith, light caramel, smoke, spicy spices and limestone. Exceptional concentration, layers upon layers of concentrated yellow fruit, very precise, focused and detailed, very fine abundant mousse, bright acidity and strong limestone mineral, and a long concentrated yellow fruit driven finish with spicy spices and limestone at the end. Although very young, it is drinking incredibly well, kinda champagne that rejuvenates your spirit.
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7/25/2020 - mye wrote:
Wow.. stunning bottle. I wasn't sure how this would live up to the silly hype around it. Expressive orchid fruit, a touch of sweetness on the mid palate, and high acidity, wound together with great energy. With some air, it just kept getting better. Yum.
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7/17/2020 - CamWheeler wrote: 94 Points
Tim's 50th Dinner #2: White florals, orange peel, spice and a touch of herb giving it some early interest. Amplified power on the palate, full and superb line and length. Almost too easy to drink with how delicious it is.
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7/17/2020 - hajoha wrote: 96 Points
Cristal 2008.
Dronningen av eleganse.
Alt er så lett, rent, lekent og vakkert.
Dette er fasit på vektløs intensitet.
Brer seg ut som en sumobryter.
Hver millimeter av munnhulen har sitt eget raveparty.
Fantastisk konsentrasjon, syre og lengde.
Sublim mineralitet.
Nesen holder litt tilbake, ellers magisk. 96p
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7/16/2020 - RayOB Likes this wine: 97 Points
Drank at 67
What is not to like about this, WOW
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7/10/2020 - dcwino wrote: 98 Points
A lost Friday afternoon gathering – COVID safety measures - Mostly Blind (Reston, Va): Expressive energetic nose displaying opulent yellow fruit, fresh apple juice, lemon curd, light caramel, white pepper, saline, smoke and crushed stone. Excellent concentration, very finely layered perfectly ripe yellow fruit, very fine abundant mousse, rich yet fresh and precise, perfect amount of acidity and mineral, and a seamless long perfectly ripe yellow fruit driven finish with lemon and limestone at the end. The 08 magically combines perfect intensity, precision and balance.
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7/9/2020 - fcxj wrote: 96 Points
One of the best young champagnes I've tasted. Reductive aromatics. Very balanced and what length.
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6/27/2020 - Burgundy Mitch wrote: 94 Points
A great Champagne and an excellent vintage of Cristal. Not quite at the level of 96, a little less fruit driven/more classic than the 2002, richer and better though than 99,04,05, and on par with 06 IMHO with everything in wonderful balance, classic Roederer Cristal style, brioche, yeast, white stone fruits. Nice persistence and lift, just a delight to drink. Should be evolving nicely for up to another decade. 94+
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6/19/2020 - BLam Likes this wine: 94 Points
It was not my lot of 08 Cristal but my friend brought one for the appertizers. It was too early to consume but it still providing a firm structure, complex aroma and palate. A wow wine in the future!
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6/14/2020 - mrkurtz wrote: 98 Points
Toasty nose, apples, earth, rich citrus. Featherweight on the palate, and intensely focused acidity. Very juicy and rich, with flavors that match the nose. Flinty and mineral. Long finish. Extremely creamy bubbles. Wow.
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6/13/2020 - mblatino Likes this wine: 95 Points
Smooth and consistent mousse.
Fantastic acidity and fruit. Brioche, yeast and some yellow fruit and green notes.
The taste is complex, long and fresh. High acidity. Young, but accessible.
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6/6/2020 - KeithAkers wrote: 95 Points
Nose: The nose is deep and elegant with a regalness to it, filling the glass with meringue, pears, baking spices, vanilla beans, green tea, apples, saline, peaches, ginger, brioche, biscuits, and warm dough. This benefitted from a few hours of air and showed off something already beautiful.
Taste: The feel is Medium bodied with tart, high acidity. The acidity has some punch, but beneath it lies a gorgeous and textured feel with meringue, pears, apples, peaches, ginger, saline, vanilla beans, biscuits, and warm dough.
Overall: This is a stunner already and there is more it can give. The nose is a bit coiled up but the feel is where it’s really at right now. This is lovely stuff that needs a lot of air if drunk now or even better, 5+ years to let itself come together.
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6/6/2020 - fclarity wrote: 95 Points
This wine still looked young with a light, shiny gold center and clear rims. The nose grew as the wine aired to show white stone, gooseberry pie, and apple. It was young and tight but still balanced and attractive.
The mouth followed the nose with refined well balanced flavors. The mousse was fine bubbled and relatively aggressive. Along with the crisp acidity, these attributes caused the wine to have great length.
It is still a little early on this one but it is another stunner from Crystal. I think there is at least another point of upside.
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5/31/2020 - Nicephoras wrote:
First post-COVID dinner at Chez Marina et Jeff: This remains a clean, precise, and acid driven - I think this has a great future ahead of it. There's a touch of lime on the finish, though it's not as distracting as on the 2008 Dom. It's possible I like the 2009 rendition of this better for current drinking.
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5/30/2020 - AndrewSGHall wrote:
Noticed the lemon stripe here a lot more than a little bit ago, but I enjoy it immensely and like the overall to this wine a lot. Great acid and the lemon strides on mineral compliment. Long and subtle finish.
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5/15/2020 - tinybubbles Likes this wine: 95 Points
Brilliant young champagne that is delicious even today.
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4/25/2020 - andrewdodd86 Likes this wine: 100 Points
Touch sweeter than your average champagne, but still has tear your face off acidity. Citrus, cream, almond, toast. Pear, apple, peach, lemon, grapefruit, honeysuckle. Toasty and brioche central. Love it. Really opened up. Amazing.
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4/11/2020 - strijbosmh Likes this wine: 96 Points
Insanely good. Young. Retry in 3-5yrs.
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4/6/2020 - HandmadeHomemade Likes this wine:
Incredible. Notes of sea spray, caviar, full body- taut wine. Amazingly bright citrus acidity. So young.
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4/5/2020 - I'd Rather Be Drinking Wine Likes this wine: 98 Points
My benchmark for Champagne! This is by far the best Champagne I have ever had, and as close to perfection as I can imagine! It has everything you could ask for in a Champagne...pale gold color, effervescence of tiny bubbles that are a constant reminder of its crispness and freshness. Lovely on the nose, reminding you of a breezy Spring day with freshness in the air, then in the distance, and growing stronger, fresh baked bread, an ocean breeze, and some baking spices and toasty oak. On the palate, you are whisked away with a complex, but very pleasant assault of minerals, wet rock, stone fruit, baked pie, and sweet toasted bread. While you are enjoying the foray and identifying nuances, you soon realize the bottle is empty! A classic wine, in a classic vintage....can't imagine a better wine, but left a couple points open in case I am fortunate enough to ever find one! I could drink this everyday (if I could afford it!). A treat to drink, and well worth every penny!
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4/3/2020 - jpbach13C wrote: 98 Points
Every bottle better than the last. Wow. Words don’t do this justice. Insanely concentrated yet light as a feather. Endless finish. Kaleidoscopic.
The best wines can be drunk at any stage of their evolution.
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3/30/2020 - pfisher17 Likes this wine: 98 Points
Amazing. Definitely the most complex champagne I’ve ever had. Lots of citrus on the front pallet, which is rare in champagnes. High acid as well which tells me this will age beautifully. Glad I bought a few more to lay down. Should easily age for 30-40 years.
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3/28/2020 - Motz wrote: 97 Points
The wine deities smiled on me, affording me a second opportunity to taste this transcendent offering. Generous and beautifully framed, notable saline elements, delightfully satisfying finish. Stately poise, impeccable precision! 97-98.
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3/14/2020 - bp888 Likes this wine: 99 Points
Absolutely incredible. Breathtaking persistence, rolling waves of gorgeous texture, brioche, lemon curd, with acid minerality holding it all together.
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3/7/2020 - Burgundy Al wrote:
La Paulée de New York Gala Dinner (Pier Sixty, Chelsea Piers - New York NY): Late night small pour. Incredibly bright and complex apple with so much precision and great length. Great wine already, this is likely to remain fantastic for a couple of decades.
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3/3/2020 - ggj wrote: 98 Points
Brilliant
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3/2/2020 - hajoha wrote:
Ikke en helt topp flaske dessverre - mistenker varmeskade her.
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2/28/2020 - rc@ughey wrote: 95 Points
The hype is real. This is so focused, so balanced, and so intense that the overall impression is totally electric. This is super young, of course, but it’s already so good and it will be thrilling to see where it ends up. In a very impressive lineup that included Rousseau, Liger-Belair, Dom Rose, and other gems, this was WOTN.
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2/26/2020 - etyc Likes this wine:
Still as great and superb as I remembered it (my 3rd bottle) to be. White flowers, apples, smoke & nuts on the nose. Beautifully layered (nice mousse) with great (yellow) fruit intensity and also bursting with energy (minerality) & freshness at the same time. Incredible, incredible champagne!
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2/26/2020 - drjb Likes this wine: 96 Points
At Corella Restaurant, Woolloongabba. This is a young and beautiful wine with a pale colour, fine bead and a nose of red apple, fresh lemon, white peach and a touch of red berries and nougat. The palate is intense yet tightly bound with a fine acid and mineral finish that keeps on and on. Terrific stuff just starting out.
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2/19/2020 - NickA Likes this wine: 94 Points
Gareth's blind 2008 Grand Marques (Chez Bruce): Tasted blind. Crystalline, candied nose. Really energetic on the palate, with acidity very prominent for the time being. This feels the furthest from being ready of the 2008s tasted tonight.
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2/17/2020 - jfpwine Likes this wine: 97 Points
What a wine. Crisp nose of barely ripe lemon, green apple, sea spray. Laser sharp acidity. Incredibly long finish. So young but so good.
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2/16/2020 - dcwino wrote: 98 Points
Unbelievably energetic and precise nose displaying perfectly ripe yellow citrus fruit, lemon curd, granny smith, caramel, a hint of cedar, white flowers, rainwater, smoke and mineral. Exceptional concentration, finely layered concentrated yellow fruit, very fine generous mousse, beautiful detailed, energetic and precise, bright acidity, strong limestone mineral, and a long perfectly ripe yellow fruit driven finish with perfume and citrus at the end. This is the first time Steve H. is drinking the 08 Cristal and mentions how much he loves the incredible amount of dry extract. Although incredibly youthful, it is drinking beautifully.
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2/15/2020 - dbg wrote:
Jamming with Stu (Dune, Fort Lauderdale): This literally filled the room with its aroma on opening - you hear that now and then but rarely experience it. Peach, lemon, zesty acidity, very intense and fun to drink. Will likely improve with age but hard to resist now. My favorite of the Champagnes this evening, with the 1996 Krug nipping at its heels.
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2/14/2020 - Hanibal Likes this wine: 94 Points
Better than 4 different krugs drank at same time
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2/11/2020 - Jeremy Holmes wrote:
This has really tightened up over the past few months and is now a kinetic ball of vinous energy. It has some red fruits, white peach and loads of chalk. There’s a razor-sharp line of acidity and it finishes with a huge squeeze of lemon.
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2/9/2020 - dcwino wrote: 97 Points
Sommelier Appreciation Dinner 2020 (The Brown Residence): Combining incredibly finesse and energy. Fresh white fruit, granny smith, pear and a hint of lemon curd. Excellent concentration, fine generous mousse, bright acidity and strong mineral. Drinking exceptional well but a long life a head.
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2/9/2020 - ludwigbpm wrote: 92 Points
Beaucoup de vin dans ce Champagne célèbre, c’est impressionnant par sa puissance et son côté tranchant. Je suis toutefois un peu troublé par le dosage qui me semble trop présent, donnant un aspect un peu lourd en bouche et grossier.
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2/2/2020 - Thirsty1 Likes this wine:
This bottle was drank after the Super Bowl. It should have been in celebration, but it wasn't. It's really good. If you don't like it, you don't like champagne.
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1/31/2020 - Don Jose Likes this wine: 99 Points
Holy smokes. Among the best champagnes I have tasted. Balanced, focused, vibrant. There is so much going on in the glass. Honey, apple, ginger, cherry, toast. Phenomenal. Liquid elegance.
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1/31/2020 - Motz wrote: 97 Points
Special! Beautiful mousse, riveting energy, piercing acidity, transcendent purity! Cut diamond-like precision, lovely salinity, seductive textures, mind-bending finish. The whole package, and in the top five most memorable Champagnes I have tasted, which includes the 1996 Krug Champagne Brut, 2006 Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin Brut Rosé La Grande Dame, and NV Egly-Ouriet Grand Cru Blanc de Noirs Les Crayères. In its infancy, and improvement seems likely. Serve at 48 - 53 degrees for maximum pleasure. 97-98...99?
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1/28/2020 - sdr Likes this wine: 92 Points
The ‘08 Cristal is arguably the best vintage of the 21st century for drinking today. Luxurious, ripe but not sweet, fruity and elegant. More complex and interesting than the others this century which remain surprisingly backward in Cristal terms. Plenty of room to grow and already delicious.
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1/26/2020 - Aromatic wrote: 95 Points
What can I say about this champagne it is linear travelling in a black hole! No bruise apples and tropical fruits nonsense or oxidative. Sniff it , my favourite toast not over oak deep sweetness from just ripe grapes makes it pure and retaining the abundance acidity of the vintage! Sweetness over intensity while drooling and finishes dry! When I say linear travelling through a black hole ,this is a century champagne! To the point I totally enjoyed it now as it has all the elements I like! If I would like to compare a category of white burgundy I will put this with the approach of Arnaud Ente , Roulot or Coche in this vintage or perhaps I have delusions of grandeur! 95now and 3-5 points more later!
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1/24/2020 - rmalloy wrote:
I drink champagne a few times a year. My palate is not attuned to it.
I found this champagne too acidic and not very appealing. My dining companions had similar reactions. I had trouble identifying the features that would have led some critics to rate it 100.
In the past, I have preferred older and yeastier champagnes. I want more flavors to balance the acidity.
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1/12/2020 - scyrene Likes this wine: 93 Points
People have been waxing lyrical about this vintage, so I thought I'd best try it before the price shoots up. Lemon colour. Mild but nice, bready nose with apple, a little honey and lemon, and a floral element. Very creamy mousse. It is delicious - well-integrated and focused, but also generous. Somewhat savoury - I often think of puff pastry in wines like this - but there's also lots of crisp fruit. A tiny bit of salted caramel. After some time, lots of sweet lime. Great concentration, I feel like this has more to offer than the '09 I had a couple of years ago, which was a bit delicate. Drinking very well now, but with the capacity to score slightly higher in ten to twenty years. [Cork + cage; 12% abv; Majestic, £189].
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1/12/2020 - nadecesse wrote: 91 Points
Sur deux jours. Très parfumé après aération sur les pommes vertes, les poires, les agrumes et les amandes grillées principalement, quoique pas particulièrement vibrant ni élégant. La bouche est ample, fraîchement tartrique et persistante mais passablement gommeuse même sur ce millésime avec une finesse et un éclat tout juste honnêtes pour le niveau. L'effervescence est assez fine, la finale très longue mais le dosage me dérange ici encore. À moins d'une mauvaise bouteille, ce qui m'étonnerait, j'ai vraiment du mal à voir la grandeur qu'on lui attribue... un vin à servir à l'aveugle. Pas mal, mais 250$ trop cher... 90-92+
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1/8/2020 - bobadopolis Likes this wine: 100 Points
Best champagne I've ever had, hands down.
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1/3/2020 - _water.into.wine_ Likes this wine: 97 Points
Almost a full year since I last had this, and just a sublime. I said it then, but this is the best young champagne I have tasted. Pale straw. High acidity, fresh and cutting. Powerful intensity masked in such a delicate and elegant package. Lots of minerality. Super fine bubbles. Just brilliant. Shared by TL at Dewakan
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1/3/2020 - jerhardt Likes this wine: 93 Points
NYE @ Avery. Light yellow, delicate, precise, and focused. Very good, but very young. Try again in 5+ years.
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1/1/2020 - gammaeta wrote: 100 Points
Very very smooth
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1/1/2020 - T.E.D. wrote: 95 Points
Limited note. Superb showing intensity and finesse even at this age. Acute citrus with a good minerally back bone.
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12/31/2019 - springdrive Likes this wine: 95 Points
Bright buttery pastry, oatmeal, green apple and pear, almond and minerality. Absolutely excellent.
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12/28/2019 - mjdixon Likes this wine: 90 Points
Way too young and sharply acidic.
I’m probably not as experienced as those who say nice things about this but Seems it needs at least 5 years of aging to mellow??
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12/28/2019 - chewiness Likes this wine:
distinct nose of german baumkuchen. same taste, accompanied by flavours of key lime pie, citrus and ginger. very well integrated acidity and aftertaste.
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12/26/2019 - H2OMansLibrary Likes this wine:
Can't add much to the long list of tasting accolades here. This is a beautiful bottle of Cristal. Can easily go another decade.
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12/21/2019 - Nanda wrote: 94 Points
Wine Flock Champagne Gala (Park Ridge CC): Among the better Cristals that I've ever had. Refined and delineated with plenty of stuffing. Like the floral character. Got better with a couple hours of air.
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12/18/2019 - Gas Station Wine Guy Likes this wine: 96 Points
Big & powerful with lots of citrus, peaches, some brioche-yeast note, lots of acidity & minerals. Quite young and will need some time on the cellar. Will get better. Revisit in 2023?
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12/17/2019 - Turnmeroyalblue Likes this wine: 97 Points
Love it. Beautiful texture, still subtly bubbly, crisp. Like nectar with lovely notes of citrus, stone fruits. Balanced.
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12/16/2019 - dcwino wrote: 99 Points
A small impromptu dinner - 08 Champagne and Chateau Margaux (Clarity - Vienna, Virginia): Exquisite nose displaying rich yet energetic and refreshing white and yellow fruit, apple, pear, apple pie, a hint of pineapple, sap, candied ginger and limestone. Perfect balance and harmony, very finely layered concentrated yellow fruit, very fine abundant mousse, rich yet elegant and perfectly precise, bright acidity and mineral, and a seamless long decadent yet pure yellow fruit driven finish. I am not a big fan of young Cristal as I find them to be very rich but slightly lacking energy and freshness. The 08 combines the rich Cristal style and the precise and energetic 08 vintage character. Incredible showing. Everyone is impressed.
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12/15/2019 - tunaguy Likes this wine: 94 Points
extremely structured. lots of minerality and huge citrus notes with some yeasty notes as well. very high acid. I have a feeling this wine is a ways off from being at its peak. i would drink 2023-2048
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12/13/2019 - JonnyG Likes this wine: 94 Points
A Splendid Pre-Holiday Celebration With the London Crew (67 Pall Mall): Fresh, intense and perfectly balanced, with a tremendous acidity that was well complemented by the very dense lemon, lime and green apple notes. So much upside, of course, yet I really relished getting a look at this young stunner in its primary phase, and would not hesitate to open another.
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12/11/2019 - vulgar little monkey wrote: 92 Points
I guess I'll depart from the herd a bit here. This was more impressive than enjoyable. Perhaps it will be better with some age, I sure hope so for the price. I guess I want my Champagne either a bit more suave or with a bit more personality.
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12/10/2019 - qtsam11 wrote: 94 Points
What a treat! Brioche, almonds, green apple all day. Wonderful and quite youthful. Fine bubbles, among the most we have ever seen from a bottle. For my money, I prefer Schramsberg Reserve for half the price, but it is hard to find many flaws or shortcomings with this beautiful sparkler.
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12/10/2019 - Richard P Howden Likes this wine: 95 Points
Despite its youth, showing very well. Nose of lemon, brioche, yeast. Very rich. Palate with frothy palate, almost a foam. Very intense lemony palate that melts into more exotic notes. Great balance despite high acid. Very long. A real wow.
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12/10/2019 - aagrawal wrote: 95 Points
Dinner with the wine group (Zazie, SF): High intensity aromatics, delicate, elegant mousse, slight brioche but pretty fresh; palate is absolutely searing acidity, but also a wonderful density and complexity to the fruit which holds its own, green apple, delicate mousse, flavors persist through the midpalate; finish is clean, mouthwatering tart lime acidity, immediately freshens the mouth for another sip. This is incredible for such a young wine, great intensity. Once it develops more maturity and complexity it will still improve. 95-96++
2 hours later: just as exciting if not a bit kore stuffing and complexity. Vibrant and ridiculous.
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12/10/2019 - dagij wrote: 95 Points
Tasted together with Dom Perignon 2008 and Krug NV (edition 166). This is almost a frightening champagne in the sense that it is so intense, so razor sharp, and still so inviting. Brilliant colour, fine and very persistent bubbles. A nose dominated by young fruit like citrus, green apples, some peach and a bit of vanilla, in addition to those mineral, chalky tones, almost like wet iron. Hits the taste buds quite hard with lots of acidity and bubbles, but soon gives leeway for fruity aromas of citrus, green apples and white peach. IN the fresh finish, the mineral tones emerges and makes the wine more reminiscent of a great white Burgundy than a Champagne. Extreme length, and almost unpleasant acidity at this point in it's life. A wine for eternity. Amazing.
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12/9/2019 - alanr wrote: 94 Points
Tasted alongside 2008 Vilmart Coeur de Cuvee. This Cristal shows amazing depth and intensity, an opulence that almost goes over the top, but remains controlled. Nose of a good white Burg with a touch of brioche, bit of lemony tartness. I can see how this impresses, it is a fantastic Champagne of richness, power and depth. Still, the Vilmart shows me an elegance and complexity that is just more compelling to my palate.
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12/9/2019 - tcarter Likes this wine: 98 Points
Fried Chicken Dinner with the Winos (The Bellwether): Magnificent. Drinking even better than the last two times I tried this wine.
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11/30/2019 - Dulcie and Aylwin wrote:
Binny's Champagne Gala (Binny's Oakbrook): My first ever encounter with a Cristal and one approaches almost with reverence and trepidation. Thanks to Binny's for the generous pours on a number of luxury cuvees. It's elegant; it is beautiful; but would I actually prefer it over the Brut Premier? I also found the Dom from the same vintage to be more complex.
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11/27/2019 - bookert wrote: 90 Points
Smooth but slightly closed, wasn't showing the power of the Dom 2008
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11/25/2019 - peternelson wrote: 93 Points
Yellow fruits, bread dough, ginger, full, powerful, lots going on, with a tart, cut, sharp but long finish. This is still a baby. Capital Seafood for DD.
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11/25/2019 - Frank Murray III wrote:
Pulled from the cellar and then blinded the bottle, pouring into several glasses. Was uniformly enjoyed. In this bottle, I found oranges, lime zest, green apple, and good intensity. Drinks with a purity and balance that is lovely. And I will also add a point about drinking now....while this doesn't show the softer and more open-knitted feel of the 2009, for me there is nothing wrong with drinking the 2008 now. With air in the glass, this showed well to me. I recognize I am going to be in the minority in my view, but drinking this now does just fine for me. It's an amazing wine for what it is. Broadly, I am not buying stuff to age for a decade or more. Life now is about sharing, enjoying wines with others and not putting my wines into a cellared prison for years and years. This is just me.
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11/22/2019 - Paul S wrote: 94 Points
Kelvin T's 40th Birthday (Imperial Treasure Teochew, Tanjong Pagar): The sole baby Cristal coming before of the trio of mature Krugs - this struck a very different tone, but was absolutely lovely even in its youth. It had such a pretty nose, with cream custard, strawberries, sweet apples and perfumed florals, with a bit of brioche on the side. Beautiful. It was still really youthful on the palate, with fine mousse and lemony acidity racing through beautifully pure, focused flavours of green apples and lemons pierced by a lovely minerally spine. Primary and a bit clenched, but this was such a wonderfully pure, refined mouthful. A Champagne of incredible finesse I thought. Still a bit tight and unyielding, but this is bursting with potential.
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11/22/2019 - AWBryce wrote:
Very light (in terms of weight), brioche, lemon, faint McIntosh apples; palate is lively, acidity balances the ripe fruits on palate. Medium plus finish.
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11/17/2019 - edub7 wrote: 99 Points
Beautiful Champagne. Pale in color, fine mouse, fragrant nose. Very concentrated, yet very noble and light in weight. The house style, but multple times better than a typical Cristal. Fresh, but a hint of age. A lot of complexity and with much dimension, fabulous mid palate, and crazy long length. I can taste it for minutes after each sip. Gets more and more flavorful as it warms up a tad in the glass. Went through a bottle with a friend over 1.5 hours. Wow, this is stunning.
98-100
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11/11/2019 - peternelson wrote: 92 Points
Still very tightly wound, precise, mineral, almost austere and pretty closed at this point. I've had this 4 times and so far not even close to opening up. 92 for now. Wait another 3 years minimum to try again. Unless someone else opens one for you. Southern Tasting
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11/9/2019 - Burgundy Al wrote: 96 Points
La Fête du Champagne Grand Tasting (Pier Sixty - New York NY): Walk around tasting. Lots of apple and lemon with floral and spice note. So bright and engaging in every way. Even better than the Dom Perignon 2008 just tasted.
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11/7/2019 - nphase Likes this wine: 94 Points
Far too young! Lemon, green apply, super racy, slight brioche but barely. Lean. LEAN. Not showy at all, compared to some of the other big house 08s. Very shy.
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11/6/2019 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Very strong minerality on the nose. Crisp on the palate. 60 / 40 Pinot Chardonnay, 100% Grand Cru. Pinot from Ay, Chard from Cramant. That is super young and super tasty. Needs a goodly amount of time.
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11/3/2019 - aquacongas Likes this wine: 96 Points
Birthday Clash (MG): Not blind
A tremendous champagne. Elegant, reluctant but pure Energy. The best Young Cristal I had so far. I think in a blind tasting of 2008 it will never win but the velvety is convincing 96(98)
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11/2/2019 - Puteljen! Likes this wine: 94 Points
First Cristal ever. I know this is probably too young but having read all the rave reviews I had to see what all the fuss is about. Drank over 4-5 hours during and after dinner.
Nose is initially closed with mostly steel and generic yellow fruit. Opens up eventually with better definition: apples, yellow plum, almost ripe lemons, hints of vanilla. Also yeast and quite a lot of minerals. Iron mingle with salt, chalk and iodine. Fine mousse. Sleek and elegant. Very good complexity. Very, very long. Just needs a few years to harmonize and soften slightly. Score is for now, guessing 1-4 points upside.
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10/28/2019 - Vinomazing Likes this wine:
At Tasting Event...Surreal, complex, quality of a great vintage and the future looks amazing. Almost clear with golden hue the 1 oz pours were, bubbles lined the top layer. Longest they ever aged/held a Cristal before release, 10 years. This was so good the (2) pours received were smelled and sipped over 20 minutes each. Had (2) bottles, just bought (4) more for the next 20+ years. Served to us chilled from bottle. Tasting score 95-96, future potential 98-100.
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10/27/2019 - kr522 wrote: 95 Points
Remarkably focused, precise, with a vast array of flavors, my mind kept bouncing between the lean/ripe yellow fruit (apple, pear, citrus), minerals, and a distinct saline spine...oyster jus used below is right on the mark. With the fine, energetic mousse there’s almost too much going on, and it drinks so young that I’ll go off the reservation and describe it as not yet harmonious...too many individual components vying for attention. I believe this will be a great thing over the next 5-20 years. Fascinating and i think it gets better.
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10/21/2019 - jrkennedy37 wrote:
If there’s only one word to describe this it’s “power”. Very tight at this young stage and yielding more in day 2. The fruit concentration and structure are there and it’s quite dense. Going to be a stunner in a few years - recommend tucking away for a decade before trying.
Also tried different bottle at PnP event a few weeks later where bottles were showing more open. Still needs time to allow everything to shine through.
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10/20/2019 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 99 Points
Nose of lemon, lime, apple, pear, peach, and slate and shale, same on the palate, big body, intense mouth filling fruit, rich fruit, young, needs 7 years to peak, good acid, good tension, and good attack, long, long, lovely finish and aftertaste.
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10/20/2019 - Jammy Wine Likes this wine: 93 Points
Great to revisit Cristal 2008 and this time I feel the Crystal 2008 is more expressive and approachable. Decanted for half an hour (always controversial decanting Champagne but I like it less fizzy). A generous nose of ripe orchard fruits, fair amount of crunchy Pinot Noir red fruits, very chalky and steely. Full bodied with focused acidity. Someone guessed Clos de Goisse which I thought was a good guess. (93/100)
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10/19/2019 - affordableCollector wrote: 97 Points
Steady stream of bubbles. Pale gold, in color. White flowers, lemon, white peach, yellow apple, brioche, yeast. Youthful. Incredible now!
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10/19/2019 - steinersing wrote: 96 Points
very well made, great precision, wonderful wine with a long life.
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10/19/2019 - galewskj wrote: 96 Points
Guys Night Out with Wagyu Tenderloin and Crepe Cake: The nose is fresh bread dough. At first, there was significant acid, that calmed down after about 20 minutes. This wine is explosive and amazing. The finish lingers for at least a minute.
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10/18/2019 - dcwino wrote: 97 Points
Annual Chicago winos visit - Champagne, White Burg, DRC, La La and SQN (Officina - Washington D.C.): Expressive nose displaying succulent yellow fruit with a hint of white, apple dominates, granny smith, a hint of apple pie with cinnamon, pear, sap, oyster jus, honeysuckle, ginger and limestone. Remarkably harmonious and energetic, very finely layered rich yet pure white fruit, abundant very fine mousse, excellent precision and detail, bright acidity and mineral, and a long sweet yellow fruit driven finish with apple and sap at the end. Drinking incredibly well, a great future ahead.
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10/18/2019 - Burgundy Al wrote: 96 Points
DC/Chicago Wine Dinner Extravaganza (Officina - Wasington, DC): Bright lemon with yellow and green apple with so much power, yet so much finesse. Lean, precise and very long. Better now vs when last tasted a year ago, and this will certainly be even better five years from now. One of the guys at dinner owns 500 bottles of this wine. I can almost understand.
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10/17/2019 - rocknroller wrote: 94 Points
Guys Night Out: Bring Something You're Looking Forward To Drinking (Jason P's, St. Paul, MN): Incredibly explosive bead, almond, toffee, citrus, sour dough, apple peel, chalk, lots of racy acidity, very long. This is still tightly coiled and drinking more youthful than many of the other '08 big guns, but even so....94+(+)pts currently with huge upside.
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10/16/2019 - oldwines Likes this wine: 98 Points
Domaine de la Côte New Release Tasting and Dinner Hosted by Raj Parr (Manhatta Restaurant, NYC): The grand finale at the Domaine de la Côte Dinner hosted by Raj Parr. Also in attendance was Xavier Barlier, head of US marketing for Roederer. Served with a selection of cheese, this was a real treat. 60% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay. The nose is explosively yeasty and reminiscent of half baked bread in the oven. It is tremendously lively and bright with lime/lemon zest, white flowers, green apple and lots of mineral notes. Incredible depth of flavor, texture and length on the finish. This should be wonderful for decades to come!
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10/10/2019 - Robert Pavlovich Likes this wine:
Accessible, ripe fruit as I’ve come to expect from Cristal, marked by mixed apples and a light brioche accent. There’s slightly elevated acidic freshness to the 08’, very appealing, and very much drinkable today. As I normally find Cristal more of a direct hit than seriously complex, I’m not as big an advocate as others, though one could do a lot worse.
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10/1/2019 - Jeremy Holmes wrote:
Very powerful and precise, with green apple, red fruits and bakery notes. It has a rigid, minerally spine, super-fine bead and is so sharp and focused. It is complex, nuanced and far too young. Should be legendary in a decade.
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9/20/2019 - thewiz Likes this wine: 93 Points
(Disgorged in 2018)
Lovely butterscotch note on the youthful nose combined with some tropical mango notes. Opens up with roasted notes in the glass in a lovely way. Rounder acidity with a touch of tropical fruit and a nice sweetness on the finish that is also showing some ginger as well. Very intensive and pleasant and leaving a lovely saltiness on the lips. This will evolve for many years to come, but is already very delicious..
(Best 2028-2048)
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9/20/2019 - dcwino wrote: 97 Points
Another lost Friday afternoon gathering – 96 Dom, 08 Cristal and a Rudy blend (Blacksalt, Washington DC): Expressive nose displaying perfectly ripe pure yellow fruit, fresh apple, lemon curd, a hint of red currant, candied lemon peel, honeysuckle, butterscotch, ginger, spicy spices and limestone. Exquisite palate, very finely layered pure yellow fruit, incredibly fine abundant mousse, very generous and opulent yet pure and perfectly precise, bright acidity, strong acidity and a seamless pure yellow fruit driven finish with spicy spices and ginger at the end. It magically combines the Cristal richness and the 08 vintage elegance. It is still drinking perfectly in a youthful way.
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9/14/2019 - 10xM wrote:
Hmmm... Toast, apple and lemon. Amazing? I dont know about that as of now. Let's see after it gains some age.
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9/4/2019 - mikkelds Likes this wine: 96 Points
Divine
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8/21/2019 - Jammy Wine Likes this wine:
I was flabbergasted by the 2008 Cristal, tasted blind and thought it was not one of the three common grapes of Champagne (Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier) based on the floral perfume of the wine. White blossom, fresh tree fruits and intense pear with bright acidity, which reminded me of Pinot Blanc or Fromenteau, few of the forgotten grapes of Champagne. In my opinion the 2008 Crystal showed better than the exaggerated 2008 Dom Perignon, however it is still at an infant stage and requires extensive cellaring.
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8/20/2019 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Clean and powerful. Toast and brioche and everything. Long.
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8/9/2019 - daghaug Likes this wine:
Brød, søt tropisk frukt (mango?). Utrolig lett og frisk eleganse i munnen. Klar, fin sitrusfrukt hele veien og ender i delikate sitrondrops. Utypisk champagne - lite bitterhet. Konsentrert, med intens tilstedeværelse i munnen. Rund, elegant og kraftig på samme tid, med delikate bobler.
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8/4/2019 - SimonG wrote: 95 Points
Les Crayères (Reims): Lithe, elegance and then a steely core. This is statuesque in its lines, and clean and tight as marble. Beautifully balanced but decades from maturity. **(***)
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8/3/2019 - UFGators Likes this wine: 98 Points
Wow. Simply stunning. Beautiful now but will be even better with age.
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7/14/2019 - rwstorer wrote: 95 Points
Popped and poured. Drinking beautifully with a long life ahead of it. Delicious notes of cream, brioche, and a bit of green apple.
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6/29/2019 - Satoshi Nakamoto wrote: 95 Points
WX Dinner: The 2008 completely eclipsed the 2006 bottle and was even more impressive than the aged 97. This bottle is a stunner. Got tons of capital to spend on great wine? Look no further. This is it. The hype is real.
This is the Champagne to get. There is no close second.
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6/28/2019 - Burgnick Likes this wine: 93 Points
A very serious champagne with plenty of stuffing. Apple, minerals, chalk, citrus and stone fruit all wrapped in a tightly knitted and punchy package. The intensity on this young champagne is truly impressive. 95 potential.
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6/22/2019 - Bobhelge wrote: 96 Points
This was just so clean, elegant and complex. Needs some time to open but comes with lovely green apple, fresh pear aromas and an integrated toasty whiff. The mouth feeling is incredible, so delicate mousse, millions of tiny bubbles fills the palate. Balance, subtle and long. Best 08 Champagne so far.
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6/16/2019 - Kirk Grant wrote:
This really needed a good 4+ hours to open. I can finally understand why people say these are wines that should not be opened before 20+ years post vintage. I think I'll try to check back in 9 more years. Outstanding!!!
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6/8/2019 - NoTrollingerPlease Likes this wine: 95 Points
Nahe^3: 10 vintages of Halenberg, Hermannshöhle and Felseneck + X (@Private location, Frankfurt): *** brief note from an extensive tasting ***
Glass: Gabriel Gold
Citrus, biscuit and brioche in the nose. Very precise and refined. On the palate very fine and long lasting mousseux, salty citrus notes, some mellow apple, brioche. Great balance and precision. Lots of pressure. Very long. Still young. Great potential. 94-95++
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6/5/2019 - BenBlu Likes this wine: 98 Points
2008 Champagne horizontal (Medlar (London)): Having had this wine before twice (and scored 95 & 96) I immediately recognised it. It was by a margin the best wine of the night served so far (clearly a notch above great Dom and Grande Annee) and proved to be the best white champagne when all was said and done. The only champagne beating it for WOTN was a bottle of utterly sublime Cristal rose. Reflecting on this performance in this context I have no other choice but to up my score and go for a 98. The concentration was otherworldly here and people agreed fairly unanimously that this is epic. I am now convinced this is going to be monumental and will have no choice but to purchase more and follow this wines evolution over the next decades. Wow!
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6/5/2019 - Filippospat wrote: 90 Points
Ripe citrusy nose with grapefruit and nectarine. Some fresh cream and pastry notes also on the background. Rich and round palate but slightly more developed.
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5/27/2019 - Burgnick Likes this wine: 93 Points
Crispy, sharp and powerful with good verve and acidity. Plenty of stuffing. 93-94
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5/24/2019 - dcwino wrote: 99 Points
Lost Friday afternoon gathering – 08 Cristal and Dom, Raveneau, Rayas, Chevillon, Gouges and etc. (Black Salt, Washington DC): Expressive nose displaying rich red and yellow fruit, per Bill red currant which I agree wholeheartedly, a hint of cinnamon apple, honeysuckle, candied lemon peel and strong limestone mineral. Already showing perfect balance and precision, mindbogglingly rich and decadent yet incredible energy and focus, very fine abundant mousse, bright acidity, strong mineral presence and a long rich red and yellow fruit driven finish. This is like a great Yquem or a great Batard, i.e. so rich yet airy and weightless. Although the 08 Dom is very special, this seems to be richer and more concentrated while remaining elegant and precise in this occasion. For my palate, Antonio is pretty much spot on for Champagne.
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5/10/2019 - Barry Rothof wrote: 95 Points
Restaurant Fitzgerald (Rotterdam, Netherlands): Focused, bright with crystallized-citrus fruit, powerful long a little closed right now but with a very promising future!
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5/10/2019 - Burgaddict wrote:
Leiden again in Rotterdam at Fitzgerald: Soft nose, brioche, citrus, delicate mousse. Hugely concentrated, laser sharp acidity, citrus taste. What is most impressive is the enormous length, this Cristal stays singing around in your mouth for minutes.
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5/5/2019 - hajoha wrote: 96 Points
Ahhh... renere enn dette blir det ikke.
Elegant som et silkeslør i vinden.
En verden av fresh frukt, krittmineraler og florale toner.
Fantastisk mousse laget av mikroskopiske bobler.
Som vanlig en vektløs intensitet av en annen verden.
Vokser i glasset.
Skyhøy kvalitet i frukten.
Ren, vakker, balansert og leken.
Pirrende.
Vektløsheten varer helt frem til finishen hvor den er helt vanvittig rå.
Saltaktig elektrisk finish - elsker finishen!
Sitter i en evighet med fantastisk mineralitet.
Selvfølgelig ung, men er så deilig hvis man bruker tid på den. 96 for nå.
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5/1/2019 - dcwino wrote: 98 Points
Jailbreak Wine Dinner - 08 Cristal, 16 PYCM Remilly and etc. (St. Anselm): For those who love the richness and the concentration of Cristal, the 08 also adds the incredible precision and focus, reminding me the 96 Salon upon release a bit. Perhaps it is slightly less precise and the fruit is richer and sweeter. This is drinking incredibly well in a youthful way but will improve for a few more decades if cellared properly.
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4/28/2019 - brigcampbell wrote:
Surprised by the dosage as this drinks very linear with strong lemon and bracing acidity. Very clean. I prefer this with food.
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4/28/2019 - Frank Murray III wrote:
Picked up a few bottles from Costco this week here in the OC. One comment about the packaging, coming from someone who thinks a lot about the environment. There is a lot of packaging, and 95% of it is paper so that can be be recycled but there must be 2 pounds of it for each bottle, plus the gold plastic wrapping. As a customer, I don't need this but in an era of marketing and branding, all I can do as one person is make the remark. As to the wine, this is power. Intense lemon, and the aromatic is like smelling the chalk/soil. Zingy, with intensity of length from the palate long into the finish. Some apple, light caramel, pure lemon. This is a helluva wine, and while the 2009 I had earlier this week was more elegant and stony, this is more powerful and citrus infused.
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4/27/2019 - soyhead wrote:
Underwhelmed.
Lots of stuffing here, but nothing to write home about, and I see the critics have universally gone goo-goo over this. go figure. The charitable interpretation would be that its closed and needs time. The 08 Dom Perignon, which was consumed side by side, on the other hand was singing.
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4/5/2019 - jkoenen wrote: 96 Points
Great champagne!
Heading for a perfect score in the future.
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3/28/2019 - BradE wrote:
Once again I wasn't overly impressed with this. Some at the table thought me bonkers.
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3/27/2019 - rocknroller wrote: 94 Points
Heidi's Redux: More Heavy Hitters (St. Genevieve, Mpls, MN): Light gold color. Drank a glass plus over 45 minutes. I was really looking forward to trying this with all the hype over this wine let alone '08 in general. Very explosive bead of ultrafine bubbles. This is mineral driven and very complex, dleicate lemon aromas, quite elegant but wih obvious power, very fresh, lemon panna cotta, pear. There's a a gorgeous texture and lithe weight to what is a very precise and focused wine. This does feel youthful, but it is ready to play. Patience will be rewarded justly though. Right now this is 94+(+) for me with an obvious big upside. I'm exited to see where it goes and glad to have a little stash.
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3/27/2019 - chablis28 wrote: 95 Points
Same Btl as BradE & rocknroller. There was one guy at our table who was a little "bonkers" but, the rest of us totally got this! Not quite at the level of '02 & '96 yet, but very impressive and very crystalline like the best Cristal. Precise and driven with a laser beam of minerality and multi dimensional citrus. Weightless concentration. I loved it and am excited to get to one of my 3 in six months or so. I loved it! Thanks Dave!!! Hopefully, the guy who was a bit "bonkers" will come around on the next btl :).
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3/24/2019 - aquacongas Likes this wine: 97 Points
Not blind
The best young Cristal I've had in my glas. Very similar to the DP 2008 which we had side by side. Citrus, biscuit, discreet, elegant, precise, accessible. Maybe a touch too sweet. 97(99) I can't say which one I prefer. This is Kate Moss, DP a porn star
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3/16/2019 - AllRed wrote: 96 Points
The first time I have truly been impressed by a Cristal, this vintage is a different animal than those I have tasted previously. Notes of apple, pear, marshmallow, Meyer lemon and almond. Fine bead with bright supporting acidity. Orchard fruit, ginger and raw almond. Long finish. Gorgeous. 96-97 for both Domino and I.
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3/11/2019 - Cailles wrote: 93 Points
I wanted to see for myself what all the fuss is about with the 2008 Cristal... and I got the feeling that the high praises of the critics and the community are deserved - although the wine needed some time to get there. At first closed and muted (and worth 91 points?) this wine needed time and air. I kept a full glass and went back to it throught the evening. The wine opened up nicely, became more intense, showed a broader aroma spectrum and finally, after three hours, the aromatics started to match the structure which was amazing from the start. I‘m very optimistic about this wine’s future. How great will it be once the age unlocks all the aromatic complexity which you get only hints of right now? 93 points with lots of potential.
TN: The first two hours belonged to the structure which is so soft and subtle with ultra fine bubbles and a very well-integrated quite perfect acidity. It‘s all about finesse and elegance. With time the shy brioche, bakery and herbal scents get more and more intense and are joined by lots of minerality, wet slate, citrus peal, lime, some hints of sweet(er) fruits. Very pure. The weightlessness and elegance of this wine is spellbinding.
Decanting: This wine is too young, clearly too young. I would decant the wine for at least an hour if you pop a bottle today and follow it over a few hours.
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3/11/2019 - sirpat00 Likes this wine: 97 Points
Oxidative overlay of hazelnuts and almonds and, for want of a better word, a rusty touch. Green pear, lemon juice, thin layer of yeast and toast. White flowers and herbal, greenish notes accompany a decent amount of minerality. Ultra-fine bubbles endlessly bouncing up and down. Clearly high acidity but refreshing and supporting a multifarious texture. Long, mineral finish with citrus flavours invoking a fresh sensation. What is clear is that this is a masterpiece of craftsmanship. Intricate and secretive at first, more outgoing and coy after a while. As only 3 months ago when I had this last, I remain convinced that this continue to become better and better as bottle age increases.
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3/10/2019 - AV2012 wrote:
Young, quiet, not particularly expressive. Harmonis fruits and balance.
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2/27/2019 - UFGators Likes this wine: 96 Points
This champagne is really something. I am rating it 96 with the potential in future to become a perfect wine. This is extremely young and primary but you can see burried under the youthfulness a 100 point wine in the making. Extremely complex and each sip reveals a different flavor than the last. Lemon, smoke, green apple. Some have referred to this wine as the Montrachet of champagne and I agree. Very acid forward in a Burgundian pleasing way. I can definitely see this upstaging 1996 Dom Perignon with bottle age. I will try my hardest to keep my hands off it for now!
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2/21/2019 - englishman's claret wrote: 92 Points
Very, very, very young. Fresh and lemony but not much else at the moment. Hold this another 10 years and I imagine it will be quite good.
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2/18/2019 - wineappellation Likes this wine: 98 Points
Drank side by side with Dom 08. Both are equally fine structured,creamy, concentrated and layered. Dom has more minerality, pungent spice and green citrus fruits together with exotic fruits while Cristal express a slightly more complex arrays of ripe fruits from red apple, apricot, peach to BBQ pineapple. Cristal 08 is slightly more approachable now.
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2/18/2019 - cbuhlman wrote:
This is the best bottle of Champagne I've ever had.
clean powerful and fresh chardonnay fruit with perfect balance and minerality. A great finish. IMO, this cannot be improved upon.
98-100
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2/17/2019 - sh6k wrote: 95 Points
Reductive. Savory. Salinity. Mineral. Green apple. Papaya.
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2/8/2019 - Ebrim Likes this wine: 94 Points
Short note - nutmeg, Nutts, cocoa, apples, lemon, long finish, acidity seems maybe higher than it actually is, long finish and very complex, alive, this is outstanding quality, 94/95p with long potential for agening
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1/31/2019 - _water.into.wine_ Likes this wine: 97 Points
I have only had a handful of 2008s, but I am already starting to think that this will go down as one of the best champagne vintages of all time. Whilst I sadly have no formal notes, this was full, lush, utterly elegant and perfectly balanced. This is already drinking so well, but will clearly last decades. Perfect acidity will make this approachable both now, and in the future.
The best young champagne (under 15 years) I have ever tried.
And to be clear, if I try this again, and it shows as well, and this ages as I think it can, this could easily be a 100 point champagne for me. It could be perfect.
Drank with SW and LLC team for CNY
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1/26/2019 - hprphf wrote: 95 Points
Drank at home. 95
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1/26/2019 - uncorked.fr Likes this wine:
I didn't expect to enjoy this so much in its youth but I admittedly do! Aromas of toasted almond, bread dough, pear, white flowers, lemon, wet stones. On the palate, there is a HUGE lemony punch paired with wet chalk, salinity, bread dough, white flowers and strawberry. It is going to be really, REALLY difficult to not touch our other bottles but it will surely be worth the wait to leave them be for another 5-10 years, at least.
Full tasting note:
https://uncorked.fr/louis-roederer-cristal-2008/
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1/9/2019 - BenBlu Likes this wine: 95 Points
Another strong showing of this - confirming this is already delicious but will obviously age with a great future. Also see my previous more detailed note. A lot of red apple for me here. Delicious.
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1/8/2019 - sdr Likes this wine: 93 Points
Probably my favorite among the 12 champagnes presented at the Hollywood Wine Society champagne tasting. Very approachable, flavorful and juicy. Not too sweet, not too fruity, not too acidic. Delightful already in its infancy.
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1/1/2019 - Colpete Likes this wine: 100 Points
The standard for Champagne. Light and elegant.
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12/31/2018 - fred o. Likes this wine:
spontaneous PnP by our very generous host. golden color with faint persistent bead. Nose deep, fudgey figgy fruits, some yeast, lightly waxy. Palate precise/cleanly delineated white stone fruits with outstanding depth, high acidity with a stony mineral quality. Still so young and wouldn't touch another bottle of this for another few years at least, but already with much promise. Thanks so much SW. 95 pts
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12/31/2018 - sirpat00 Likes this wine: 98 Points
Uuuuh NOW we're talking! I'm not such a big Champagn drinker and clearly lack experience, but this is phenomenal. Very fine yeasty nose, some kiwi, a bit citric and smokey, hints of vanilla and wet stone minerality- but with an incredible delicacy. Bubbles are spread out in the glass, capturing all available space. On the palate great freshness and perfect balance. Still super young and probably a mistake to open this early, but couldn't resist. I have never tasted such a fine Champagne - and bottle age adding more complexity will only make it better. Perfect score could easily be reached in the coming years...
Paired with an entree course consisting of black truffles (will use white next time!), spinach, egg yolk and mashed potatos. Great harmony with the acidity balancing the fat and umami flavours.
By the way: We later had an NV Louis Roederer Brut which the crowd much preferred arguing it had more "character". But in my view that was mostly the a strong yeasty expression which left a much stronger initial impression if you're drinking for joy (which we did, New Years!). The Cristal requires time and leisure to fully appreciate.
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12/31/2018 - Emmanuel13008 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Bu pour lui même à l’apéritif.
Une explosion de fraîcheur citronnée.
L’impression de billes qui éclatent dans la bouche.
Que c’est bon !
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12/31/2018 - Rechrom wrote: 97 Points
Killer. Citrus, yeast, fruits, balance. Great, and can go long term.
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12/29/2018 - Jeremy Holmes wrote:
Given recent showings of other '08's, I had half expected this to be tight and unyielding. It was wide-open and quite stunning. There is serious complexity to the nose, starting with baker's yeast, working through some spice then presenting the full gamut of citrus fruits. The palate is rich and full but light as a feather. Pin head sized bubbles whip up a frenzy of flavour. There's a note reminiscent to Bickford's brown lime cordial and the finish has great lemon and chalk cut. Length is fantastic.
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12/22/2018 - buckeye76 Likes this wine: 96 Points
I'm not the best person to rate Champagne, especially young Champagne, but this was delicious! Peaches, citrus, minerals, and some nuttiness with floral notes. Complex, well balanced, and a very long finish.
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12/21/2018 - etyc Likes this wine:
Similar notes as the last bottle. This was wonderfully enjoyable. It was at once plush/rounded, but at the same time, intense, steely & electric with great freshness. Really walked the tight-rope in terms of balance & finesse. Finish that went on... and on...
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12/14/2018 - B Paul wrote:
Followed over three hours. Fantastic from the start and it never slowed down. So well balanced - rich and intense, but not heavy at all. Should age wonderfully. Very, very good.
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12/13/2018 - acyso wrote: 95 Points
HDH December auction; 12/13/2018-12/15/2018 (Chicago, IL): Brilliant. Super young, but so much power and intensity here. A slight hint of breadiness on the nose, with some brioche, but then the lemon, apples, and all that good stuff starts to show up. Tons of precision but incredible power as well. Racy acidity. Possibly better than the Dom, at least to my taste...
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12/13/2018 - Burgundy Al wrote: 94 Points
Wines Tasted at HDH Auction; 12/13/2018-12/15/2018 (Spiaggia - Chicago IL): Lemon and apple with so much power, an enticing combination of slight sweetness and austere structure. Very long and powerful finish.
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12/12/2018 - Geoff7777 wrote:
I was determined not to be seduced by the hype, and I failed. This is really good. Flowers and red fruits on the nose but the palate is where this is so special. A wow palate of rose petals, crunchy red currants, nuts, citrus and pear. So long on the finish. An absolutely delicious champagne.
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12/8/2018 - vinhslee Likes this wine: 95 Points
Wonderful nose of green apple and yeasty notes leaped out of the bottle. When poured into a champagne glass, the flavours seemed to be a bit close. It tasted like green apple juice with mild yeasty notes.
After about 30 minutes, the persistent acidity was nicely balanced by complex notes of green apple, brioche, orchard, lemon, smoke and minearlity. The flavours were nicely balanced, but lacked intensity and depth. Medium and minerality-driven finish.
After another 1 hour, the alcoholic heat became more prevalent and fruit flavours receded.
Very approachable now, but should get better with further cellaring.
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12/4/2018 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
Wine Workshop: An evening with Cristal (Atera - 77 Worth Street in NYC): I'll admit when this wine was first released I was a bit of a skeptic given the much higher price than in previous years. But the hype is real. Estate knew - they kept this for 8 years on the lees and 2 years in bottle before release. Really lovely wine. Ripe green apple. Some nice spicy notes which I don't always find in a Cristal. A certain level of depth to the wine. You can tell there's layers there yet to be uncovered. Some fir tree. Really quite enjoyable.
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12/3/2018 - Wine Grades wrote: 96 Points
I'm usually not a big lover of cristal compared to some others but this tasted more like a classic old Dom Perignon to me. Fantastic stuff. Hope I can hold onto next bottle a few years.
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12/2/2018 - peternelson wrote: 94 Points
Still closed nose, not giving up much, but on the palate, fine, compact, intense, ultra fine bubbles, creamy mouthfeel, super long. This almost has aggressive acid at this point but htis is built to last. Don't open for at least 3-4 years IMHO. (the 4 bubbles: Pol Roger BdB '08, Cristal '08, Clos des Goisses '08, Krug 164) EWG 10 years on dinner.
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12/2/2018 - Seafoam Manor wrote: 98 Points
The snobbish part of me wanted to like this, but find reasons where the hype exceeded the actual wine and find it "pretty good, but...". Wow, this is flat out great. Absolutely electric in the mouth, face slapping acidity moderated by a supplementary mousse, kaleidoscopic flavors, at both points assertively youthful, but also with a gingery patina of age. My immediate reaction drew me to great vintages of D'Yquem, where you know you are drinking greatness but the complexity leaves you grasping for words to put it all in context. Accessible now, but has the stuffing to last as long as the cork holds up. Fantastic.
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12/2/2018 - Neecies Likes this wine: 96 Points
Effusive, young nose of yeast and green apple. Exquisite balance. One of the best young Cristals (like I taste these all the time--NOT!) I've ever tasted.
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11/29/2018 - Tony Ling Likes this wine: 94 Points
PNP into Zalto Burgundy glass (“Fruit” day): Pale golden.
Smoky minerals infused orchard fruits. Airy but not super complex at this stage.
Impeccable acidity backbone. Wow this is some very well made, elegant Champagne.
94 points.
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11/18/2018 - BenBlu Likes this wine: 96 Points
Enjoyed a bottle of this during dim sum at Hakkasan - served in Riedel Riesling glasses and drank over 2 hours, served at around 8-10 degrees, i.e. not ice cold which suited the wine. Red apple, persistent classy not tangy. Pinot driven with chard lending some structure and freshness. As it got more air it kept on improving. Some sweetish white peach fruit unfolded. A beautiful champagne/wine and to my surprise actually pretty open for business already - no hard edges, no astringency. Maybe not a classic Cristal in the sense that I missed the lactic notes I often associate with it. Not sure how this will age and I somehow don't see these long drinking windows offered by the critics (extending to 2095+ for some). Although I would love to be proven differently and being served this again in 77 years. I don't think there is any harm in enjoying this today - don't serve too cold and I think a wine class suits this champagne. 96+
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11/12/2018 - englishman's claret wrote: 94 Points
Surprisingly fresh for Cristal, though it still has enough of that creamy, lactic personality that you don't feel it's too far off the reservation.
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11/11/2018 - Rabaja Likes this wine: 94 Points
Bright tones of lemon pepper, yeasty lees, green apple. Very long on the palate finishing with chalk and citrus with perfectly framed acidity.
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11/10/2018 - hprphf wrote: 96 Points
La Fete 2018: Immense delicacy between very fine stem and nut, backed by a dry, sweet fruit in the background. Gorgeous balance. One of the best at the tasting.
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11/5/2018 - Elvis1969 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Kraftig, packad med frukt. Bra syra. Rätt tillgänglig från början men upplevdes sedan yngre och mer sluten efter ett par timmar. I vilket fall som helst ett stort vin. Stor utvecklingspotential.
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11/5/2018 - peternelson wrote: 92 Points
Very tight, crisp, clean, compact, and cold. Not sure what to think of this now-- very shut down IMHO. Do not open for another 3-5 years minimum. Southern Peterson Museum tasting
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11/4/2018 - BradE wrote:
My first crack at the 08. It was good, but not as impressive as my expectations given the reception it's had upon release. Will open another in the near term.
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11/3/2018 - James Kim Likes this wine: 92 Points
Gathering at Brian's (Brian's Home): From memory. Apparently opened 45 min before everyone arrive. Beautiful concentrated apples, citrus and unripe pears and brioche aromas. Palate has more apples, citrus and unripe pears complemented by herbs, minerals. Still coiled and holding things in reserve. Excellent concentration and weight. So enjoyable now but will be fantastic when the wine opens up. Would love to try this again in another 10 years.
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11/3/2018 - Elpaninaro Likes this wine:
opened about 45 minutes prior to tasting
pale lemon color, intense baked bread on the nose, roasted nuts, a spherical array of orchard fruits with great depth very much in hiding but seemingly eager to burst forth, on the palate very tight and undeveloped, long acid driven finish, as with the fruit on the nose- the mousse is in hiding but evident and quite promising, long finish with brilliant acids, fantastic, ripe, orange notes on the tail end, despite clearly having all the lusty potency of the vintage- Cristal remains Cristal and the structure kept this wine elegant and refined- two qualities which will carry it forward to a wine of breathtaking grace and nuance in the fullness of time, highest potential here- but patience is a must. (*****), 2035-2060.
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11/2/2018 - Rollerball wrote: 93 Points
Ok we drank this too young but it was fresh and forward with apples, pears, under ripe peach, ginger, melon and lemon. Too many bubbles. Long long long.
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10/27/2018 - tcarter Likes this wine: 96 Points
Stellar stuff.
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10/27/2018 - JohnnyBark Likes this wine:
12” wood!!!
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10/20/2018 - CamWheeler wrote: 95 Points
SLDS Single Bottle Dinner: Intense nose - ginger, lemon, white florals, saline and a slight earthy note. Similar intensity and profile on the palate with a lovely tangy line of acidity. Awesome release of this wine.
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10/17/2018 - etyc Likes this wine:
An "atypical" (of sorts) Cristal. This was so very good. Nice refreshing nose - a bit of nuts, white-flowers and tinge of tangerine-peel. Almost full-bodied/plump on the palate, but seemed so light/weightless at the same time, buffered by great freshness/acidity rendering it so drinkable. It also doesn't have the "sweetness" of a more typical Cristal. So very enjoyable!
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10/2/2018 - KenK Likes this wine: 93 Points
Nice rich, aromas touch of roasted nuts. Nice sweetness. Nice sweet flavors. Nearly lush. Ripe round, nice tart finish. Very good length. Drinking well. Sweet sour edge. So good now will it last.
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10/1/2018 - Jeff Leve wrote: 96 Points
Elegant, fresh, vibrant, pure, clean, sweet, stony and ripe, with silky effervescence, this is a beauty that's already quite easy to imbibe.
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9/29/2018 - sdr Likes this wine: 93 Points
I was very surprised to see how easy this was to drink already, thinking the high acid 2008 vintage character would make it austere. But no, this is Cristal, maybe the most user friendly of all champagnes. If anything the acids are even a trifle low. Peachy and Uber-fruity as usual and really lovely vanilla and citrus fragrance as well. Interestingly, after a couple of hours in the open bottle, both aroma and flavors deepened, making it seemingly 5 or 10 years older. A super nova.
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9/29/2018 - T.E.D. wrote: 94 Points
Second time tasting, consumed the whole bottle. Super sharp and linear, like a razor. Nose is a bit muted, with hints of ocean air, lemon zest, white chalk. The palate is where this wine shines, with an explsive amount of effervescence, flavor profile shoes young lemon, green Apple, white flower, chalk and flint, with a long finish of lemon curd and a touch mouthwatering lemon drop candy. This wine has a lot of finesse more than anything.
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9/24/2018 - RajivAyyangar wrote: 87 Points
IMW 2018 Champagne - Prestige Tasting (Hyatt, San Francisco): $262,
60-40 pinot-chardonnay, 10yrs on lees.
Pale straw color. Quite reductive nose - faint green apple with toasty firecracker / noble reduction. Not unpleasant, but not very expressive at this stage. Sweet - 10g (actually 8g), with high acid. Clear green apple and wet stones on the palate but pretty lean at this point.
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9/15/2018 - Corgi wrote:
This is pretty darn good. It’s creamy and rich but not heavy as there is a crisp vein of acidity to put things on balance; makes for a deft touch with a hint of nuttiness to it - just under the surface... waiting to come out in time. Lemon meringue pie on the finish.
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9/4/2018 - bthatton Likes this wine: 96 Points
Quite possibly the most impressive infantile champagne I've experienced. Upon first pour it was quite closed offering not much more than a rush of effervescence and some subtle saltiness. Pale yellow.
Very quickly though it transformed - changing quickly minute to minute. It became like freshly polished liquid gold opening dramatically in aromas of kumquats, apricot, and tongue searing acid. The salitness was strong as if it were meant to season meat. I can't imagine what this will be like in time.
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9/3/2018 - jviz wrote: 93 Points
Linear, crisp, acid driven, with apple and white peach. Not ready for consumption in my opinion.
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9/2/2018 - soyhead wrote:
At roederer, anderson valley
Good vinosity, fresh. Tangerine. Crisp. Good but not mesmerized
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8/24/2018 - petitblanc wrote:
Austin Offline; 8/24/2018-8/25/2018 (Kevin's House): Bready, yeasty style. No other notes taken. Not scored.
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8/22/2018 - cadamson Likes this wine: 94 Points
Rating is not a future prediction, just drinking here and now. Had next to Krug 166. Pretty amazing presence with oodles of stuffing. Super fresh fruit, especially citrus, apples and peach. Some minerality and chalky type notes. Became more approachable and interesting with an hour in the glass. Balanced and delicious, albeit super young and tightly coiled. Agree with the critics that this should become simply magnificent; but while it is enjoyable now and no crime to have one or two of these when young, it is not 98-100 points out of the gate right now. Incidentally, maybe I am getting used to Bouchard or something, but this struck me as super-effervescent (i.e., too much).
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8/3/2018 - clayfu wrote:
the most acid driven Cristal I’ve had. But still has a lot of the template of ripe orchard fruit of Cristal. Right up there with the 02 which was a little more full bodied on the release. I'm surprised by how easy it is to drink right now. Much more obvious and forthcoming than the 08 CDG I had a month ago, which was a mousse spice laden champagne still growing.
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6/30/2018 - canan wrote: 96 Points
4x4 - Mini Tastings: Unfortunately, it never really opened up with the one glass. There was however still a lot of greatness and promise present.
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6/13/2018 - T.E.D. wrote: 96 Points
Release party at Ai Fiori. Tasted along side the 02, 07, and 09. Clearly showing it’s distinctiveness and finesse. Very clean and linear while also possessing a long and lingering finish which was very impressive for such a young wine. Very balanced with citrus and chalky elements followed by a crema of lemon curd, apples and hints of yeast. More full bodied than other cuvees.
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