Memory of having drunk this wine 10 years ago. Power was the qualifier in 2013 when I drank it.
Today, it’s something completely different, the wine has changed. Effervescence still very present and fine.
Nose of orange, honey, candied almonds and caramel.
The mouth is now much softer. It’s delicate and full of nuance, with a structured juice that reveals itself in layers. First we have the delicate jasmine, then we arrive at the candied aromas, where orange mixes with almonds. The texture is concentrated, it’s caramelized, but also syrupy and airy at the same time. Beautiful acidity that loosens a deep and blossoming whole. The wine unfolds with a smooth side. Obviously the dosage is perceptible given current standards but it is harmonious. Beautiful finish, which here also achieves the alliance between the caramelized intensity of tertiary aromas and an impressive airy and floral length.
Great Champagne.
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[Blind] Sweet, dessert-like, dark chocolates and caramel, orange zest. Distinctive and sort of in its own category given the dosage and unctuous sweetness.
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a very good wine. Butterscotch, honey, with some candied almond. Tis had life left but will only decline from here. This would have been dead on about 4-5 years ago, overall still a great champagne and a treat to taste
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It's rare to enjoy a wine that has made it to this stage of oxidation without it turning bad and what a treat. Honeyed butterscotch and caramel notes - similar to what you get from oxidized white burgundies but without the bitterness or sherry notes. It's still has plenty of fruit (some cherry) and bubbles left to enjoy. Not necessarily the most profound, layered, or nuanced wine, but a unique experience without question
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This vintage is drinking beautifully today. Beautiful tertiary toffee notes mixed with some fresh primary aromas and a minerality backbone and while fully melted structure it still shows fine mousse and a nice acidity. No reason to wait much longer.
TN: Medium+ expressive bouquet full of toffee and nutty notes with some citrus freshness. Very inviting. Better on the palate and with some air with the same caramel, nutty, brioche aromas, minty notes, lots of oyster shell, a nice salinity, some citrus notes and some red berries. Very fine mousse, still prickling, good acidity backbone but the highlight is the elegance, airy texture and impeccable balance.
Decanting: At first a bit muted and thin, the wine opened up and filled-out nicely with air. I would give it a bit of time in the decanter (30-60mins?).
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To echo a few others below, this was great! It seemed so fresh still having some primary fruit and lots of fine creamy bubbles yet having those secondary and tertiary characteristics I like so much.
Not sure what a 100pt wine for me would be but I can't imagine having Champagne too much better than this.
Wish I could afford to drink something like this more often or have had the foresight to buy a ton on release ~25 years ago.
First glass: Lightly bubbled, lighter golden brown color. Dried apricot and lightly toasted almond, either candied almond or almond with a bit of honey.
Second glass (approx. 30 minutes later, bottle corked in fridge): bubbles gone, darker golden brown, more sherry notes/dry apple cider.
Hell of an experience, going to be hard to match. The host noted the bottle had not been kept in good storage conditions for the entirety of it's life (hot apartment, traveling the country).
May have life left, but no reason to let it go any longer unless you like ultra-tertiary Champagne.
GH shared with JH, JB, and me.
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We loved it, the complex tertiary aroma’s were beautiful, a touchnof honey and sherry yet fresh and the taste soooo fresh, lively and bubbly yet so complex. Too bad our dinner guests are sooo amateurs that prefer any stupid champagne over this.
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O I love mature, well aged champagne, and this certainly qualifies. In a wonderful mature place right now, but still has many years ahead of it. Great complex toasty and sherry notes. A beautiful, elegant older lady who still turns heads.
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not blind Too evolved in colour.High filling. No bubbles but otherwise all the elements you expect from an older Cristal. Nougat, toffee, milk chocolate, elegance and still a very good acidity structure. It needed only bubbles to be a great champagne. 92-93
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Happy 2021! First time to try 30 years champagne. Some sediments, cloudy and not much bubbles. Probably not in good shape? Interesting pronounced nosed with hints of some fruits and floral notes. Long finish
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Popped late night as a palate freshener and because someone was talking up old Cristal... I'm still not into these stylistically and found this unduly sweet and syrupy. Yes it had rich and developed white fruit and apple flavour, but there is icing sweetness about the whole thing and this particular example didn't seem to be cut with enough citrus or chalky mineral. Pretty tasty in its own way, but sort of says 'sweaty' more than 'sharp'.
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What a special treat to taste this a 30 years-old. This bottle definitely would not have the stuff to make it much longer, but maybe some other well stored bottles could. Anyway, the acidity here is absolutely pristine and utterly surreal. Crystal clean small bubbles. Overall, it was outshined by the 1990 La Grande Dame, but still very special in its own way.
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Condition of the bottle was clearly off a bit, a bit too much walnuts and honey, freshness was a bit off. The previous bottle we drank in Hong Kong was much better.
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Well preserved, medium gold, age appropriate mousse. Interesting dried yellow fruit aroma and flavors. Oxidative, not oxidized. Yet not really complex or nuanced. Good but fading, better 5-8 years ago. Another 1990 champagne that even at age 30 could have aged somewhat better. The mid nineties Cristals, while only a few years younger, are much fresher and more enjoyable.
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47th Wedding Anniversary (Flemings, Walnut Creek, Ca.): Nose of smoke, hazelnuts, toast, and allspice, medium amount of tiny bubbles formed a lovely mousse, same on the palate, big body, very tasty, elegant, delicious, mouth filling, time to enjoy is now, and a long, long finish and flavorful aftertaste.
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Eclipsed by the 90 Vilmart. This was nice, but not very memorable (this has been a surprisingly "common" experience with Cristal for me). Lovely acidity, good delineation. A touch of toast and lemon on the nose. Very clean finish.
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2nd Champagne Club; 11/4/2019-11/5/2019 (Les Crayeres Reims): not blind phantastic flight with Cristal 1959. Much too Young from a pristine bottle. Elegant, reluctant for an 90, could be 88. Vivid bubbles, finishes with nuts and citrus likewise. great length. 96(98)
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I suspect this bottle was slightly advanced. Rich and powerful but it showed hint of plum fruit on the nose and palate initially. With more time in the glass, the plum fruit somewhat faded but I still expected more vibrancy and complexity based on the reviews.
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Golden coloured and a little cloudy. Only a small pop upon opening and the mousse was modest. Complex, smoky, yeasty, honeyed citrus nose. The palate had layers of brioche, lemon curd, smoky nuts and toffee. A riper profile with good acidity and a long finish. Fully mature.
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Does champagne get better? This perfect blend of creamy yeasty richness and lively fruity acidity with a base of chablis like minerality is just divine. The fruits are definitely white fruits but soft and ripe like a plum/pear hybrid (probably coming to a Whole Foods soon....). The nose reminds you why you age champagne. It contained no surprises, no weird flavors (unlike say the 1966 at this same age which was a mango-tropical fruit smoothie), just perfect champagne yeastiness with a softness granted by 30 years of age. Why drink champagne young when patience brings this? While not my favorite wine of the night because I'd rather drink 95 point burgundy than 100 point almost anything else, I could understand champagne lovers who would swoon for this.
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Big nose - brioche, spicy, minerals, pear and golden apple Very sweet and biscuit on palate. almost caramel, with some citric tartness in the back. Acid and spice builds into a big and expansive finish. Delicious. Nose -5/6, Palate - 5.5/6, Finish - 5.5/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 1.5/2 = 17.5/20.
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Much better than the previous one, this one sported a active mousse for age with a pretty couronne and a light to medium gold color. Yes, there’s definitely notes of oxidation but fortunately the deep stone fruit and sound acidity puts it in context. Like most (? all) 1990 champagne, it’s living on the edge and clearly time to drink up.
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I will admit that I had high expectations for this bottle as it had perfect color and condition for its age. The nose started out pretty nice with orchard fruit, brioche, and some minerals. It got a bit better in some areas as it aerated but showed a touch of oxidation.
In the mouth, this wine was a bit watery and not impressive at all at first. The overripe/oxidative note in the nose showed even a bit more in the mouth. Fortunately, this wine firmed up nicely after 45 minutes and it ended up having a nice texture and finish (even though it was losing its effervescence). However, it never lost that edge of oxidation.
This was a big disappointment for a great wine in a great vintage. It was still good after sufficient air but nowhere near great. This may be a wine to drink up ASAP or sell? Maybe just a bad bottle?
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In a perfect spot right now, that utopian balance of still vibrant acidity, fine active mousse, and white peach skin fruit balanced with background notes of secondary yeast and wet leaves. Truly gorgeous, sublime with pike quenelles in lobster broth.
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first in a long (long) series of wines at La Paulee dinner. Unlike some other champagnes I’ve had from this time period it's mature but still very vibrant, excellent mousse and complex with secondary development complementing the freshness. Had a sip hours later and it was still going strong.
In what would become the m.o. for the night we had a short time to assess, as out came a mag of 99 Marquis de Laguiche. This got my vote for the wine that got most shortchanged, as our table quickly turned into a MASH unit with flight after flight coming out. 94-95 points Thx Chris
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Wine Workshop: An evening with Cristal (Atera - 77 Worth Street in NYC): Lovely and fun wine to get to try. It was interesting to me - the color on this was awfully similar to the color on the '96 rose. A bit darker and oranger than some of the others. Also a touch oxidized. It wasn't a perfect bottle. That being said, the wine was enjoyable. It actually paired quite well with the cucumbers in a dish and that pairing seemed to soften the acid in the wine.
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Great wine, in great condition. So rich and aromatic on the nose with citrus : orange tart, beautiful yeasty characteristics and dried white fig. Beautiful long and memorable finish.
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1982 Pomerol tasting and dinner (3030 Ocean, Fort Lauderdale, Florida): Some oxidation was immediately apparent, but not in a charming mature champagne way. Bubbles were mostly resolved. The aromas and flavors were dominated by apple, blood orange, hazelnut, and brioche. Lacking a bit of freshness, but surprisingly, the oxidative notes faded during the evening. Lacked the depth and intensity of the best aged champagnes, but at least the last sip was better than the first.
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I am getting increasingly concerned about this (formerly) great vintage of Cristal. This bottle opened with no pop and minimal fizz. Could it have been stored improperly before I bought it years ago from Acker, who knows? Fairly strong note of oxidation, too. But in an amazing resurrection, it freshened up slowly, little by little, over a couple of hours. Finally, stylish, very complex and interesting. But not wonderful.
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Small and simple dinner gathering with some special friends, no formal notes. Served as a cleanser before going from left to right bank. Could you think of a better choice for this purpose? Well, maybe, as this bottle was actually a tiny bit on the tiered side… Still, a very good Champagne, indeed. Nose shows some hay and slightly oxidative, wet wool, with apples and a bit of smoke. Bust also there was fine fresh citrus, orange peel, coffee, touch yeast, marzipan and Nutella. Palate with honey, again some hay, nuts, smoke and bruised yellow apple. very fine, but missing some acidity and freshness for a higher score.
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My last mag and last bottle. Found it fresh, bubbly and very good. As it stayed open longer I found that the sweetness showed more. Not something I love. I continue to believe that for my palate I would drink up now. Bobby thought the window was another 5yrs. 92/93
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Feine Nuß- und Marzipannote, elegant mit feiner Perlage und erfrischender Säure, sehr harmonisch, auch wenn einen Tacken zu süß. Im Abgang etwas Dattel und Feige. Hatte den 90er schon etwas üppiger genießen dürfen. 94
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A bottle in top shape and just brilliant. Rich crisp apple with pear and orange (blossom?) notes, slightly honeyed, rich bread notes and with a distinct and beautiful hazelnut component. Soft but still lively mousse. The slight orange notes gave it a mild liqueur feel as the bottle went on - maybe even better like that. Stunning - feels like the vintage and Cristal were well matched. Try next bottle in 5 years *****(*)
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Finally heeded my own advice and drank my last 750. Smoke, honey with dark honeyed hue. Highly enjoyable but as I've said before I would drink them now. 92/93
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Has the '90 Cristal faded or is it just this bottle? Modest mousse, shy bouquet, faint flavors of lemon pith and summer squash. No more peach or other orchard fruit. Correct but far from exciting.
Out of a mag and truly a great bottle. This reminded me of the bottle I had in 2008 that was in perfect Harmony. Alive in every way- bubbles, long finish and aromas that kept on showing more. Honey and line again. Will drink my 750 and save my last mag.
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Sparkling at 70 (Ekatahuna, New Zealand): Tasted directly after a Salon 1990, this was clearly the finer and more profound wine. Displaying fully mature aromas and flavours, but also a very healthy hue, with a reasonably vibrant hue - this wine has beautiful balance and structure. Multi-layered, very biscuity and intensely flavoured. Very fine luxury cuvee drinking at a peak of late maturity.
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Tasted sbs the 89. Color is deeper golden, more fresh and zesty. Also ripe nose, but there are more dimensions to the wine. Pear, apple, apricot, dried plum. Overall very balanced and drink beautifully now.
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Magnum. Deep brioche and plenty of yeasty baking bread with developed orange citrus on the nose. Buttery brioche continues on the palate along with tangerine, mandarin oranges, and grapefruit citrus. Not as sharp and high acid as expected for Cristal - approachable and enjoyable.
Interestingly this wine was far more developed out of Magnum. We were served the 1990 Cristal blind, but from a 750, and while the majority of calls were still Cristal, the average vintage guess was 2000. The notes for the 750 still had lots of baking brioche, but also included notes like crisp, green, straw, some slate, and frosted green grass.
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Subtil og særs elegant. Frukt og florale toner hånd i hånd. Definitivt den yngste 1990 jeg har har vært borte i. Fortsatt smertelig ung i munnen. Elegant, men samtidig en fantastisk klokkeren intensitet. Frisk, mineralsk med flott nerve. Lang elektrisk finish. Helt rå vin, men trenger mer tid! En fremtidig gigant.
More precise and fresher lemony styled than the Krug of the same vintage. Pinpoint yet creamy lemon Fraiche with cashew nuts and a few touches of raw honey.
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- Yellow gold color with medium pearls. It's in total harmony and has flavours of apple, banana and butterscotch with a medium body. Polished texture with a medium finish.
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Finally, our last bottle and a very very good one. Cork popped nicely when removed and the effervesence was persistent over two hours. Deep golden orangey color, caramelly with age and spiced with baked apple and nutmeg.
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Light amber with light mousse. Nose is fruity of peach, toast and has a madeirized note. Full flavoured and substantial body, slightly sweet, carmellized brown sugar, lemon rind, slight bitterness and zippy acid. Terrifically long finish. Worth the wait.
According to the Wine Advocate: "The 1990 Cristal is 62% Pinot Noir, 38% Chardonnay. Just a small portion of the wine (7-10%) underwent malolactic fermentation. "
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Popped on Xmas eve, med golden, bubbles are small but weak, with nose of ripe apple and toast. Still refreshing in mouth with sufficient acidity and a steely feel here. Lemon custard too. Concentrated and a fune balance of sweetness, very similar to the 2006. Drink now as the bubbles are fading or one would prefer to taSte it in the context of a white wine.
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Archetypical fabulous Cristal at the peak of its power, unlike many 1990 champagnes, which are fading fast. Open knit, lush, gold. Almost detectably sweet, which only adds to the full bodied mouth feel. Yellow fruity, more apricot than orange, but sound acidity holds it together very well and it did not fade even after a couple of hours. A floozy, but irresistible if you appreciate the style.
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Angels wept: another disappointing Cristal. Cork barely went POOF when removed, indicating pressure loss and explaining the mild oxidation on tha palate and lack of persistence in the bubble.
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Drew's 40th: Showing more maturity and roundness than the Krug. Less acidity and more oxidative in character. A big nose of sweetness and oxidized citrus fruits. Based on the lack of pressure when the cork was removed and the way this showed, I don't think this was a representative bottle.
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Served with steamed lobsters for our 25th anniversary dinner, this was a breathtaking bottle of Champagne that demonstrated the class and refinement of Cristal. From the pinpoint mousse to the elegant, mature flavors, this bottle showed as well as could ever be expected. Nuts, warm bread, apple and toasty elements dominated at first, but freshened with time and with the partnership of lobster and lemon. The brightness on tbe palate was a little bit unexpected from a ripe vintage wine, but very welcome, as it balanced the depth and richness of the flavors. Overall a truly outstanding bottle, worthy of the occasion.
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Not much life left in this bottle, but still a wonderful nose of honey, apricot and caramel. Needed an hour to firm up and was a pleasure to drink with main lobster and crab cakes at capital grill in Miami.
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Drank with OT and B Fare, I love this champer, tonight i was good but not terrific, the nose had some funk that needed to blow off. In the mouth, wine had great crispness and terrific balance. Need to open another bottle.
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Was really disappointed...Bottles supposedly from cristal but some thing was off. blew off a bit but never had got to a clean point. Musty. better on palate in comparison to nose but when fresh this wine is truly captivating
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Intense nose of dried porcini and honey upon opening. Incredibly rich complexity assaulting the pallet with layers of passion fruit, nutmeg, vanilla and truffle. The earthy mineral notes started to dissipate after about thirty minutes of breathing. Its exceptionally crisp finish and bright effervescence lasted for several hours. Outstanding wine with a satin-like finish.
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Something was definitely wrong with this bottle. The color was light brown and we were quite sad upon opening it. But... Nothing wrong with the taste. Oxidative nose, and quite developed in a great way. Toffee, coffee, baked apples, vanilla, nuts. Very little mousse left but a long aftertaste. Tasted along side a Cristal 1996, which was so closed in comparison.
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A truly profound champagne with a wonderful, slightly oxidative nose with notes of nuts and yeast. Vivacious yet elegant with great richness and perfect fresh acidity and bubbles. Incredibly complex flavors fill the mouth with brioche, tangerine, lemon meringue and hazelnut notes. Seems perfectly mature to me and while there are some oxidative and caramel notes that add to this gorgeous champagne, it manages to avoid the early oxidized characteristic of the vintage. Delicious now but no need to hurry.
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This bottle was holding up beautifully. Clear, crisp, with lots of delicate interplay of flavors. Lemons were at the forefront with a hint of toffee and almonds. Beautifully clean wine that could engage you for a long time if there weren't 12 other wines waiting at this ridiculous dinner. Served alongside the 90 Krug Brut, the differences between two wines was very apparent with some preferring the cleaner, crisper Cristal and others the deeper, more brooding Krug. For me the Krug was more intriguing, inching out the Cristal by a nose.
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NobleRottersSydney - Grange night (Verde, East Sydney): {cork, 12%} (Geoffrey) A touch cloudy-looking, rich gold in colour. The nose was clearly cheesy and nutty; you might expect this at nearly a quarter-century, but the palate had a distinct flat-spot to it. Is it odd that it could taste oxidised, despite there still being plenty of fine bubbles and some acidity? Weird. It’s like the fruit alone has faded, whereas the rest of the palate is in fine shape. Sadly, this takes the complexity and length of finish with it. I sense here the shell of a very great wine, but it was not to be on this occasion.
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Tasted at the New York Wine Experience 2013 Really good and serious wine! Heady smell, deep and satisfying on the palate. The age gives it extra depth and complexity. A beauty!
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Drinkable but ordinary, lacking the depth and grandeur this bottling should have. Worse, of about nine I bought some time back from a good, trusted cellar, about every other bottle has been disappointing in this same way. Scary.
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Golden yellow in color. Nose of apple strudel and pear. Full and lush palate showing a bit of mazipan and loads of oxidative fruit. Very fine and persistent bubbles even after 3hours. Quite oxidative in style and in a great place to drink now.
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BYO (My tasting @ Michaels place): Creamy caramel and some complexity but also a bit metallic. Due to previous experiences I had really expected a lot more but it could have been an off bottle.
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From magnum. Not shot, but simply lacking the charm that good bottles of this show. Improved over a couple of hours, but all in all a disappointing bottle.
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Open and aromatic nose with apple butter, vanilla, toffee, slight wool, meat, some hazelnuts and shellfish. Dry, crispy and well-balanced fullbodied palate with ripe fruit and fine vivacious moussé. Nutty finish with minerally touch. Long. Very nice! Still pretty youthful stuff - despite the obvious ripeness and some more aged characteristics. Should be splendid in five to ten years.
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Classic French Lunch: Advanced but not over the hill. Extremely complex set of flavors - oyster shell seems quite prominent - with some oxidative notes, but still very vibrant.
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KYD #1.3: Just after single smell and taste of this wine it is very clear that it is in a league of its own! The nose is very intense but still sophisticated. There is plenty of depth and showing fresh red apples and caramel. The nose also has a little oxidation/sherry notes but not in a bad way! A completely massive and full-bodied palate fills the mouth with great pleasure. Loads of red apples in the beginning with a very impressive structure. In the beginning there is a lot of sweetness to it but it is balanced out nicely with a very clean acidity in the very long and impressive aftertaste. There is a great fruit depth and a huge length! This wine is simply stunning and it is really peaking at the moment. It will keep for a very long time but it will not get much better than it is at the moment...
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Always a great champagne, and this perfectly stored bottle was no exception. Due to perfect provenance, it wasn't as advanced as previous bottles. Very good.
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While not as dazzling as usual, this '90 was certainly enjoyable for its open, easygoing, relaxed peachy fruit. But as sometimes happens with Chris, it was dangerously close to sweet. Almost a quaffer. No need for food; this is an appetizer style champagne.
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A bit amber in color. Aroma of soy sauce and apricots. Taste of light Madeira, showing maturity, apricots, lightly effervescent, heavenly butterscotch, long lasting flavor.
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We drank the 75, 85, 90, and 02 Cristal side by side over the course of a four hour lunch yesterday. The 90 showed as typical, a touch advanced yet so good. It's simply a terrific Cristal. The 75 also showed its age, but was really enjoyable. Very similar in profile to the 90, lots of Cristal fat and yeast. Good stuff. The 85 was so weird its hard to describe. At first we thought it might be a fake, but all looked perfect on the bottle and cork. For about two hours it gave off nothing on the nose, and not a lot on the palate. About hour three, it started to open. then at hour four it was rocking. Weird, but in the end pretty damn good. And last but not least, the baby 2002. As always, precise and laser like. A gorgeous young champagne, that drinks very well young.
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A thanksgiving aperitif. Not a whole lot of analytical evaluation here but suffice it to say it was wonderful. Golden yellow color, fine stream of bubbles. Broad, plush, full, yeasty with lemon and pear. Expands in the mouth beautifully. Not the longest finish but completely satisfying.
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Plush fruit with pure toffee and candied fruits backed up by impressive acid and a long finish of citrus candy. The overall impression is only jarred by an initial soapy aroma that thankfully eventually transforms into a more waxy but still not entirely pleasant tone.
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Golden colored, steady stream of small bubbles rising one by one; nose of balanced yeast and apple, hint of brine, salt; palate had lovely effervescence, exceptional blend of slightly oxidized fruit and fresh acidity, clean every step of the way with hints of salinity, lime, fresh baked bread, well balanced dosage; finish is extraordinarily long, fresh, and flavorful, lasts at least 60+ seconds if not longer, mouthwatering acidity brings you back to your food or to another sip of the wine. An exceptional wine.
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the Champagne almost stole for show... it was THAT good. Lovely nose of salty plum (話梅), very yeasty, sweet like sugar cane, fleshy and plump on the nose with salty minerals. Yes, the nose was oxidized and I loved it. Still some crisp acidity on the palate. One of my last remaining bottles which I bought from Tokyo more than 10 years ago, this was definitely an amazing wine.
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This vintage of Cristal is aging extremely well. Perfect medium yellow with a hint of gold. Active mousse for age with tiny bubbles. Idiosyncratic nose of sweet peach and apricot with hints of Carries off the trick of being mouthfulling yet medium weight at most. It doesn't taste as sweet as it smells but it's remarkably easy to gulp down. The finish is creamy smooth and soft.
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From magnum. Light yellow color. Stunning bouquet, with tart apple, pear, citrus, ginger, yeast, and crushed shells. In the mouth, relentless. Intense, balanced, lively, and absolutely seamless. A remarkable wine for its youthfulness, vigor, and impeccable layers of flavor. A wallop of fruit quickly gives way to a touch of toffee, then more spicy, yeasty notes that are buttressed by ample acidity and the minerality of crushed shells. Profound finish that simply lingers effortlessly and endlessly. Absolutely superb. A+
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Bellingham Grand Crew Celebrates a Birthday (DuJour Bistro): Nice follow-up to the oxidized '59 (former) sparkler. Generously brought by Jenise. Straw colored, with wonderful fine mousse. It's hard to believe this is almost 20 y.o., as it's youthful as can be. The strength of this wine is the perfect balance of gorgeous aromas and flavors, fine mouthfeel, and gentle but lengthy finish. Lemon curd, green apple, a little toast. Persistent. My COTY.
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Still the undisputed champion vintage of Cristal for me. This was a perfectly preserved bottle from an Acker auction. Remarkably fresh, lively and juicy with a strong mousse of pin point bubbles. Very peachy and tropical fruity with just a hint of caramel to indicate its age. Typical high Cristal dosage, but stops just short of tasting sweet. Beautiful, lingering finish. This is one of those relatively unusual champagnes that is best appreciated alone, rather than with food.
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Beautiful Fruit on the nose and palate...often a favorite of Champagne specific Sommeliers....I loved the flavors of aprcot and slightly sweet fruit but still didn't intrigue me as much as the 95.....the 95 almost drinks like a red wine...
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Drank 3 bottles from a perfect ocb in the last 30 days. This is a very nice wine. It shows some aged tones of toffee, caramel and red apples, pastry and freshness. it is a bit sweet and works great as a dessert wine! Some complexity and nice weight. it can come off a little heavy at times as the acidity is not strong, much more ripeness. Strong wine, but the 1989 is notably better with more acidity. GIven the elevated price of 90, I'd buy 89
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Well my first 'cellar tracker' tasting note after entering my collection toady and a very good start; and what a great website!!! This has been in my collection for 10ish years - cost me £63. My whole close family went to a very good restaurat at the local golf course for my mothers birthday. After looking at other people's notes I was worried this might be heading over the edge. Still a good pop when releasing the cork, much lighter yellow appearance than I expected for an18 year old wine. Yeast very apparent on the nose, fresh bread and dough with a touch of ripe lime, lemon sherbert. On the palate really very fresh, loads of refreshing acidity. Sherbert, delicate marzipan and a wonderfully refreshing lift on the finish, really refined mousse and delicately balanced. The only better Champagnes I have tasted are Krug 1990 and Cristal Rose 1996. This is simply sublime! I do not see why this bottle couldn't have lasted another 5 years+ although I cannot imagine it tasting better than it did tonight. Not far off perfect Champagne for me, great vino!!! 96, if I had to score it. Only 1 bottle left, boo hoo.......
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One of my first near perfect champagnes. Bought at a restaurant at an amazing price of 90 $ and got a perfect bottle. Third time I taste this wine, now almost perfect. Evolved nice notes of bread, citrus gooseberry. loads of fruit and acid, this wine is a monster!!, can probably evolve during next 10 years.The boubbles were very nice with a almost perfect mousse.
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Aged Cristal has such unique flavors. Pinnapple, lemons, toasty brioche, deep long finish...not too many bubbles but incredible flavors. Very different style than Dom or Krug. Very nice; a real treat.
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My 1. go with this top cuvee. Nose was absolutely out of this world. Bread, yeast, exotic fruit, and, yes...white chocolate. Full bodied in the mouth, very tasty, very complex. Had with some fish courses, but could easely stand alone, yum. Bubbles a bit in the background alas. Power here to last 5 more years, at least. Only problem? It wasnt a mag...
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Rich golden in appearance - not too many bubbles. The nose is very complex - yeast, caramel, cream, butter, citrus and some nuts. Never knew a Champagne could smell like this. Wonderful on the palate - nice layers of vanilla, toffee, peach, citrus and a very long finish of lemons. Good acidity and very smooth on the palate - this is a fantastic Champagne.
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Cristal is an idiosyncratic champagne; you love it or you hate it. And if you love it, you may feel its a guilty pleasure because it's so easy to drink. This 1990 version is still very fresh although the mousse is settling down and the cork comes out with a gentle sigh. Remarkably intense nose of lemon, mango and pineapple, as if the glass should have a paper umbrella stuck in it. "White chocolate" K nails it. A bit more stuctured on the palate, yet it still gives a sweet impression although it's technically dry. A very welcome citric acidity holds the concoction together and prevents it from becoming cloying. Soft, plush - and irresistible to me.
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TN: Dinner at Providence (LA, CA) with 90 Cristal, '97 O Leflaive Batard & '03 Latour Pommard: This champagne showed a golden, orange raisined hue, which I suspected might be due to some maderization. The nose displayed wonderful aromas of brioche, chopped nuts with hints of orange peel. On the palate my suspicions were confirmed a there was a definite maderized flavor of raisins, though this did not immediately distract from the other notes. There is a creaminess to the sweet fruit that envelopes the tongue. A fine mouse contributes more layers of texture. The finish lingers, fading to a wonderfully. With some time the wine showed more oxidative characteristics. It’s a shame this wine was flawed. Though some of the wines qualities came through in the first 45 minutes, it eventually was overcome by the oxidation. We none the less moved forward to our next wine.
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Consistently lovely and my favorite Cristal ever. Tiny, tiny lazy stream of bubbles leads to that seemingly sweet aroma of tropical fruits and lemon peel. Delicious and clearly at its prime.
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What a delightful start to an evening of fine wine and superlative dining at the Four Seasons restaurant in Palm Beach. A recent Acker auction purchase, this bottle was in excellent condition. Pretty medium yellow, no gold. On first opening, an exqusite perfume of spring flowers, citrus and a hint of vanilla, which unfortunately vanished after about 15 minutes as it warmed up in the flute. The flavor emphasized a croissant-like butter and warm fresh mille-feuille filigree delicacy unlike any other champagne. Very feminine, very delicious, very well balanced. Just on the borderline of sweetness, but there's just enough tang in the finish to hold it together. It's at its best now and probably won't keep its beauty for more than a few more years at most.
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Consistent note with previous bottle seven weeks earlier. Excellent wine performing briliantly. Technically as good as last bottle but maybe just lacking a little through not being drunk alongside and out-shining some other great fizzes. In numerical terms this has to be a 97 or 98.
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Simply stunning Champagne. The bubbles are there but not in excessive quantity and the nose is great, not overly carmelly, this bottle obviously was well taken care of. Lots of pears and apples that smoothly meld with the rest of the flavors int he Champagne. When Roederer hits with Cristal they can do really well and this was definitely a year Roederer did great.
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Pale gold color; big nose of yeasty ripe fruit. Great attack of refreshing acidity with a mousse of a billion bubbles. Long mid palate, turning sweet on the long finish. A great bottle of wine. The best champagne I have ever tasted.
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Champagne Offline - Revenge of the Fizz (Snows - London): Mid gold colour, very rich concentrated nose, a hint of oak that may come from the richer style. I was worried about the high dosage on this, but it is fully integrated, so sign of sweetness. On palate smooth honied roast pear and apple, amazing length and balance. Damn, I really didn't want to like this!
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Slightly pinkish colour, slight sweetness on the palate. Long. Elegant. Really excellent and supremely elegant - still singing as I drained the dregs after an hour or so for the toast to Steven. My WOTN and was hugely relieved that it hadn't been a let down. Absolute fantastic wine.
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Jim opened 2 bottles of this wonderful Champagne for the lovely wine dinner he had on his patio. Stunningly youthful. Frothy and vigorous mousse. Light yellow. Intense nose. Very gingery. Light to medium weight. Elegant, delightful, stylish. Splendid individual Champagne. Could even improve for a few more years.
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Consumed with dinner at the Brasserie. Simply speaking, this is the best Champagne that I have ever had the pleasure of drinking. Medium straw in color, with a brisk bead of tiny bubbles. Very intense, complex nose showing toast, nutmeg, bread dough, smoke, pear and sawdust. Amazingly creamy on the palate, with crisp acidity and similar complex flavors as for the nose. The finish seems to linger forever.
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Reassuringly wonderful this time. Amazingly tiny bubbles, powerful mousse. Chardonnay dominates, seems like a Blanc de Blancs. Very elegant. Similar to the Comtes this vintage. Wonderful weight, texture, flavor. Better than the ‘90 Cristal Rosé I tasted one week ago.
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High End Champagne Tasting (Lafayette, Ca.): Best mousse, most tiny bubbles of all tonight, lovely, rich nose with yeast, delicate and feminine touch of pineapple, and butterscotch, lovely balance of fruit on the palate, elegant, intense fruit, needs 5 years cellar time and will merit a higher score, and a long, long, lovely finish. My #1 of 6.
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7 Expensive Champagnes (Lafayette, Ca.): Very lovely, fruity nose, lots of apples here, nice, tiny, and lots of bubbles in the glass, lovely, rich, full body, taste lots of yeast, hints of good acid, vanilla, and wood, medium finish.
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BIRTHDAY 10/23/1997 (Walnut Creek, Ca.): Nose of hazelnuts, slate, yeast and allspice, medium amount of tiny bubbles which formed a lovely mousse, same on the palate, big body, good acid, elegant, delicious, mouth filling, at it's peak drinking point so time to enjoy is now, and a long, long finish.
1/23/2024 - Benoit Hardy Likes this wine: 96 Points
Memory of having drunk this wine 10 years ago. Power was the qualifier in 2013 when I drank it.
Today, it’s something completely different, the wine has changed. Effervescence still very present and fine.
Nose of orange, honey, candied almonds and caramel.
The mouth is now much softer. It’s delicate and full of nuance, with a structured juice that reveals itself in layers. First we have the delicate jasmine, then we arrive at the candied aromas, where orange mixes with almonds. The texture is concentrated, it’s caramelized, but also syrupy and airy at the same time. Beautiful acidity that loosens a deep and blossoming whole. The wine unfolds with a smooth side. Obviously the dosage is perceptible given current standards but it is harmonious. Beautiful finish, which here also achieves the alliance between the caramelized intensity of tertiary aromas and an impressive airy and floral length.
Great Champagne.
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10/11/2023 - hprphf wrote: 94 Points
Mini 90 horizontal of DP/Cristal/CdC. Consistent delivery, firm, powerful, structured, orange flower, yellow fruit, large and balanced. 94
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5/27/2023 - bscott wrote:
Drink on engagement day, April 2, 2023
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5/19/2023 - The Vines That Bind wrote: 92 Points
[Blind] Sweet, dessert-like, dark chocolates and caramel, orange zest. Distinctive and sort of in its own category given the dosage and unctuous sweetness.
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5/14/2023 - zimmy07 Likes this wine: 93 Points
a very good wine. Butterscotch, honey, with some candied almond. Tis had life left but will only decline from here. This would have been dead on about 4-5 years ago, overall still a great champagne and a treat to taste
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3/26/2023 - burgconvert Likes this wine: 93 Points
It's rare to enjoy a wine that has made it to this stage of oxidation without it turning bad and what a treat. Honeyed butterscotch and caramel notes - similar to what you get from oxidized white burgundies but without the bitterness or sherry notes. It's still has plenty of fruit (some cherry) and bubbles left to enjoy. Not necessarily the most profound, layered, or nuanced wine, but a unique experience without question
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2/18/2023 - Cailles wrote: 95 Points
This vintage is drinking beautifully today. Beautiful tertiary toffee notes mixed with some fresh primary aromas and a minerality backbone and while fully melted structure it still shows fine mousse and a nice acidity. No reason to wait much longer.
TN: Medium+ expressive bouquet full of toffee and nutty notes with some citrus freshness. Very inviting. Better on the palate and with some air with the same caramel, nutty, brioche aromas, minty notes, lots of oyster shell, a nice salinity, some citrus notes and some red berries. Very fine mousse, still prickling, good acidity backbone but the highlight is the elegance, airy texture and impeccable balance.
Decanting: At first a bit muted and thin, the wine opened up and filled-out nicely with air. I would give it a bit of time in the decanter (30-60mins?).
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1/30/2023 - dream Likes this wine: 94 Points
Succulent and intense, high-acid and drinking beautifully now with crisp lemon/lime fruit and a wonderful spicy, complex finish.
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10/20/2022 - Dmax808 wrote: 97 Points
To echo a few others below, this was great! It seemed so fresh still having some primary fruit and lots of fine creamy bubbles yet having those secondary and tertiary characteristics I like so much.
Not sure what a 100pt wine for me would be but I can't imagine having Champagne too much better than this.
Wish I could afford to drink something like this more often or have had the foresight to buy a ton on release ~25 years ago.
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9/2/2022 - kr522 wrote: 92 Points
From mag, this seems to be losing some freshness. still enjoyable but I’d be pulling corks
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8/6/2022 - Max S. Likes this wine: 97 Points
First glass: Lightly bubbled, lighter golden brown color. Dried apricot and lightly toasted almond, either candied almond or almond with a bit of honey.
Second glass (approx. 30 minutes later, bottle corked in fridge): bubbles gone, darker golden brown, more sherry notes/dry apple cider.
Hell of an experience, going to be hard to match. The host noted the bottle had not been kept in good storage conditions for the entirety of it's life (hot apartment, traveling the country).
May have life left, but no reason to let it go any longer unless you like ultra-tertiary Champagne.
GH shared with JH, JB, and me.
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4/6/2022 - Ltim BE Likes this wine: 93 Points
We loved it, the complex tertiary aroma’s were beautiful, a touchnof honey and sherry yet fresh and the taste soooo fresh, lively and bubbly yet so complex. Too bad our dinner guests are sooo amateurs that prefer any stupid champagne over this.
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12/7/2021 - Nothung Likes this wine: 95 Points
O
I love mature, well aged champagne, and this certainly qualifies. In a wonderful mature place right now, but still has many years ahead of it. Great complex toasty and sherry notes. A beautiful, elegant older lady who still turns heads.
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11/20/2021 - Burgundy Al wrote: 93 Points
Wines Enjoyed at John Kapon's 50th Birthday Bash (The Pool - New York NY): Small glass, brief note. From 6L. Shockingly fresh for the vintage, but size matters. Great depth.
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11/20/2021 - hprphf wrote: 95 Points
JK's 50th Birthday: 6L. Fresher than previous bottles (understandably), acidity seems to be more balanced, very complex. 95
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11/13/2021 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
La Fete: Gala Dinner (Chelsea Piers: Pier 60): Surprisingly young but drinking pretty well. I always love older Cristal. The higher dosage does a good job of aging. Drinks well.
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7/16/2021 - jhngo Likes this wine: 96 Points
Out of Mag just fresh crisp barely any development. Tons of acid and soft bubbles! wow!
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2/15/2021 - vetty Likes this wine: 93 Points
great vintage Cristal with smooth palate and great balance
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2/15/2021 - hprphf wrote: 93 Points
Rich and intense like I remember, less fresh than from Magnum, graceful ageing characteristics. Very enjoyable. 93-94
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1/21/2021 - aquacongas Likes this wine: 93 Points
not blind
Too evolved in colour.High filling. No bubbles but otherwise all the elements you expect from an older Cristal. Nougat, toffee, milk chocolate, elegance and still a very good acidity structure. It needed only bubbles to be a great champagne. 92-93
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12/31/2020 - Bullethead Likes this wine: 95 Points
Happy 2021! First time to try 30 years champagne. Some sediments, cloudy and not much bubbles. Probably not in good shape? Interesting pronounced nosed with hints of some fruits and floral notes. Long finish
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11/22/2020 - Burgnick Likes this wine: 94 Points
In magnum. Vibrant and intense with brioche and nut fruit. Lots of bubbles. Very good.
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11/2/2020 - The Vines That Bind wrote: 92 Points
Popped late night as a palate freshener and because someone was talking up old Cristal... I'm still not into these stylistically and found this unduly sweet and syrupy. Yes it had rich and developed white fruit and apple flavour, but there is icing sweetness about the whole thing and this particular example didn't seem to be cut with enough citrus or chalky mineral. Pretty tasty in its own way, but sort of says 'sweaty' more than 'sharp'.
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10/30/2020 - Winning_Wines Likes this wine: 93 Points
What a special treat to taste this a 30 years-old. This bottle definitely would not have the stuff to make it much longer, but maybe some other well stored bottles could. Anyway, the acidity here is absolutely pristine and utterly surreal. Crystal clean small bubbles. Overall, it was outshined by the 1990 La Grande Dame, but still very special in its own way.
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7/5/2020 - Ltim BE wrote: 88 Points
Condition of the bottle was clearly off a bit, a bit too much walnuts and honey, freshness was a bit off. The previous bottle we drank in Hong Kong was much better.
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7/4/2020 - sdr Likes this wine: 91 Points
Well preserved, medium gold, age appropriate mousse. Interesting dried yellow fruit aroma and flavors. Oxidative, not oxidized. Yet not really complex or nuanced. Good but fading, better 5-8 years ago. Another 1990 champagne that even at age 30 could have aged somewhat better. The mid nineties Cristals, while only a few years younger, are much fresher and more enjoyable.
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5/25/2020 - JHSP Likes this wine: 93 Points
very balanced and delicate - brioche, honey and hints of toasted almonds - very fine perlage and beautiful to drink now!
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3/3/2020 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 96 Points
47th Wedding Anniversary (Flemings, Walnut Creek, Ca.): Nose of smoke, hazelnuts, toast, and allspice, medium amount of tiny bubbles formed a lovely mousse, same on the palate, big body, very tasty, elegant, delicious, mouth filling, time to enjoy is now, and a long, long finish and flavorful aftertaste.
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2/9/2020 - kr522 wrote: 95 Points
from mag. very similar to prior experiences (that were 750ml), showing appropriate age and secondary/tertiary nuances but still fresh and energetic.
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2/8/2020 - hprphf wrote: 94 Points
Magnum is incredibly fresh, especially on the the finish, with very composed sweetness and acidity in great harmony. 94
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1/8/2020 - docwong3 wrote: 99 Points
Great
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1/4/2020 - asteff Likes this wine: 95 Points
Soaring acidity. Nice nutty tones. Fruit has faded some.
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12/21/2019 - Aravind Asok wrote:
Eclipsed by the 90 Vilmart. This was nice, but not very memorable (this has been a surprisingly "common" experience with Cristal for me). Lovely acidity, good delineation. A touch of toast and lemon on the nose. Very clean finish.
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11/4/2019 - aquacongas Likes this wine: 96 Points
2nd Champagne Club; 11/4/2019-11/5/2019 (Les Crayeres Reims): not blind
phantastic flight with Cristal 1959. Much too Young from a pristine bottle. Elegant, reluctant for an 90, could be 88. Vivid bubbles, finishes with nuts and citrus likewise. great length. 96(98)
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10/21/2019 - candyman wrote:
Passive cellar color rose' slite oxidation in nose elegant delicious wine. light bubbles sweet compaired to 90 bollinger RD.
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10/21/2019 - Burgnick wrote:
I suspect this bottle was slightly advanced. Rich and powerful but it showed hint of plum fruit on the nose and palate initially. With more time in the glass, the plum fruit somewhat faded but I still expected more vibrancy and complexity based on the reviews.
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9/24/2019 - dmalcolm wrote:
Golden coloured and a little cloudy. Only a small pop upon opening and the mousse was modest. Complex, smoky, yeasty, honeyed citrus nose. The palate had layers of brioche, lemon curd, smoky nuts and toffee. A riper profile with good acidity and a long finish. Fully mature.
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9/7/2019 - BradE wrote:
A good bottle, but not great. Clearly outshined by the 89 served side by side.
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8/21/2019 - tinybubbles Likes this wine: 93 Points
Clean and still relatively fresh. Creamy smoothness
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7/14/2019 - Trent Walker Likes this wine: 98 Points
Does champagne get better? This perfect blend of creamy yeasty richness and lively fruity acidity with a base of chablis like minerality is just divine. The fruits are definitely white fruits but soft and ripe like a plum/pear hybrid (probably coming to a Whole Foods soon....). The nose reminds you why you age champagne. It contained no surprises, no weird flavors (unlike say the 1966 at this same age which was a mango-tropical fruit smoothie), just perfect champagne yeastiness with a softness granted by 30 years of age. Why drink champagne young when patience brings this? While not my favorite wine of the night because I'd rather drink 95 point burgundy than 100 point almost anything else, I could understand champagne lovers who would swoon for this.
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6/21/2019 - Seth Rosenberg Likes this wine: 95 Points
Big nose - brioche, spicy, minerals, pear and golden apple Very sweet and biscuit on palate. almost caramel, with some citric tartness in the back. Acid and spice builds into a big and expansive finish. Delicious. Nose -5/6, Palate - 5.5/6, Finish - 5.5/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 1.5/2 = 17.5/20.
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6/15/2019 - sdr Likes this wine: 91 Points
Much better than the previous one, this one sported a active mousse for age with a pretty couronne and a light to medium gold color. Yes, there’s definitely notes of oxidation but fortunately the deep stone fruit and sound acidity puts it in context. Like most (? all) 1990 champagne, it’s living on the edge and clearly time to drink up.
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5/2/2019 - fclarity wrote: 92 Points
I will admit that I had high expectations for this bottle as it had perfect color and condition for its age. The nose started out pretty nice with orchard fruit, brioche, and some minerals. It got a bit better in some areas as it aerated but showed a touch of oxidation.
In the mouth, this wine was a bit watery and not impressive at all at first. The overripe/oxidative note in the nose showed even a bit more in the mouth. Fortunately, this wine firmed up nicely after 45 minutes and it ended up having a nice texture and finish (even though it was losing its effervescence). However, it never lost that edge of oxidation.
This was a big disappointment for a great wine in a great vintage. It was still good after sufficient air but nowhere near great. This may be a wine to drink up ASAP or sell? Maybe just a bad bottle?
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3/10/2019 - OenoEd Likes this wine: 95 Points
In a perfect spot right now, that utopian balance of still vibrant acidity, fine active mousse, and white peach skin fruit balanced with background notes of secondary yeast and wet leaves. Truly gorgeous, sublime with pike quenelles in lobster broth.
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3/8/2019 - kr522 wrote: 94 Points
first in a long (long) series of wines at La Paulee dinner. Unlike some other champagnes I’ve had from this time period it's mature but still very vibrant, excellent mousse and complex with secondary development complementing the freshness. Had a sip hours later and it was still going strong.
In what would become the m.o. for the night we had a short time to assess, as out came a mag of 99 Marquis de Laguiche. This got my vote for the wine that got most shortchanged, as our table quickly turned into a MASH unit with flight after flight coming out. 94-95 points Thx Chris
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3/7/2019 - Nanda wrote: 88 Points
Zachys La Paulée BYO Dinner (Lafayette NYC): Quite mature. Just a hint of freshness and vibrancy left with lots of maturing fruit and earth. Past where I enjoy Champagne.
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3/7/2019 - Burgundy Al wrote: 89 Points
Zachys La Paulée "Warm-up" Dinner (Lafayette - New York NY): Small glass, brief note. Fully mature nose with ripe apples, fully showing its age. Brighter and better flavors, but still mature.
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2/10/2019 - JJB007 Does not like this wine: 80 Points
this wine did not drink well
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1/18/2019 - aquacongas wrote: flawed
Magnum, first time a faked bottle. Cork was from 1985 and the bottle oxidized anyway.
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1/16/2019 - aquacongas wrote: flawed
faked bottle from Magnum
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12/4/2018 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
Wine Workshop: An evening with Cristal (Atera - 77 Worth Street in NYC): Lovely and fun wine to get to try. It was interesting to me - the color on this was awfully similar to the color on the '96 rose. A bit darker and oranger than some of the others. Also a touch oxidized. It wasn't a perfect bottle. That being said, the wine was enjoyable. It actually paired quite well with the cucumbers in a dish and that pairing seemed to soften the acid in the wine.
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11/28/2018 - LiteItOnFire Likes this wine: 93 Points
Wine Dinner at Atlas. No notes. Amazing experience/education in Burgundy (and others).
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11/27/2018 - Alex G. wrote:
Burgundy, Bordeaux, and California - Dujac, PYCM, Lafon, Carillon, Niellon, Lafite, Latour, Mayacamas, Montelena, Mondavi, and more: Showing its age, a bit tired, but there remain some hints of greatness. A finish of bitter chocolate and orange marzipan.
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11/16/2018 - steinersing wrote: 93 Points
rich and deep but a little tired bottle
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11/4/2018 - Teawine Likes this wine:
Great wine, in great condition. So rich and aromatic on the nose with citrus : orange tart, beautiful yeasty characteristics and dried white fig. Beautiful long and memorable finish.
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8/25/2018 - DrinkBordeaux wrote: 91 Points
1982 Pomerol tasting and dinner (3030 Ocean, Fort Lauderdale, Florida): Some oxidation was immediately apparent, but not in a charming mature champagne way. Bubbles were mostly resolved. The aromas and flavors were dominated by apple, blood orange, hazelnut, and brioche. Lacking a bit of freshness, but surprisingly, the oxidative notes faded during the evening. Lacked the depth and intensity of the best aged champagnes, but at least the last sip was better than the first.
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8/25/2018 - sdr Likes this wine: 90 Points
I am getting increasingly concerned about this (formerly) great vintage of Cristal. This bottle opened with no pop and minimal fizz. Could it have been stored improperly before I bought it years ago from Acker, who knows? Fairly strong note of oxidation, too. But in an amazing resurrection, it freshened up slowly, little by little, over a couple of hours. Finally, stylish, very complex and interesting. But not wonderful.
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4/11/2018 - Ramberg wrote: 94 Points
Small and simple dinner gathering with some special friends, no formal notes.
Served as a cleanser before going from left to right bank.
Could you think of a better choice for this purpose?
Well, maybe, as this bottle was actually a tiny bit on the tiered side…
Still, a very good Champagne, indeed.
Nose shows some hay and slightly oxidative, wet wool, with apples and a bit of smoke.
Bust also there was fine fresh citrus, orange peel, coffee, touch yeast, marzipan and Nutella.
Palate with honey, again some hay, nuts, smoke and bruised yellow apple.
very fine, but missing some acidity and freshness for a higher score.
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2/23/2018 - fatboi Likes this wine: 93 Points
My last mag and last bottle. Found it fresh, bubbly and very good. As it stayed open longer I found that the sweetness showed more. Not something I love. I continue to believe that for my palate I would drink up now. Bobby thought the window was another 5yrs. 92/93
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2/11/2018 - Ed Veritas wrote:
Drank at Eleven Madison Daphs b-day Feb/2018.
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12/11/2017 - aquacongas Likes this wine: 94 Points
Feine Nuß- und Marzipannote, elegant mit feiner Perlage und erfrischender Säure, sehr harmonisch, auch wenn einen Tacken zu süß. Im Abgang etwas Dattel und Feige. Hatte den 90er schon etwas üppiger genießen dürfen. 94
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11/19/2017 - Wine_lvr wrote: 92 Points
Quite a mature bottle with lots of tertiary aromas. Likely a too warm stored bottle.
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11/10/2017 - Peech Likes this wine: 94 Points
very caramelized nose, with savory minerals, fragrant, sweet grass. Nice and still plenty of acidity on the palate.
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9/29/2017 - fcxj wrote: 92 Points
Yeasty, fine and fresh. Top form.
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7/22/2017 - MAOC wrote:
A bottle in top shape and just brilliant. Rich crisp apple with pear and orange (blossom?) notes, slightly honeyed, rich bread notes and with a distinct and beautiful hazelnut component. Soft but still lively mousse. The slight orange notes gave it a mild liqueur feel as the bottle went on - maybe even better like that. Stunning - feels like the vintage and Cristal were well matched. Try next bottle in 5 years *****(*)
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7/7/2017 - canan wrote: 96 Points
4 Mini Vertical Tastings (Sammarco, Togni, Conseillante, Palmer) (MG): Huge structure with lots of bold flavors. Very impressive and always a pleasure to taste a mature Cristal but it does seem to have reached its peak.
What a treat to taste this wine again! Loved it :-)
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6/18/2017 - fatboi Likes this wine:
Finally heeded my own advice and drank my last 750. Smoke, honey with dark honeyed hue. Highly enjoyable but as I've said before I would drink them now. 92/93
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5/22/2017 - jhngo Likes this wine: 92 Points
toasty yesty developing more complex flavors.
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5/7/2017 - ricknat1 wrote: 97 Points
Even more fresh, brighter and overall brilliant
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4/12/2017 - sdr wrote: 87 Points
Has the '90 Cristal faded or is it just this bottle? Modest mousse, shy bouquet, faint flavors of lemon pith and summer squash. No more peach or other orchard fruit. Correct but far from exciting.
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4/10/2017 - S-C-S wrote:
I sold my last bottle, because I remember what perfect champagne it WAS.
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4/8/2017 - jhngo Likes this wine: 95 Points
Wow. Smokey lightly sweet coffee. Amazingly fresh Alive and beautiful. Awesome
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12/22/2016 - fatboi Likes this wine: 95 Points
Out of a mag and truly a great bottle. This reminded me of the bottle I had in 2008 that was in perfect Harmony. Alive in every way- bubbles, long finish and aromas that kept on showing more. Honey and line again. Will drink my 750 and save my last mag.
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12/14/2016 - DaButtah wrote: flawed
Corked :(
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11/19/2016 - Marc wrote: 94 Points
Sparkling at 70 (Ekatahuna, New Zealand): Tasted directly after a Salon 1990, this was clearly the finer and more profound wine. Displaying fully mature aromas and flavours, but also a very healthy hue, with a reasonably vibrant hue - this wine has beautiful balance and structure. Multi-layered, very biscuity and intensely flavoured. Very fine luxury cuvee drinking at a peak of late maturity.
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11/12/2016 - Burgundy Al wrote: 93 Points
Heritage 2016 Blind Wine Tasting Challenge - BYO Dinner (Jean Georges Steakhouse - ARIA - Las Vegas NV): From magnum. Ripe fruit showing baked apple and some peach hints, along with candied ginger. Enough energy for freshness and better textures. Very long.
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6/1/2016 - jhngo wrote: 91 Points
Very clean fresh. A bit dry and tight. Could use even more time.
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3/6/2016 - BradE wrote:
A perfect bottle, and when the 90 Cristal is on it's such a treat.
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1/25/2016 - conviction buy Likes this wine: 93 Points
Tasted sbs the 89. Color is deeper golden, more fresh and zesty. Also ripe nose, but there are more dimensions to the wine. Pear, apple, apricot, dried plum. Overall very balanced and drink beautifully now.
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12/1/2015 - The Vines That Bind wrote: 93 Points
Magnum. Deep brioche and plenty of yeasty baking bread with developed orange citrus on the nose. Buttery brioche continues on the palate along with tangerine, mandarin oranges, and grapefruit citrus. Not as sharp and high acid as expected for Cristal - approachable and enjoyable.
Interestingly this wine was far more developed out of Magnum. We were served the 1990 Cristal blind, but from a 750, and while the majority of calls were still Cristal, the average vintage guess was 2000. The notes for the 750 still had lots of baking brioche, but also included notes like crisp, green, straw, some slate, and frosted green grass.
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11/26/2015 - jlgnml Likes this wine: 94 Points
Darker Amber color, good nose, lemon, orange peel, good finish.
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11/21/2015 - fatboi Likes this wine: 95 Points
what this wine is supposed to taste like. Definitely mature win 750.. Honey and lemons…. Acidity in perfect harmony. Would drink the 750's now.
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10/4/2015 - hajoha wrote: 96 Points
Subtil og særs elegant. Frukt og florale toner hånd i hånd. Definitivt den yngste 1990 jeg har har vært borte i.
Fortsatt smertelig ung i munnen.
Elegant, men samtidig en fantastisk klokkeren intensitet.
Frisk, mineralsk med flott nerve.
Lang elektrisk finish.
Helt rå vin, men trenger mer tid!
En fremtidig gigant.
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7/3/2015 - jhngo Likes this wine: 98 Points
incredible power just a baby packs tons of acid and very tight giving up nothing to age!
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6/5/2015 - Alex H wrote: 93 Points
More precise and fresher lemony styled than the Krug of the same vintage. Pinpoint yet creamy lemon Fraiche with cashew nuts and a few touches of raw honey.
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5/3/2015 - winot Likes this wine: 95 Points
Simply fantastic. Complex but still very fresh. A real pleasure to drink
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4/19/2015 - LWI wrote: 93 Points
Some Champagnes: Very good wine.
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2/1/2015 - Marc S wrote: 94 Points
- Yellow gold color with medium pearls. It's in total harmony and has flavours of apple, banana and butterscotch with a medium body. Polished texture with a medium finish.
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1/21/2015 - Herb K wrote:
I'm not a big Cristal fan, but this 1990 vintage bottle lived up to its glitzy reputation....
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1/3/2015 - S-C-S Likes this wine: 95 Points
Perfect with cheese.
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1/3/2015 - Neecies Likes this wine: 94 Points
Finally, our last bottle and a very very good one. Cork popped nicely when removed and the effervesence was persistent over two hours. Deep golden orangey color, caramelly with age and spiced with baked apple and nutmeg.
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12/24/2014 - KVM wrote: 95 Points
Light amber with light mousse. Nose is fruity of peach, toast and has a madeirized note. Full flavoured and substantial body, slightly sweet, carmellized brown sugar, lemon rind, slight bitterness and zippy acid. Terrifically long finish. Worth the wait.
According to the Wine Advocate: "The 1990 Cristal is 62% Pinot Noir, 38% Chardonnay. Just a small portion of the wine (7-10%) underwent malolactic fermentation. "
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12/24/2014 - conviction buy Likes this wine: 93 Points
Popped on Xmas eve, med golden, bubbles are small but weak, with nose of ripe apple and toast. Still refreshing in mouth with sufficient acidity and a steely feel here. Lemon custard too. Concentrated and a fune balance of sweetness, very similar to the 2006. Drink now as the bubbles are fading or one would prefer to taSte it in the context of a white wine.
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11/29/2014 - sdr Likes this wine: 96 Points
Archetypical fabulous Cristal at the peak of its power, unlike many 1990 champagnes, which are fading fast. Open knit, lush, gold. Almost detectably sweet, which only adds to the full bodied mouth feel. Yellow fruity, more apricot than orange, but sound acidity holds it together very well and it did not fade even after a couple of hours. A floozy, but irresistible if you appreciate the style.
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11/25/2014 - Neecies wrote:
Angels wept: another disappointing Cristal. Cork barely went POOF when removed, indicating pressure loss and explaining the mild oxidation on tha palate and lack of persistence in the bubble.
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11/23/2014 - godx wrote:
Drew's 40th: Showing more maturity and roundness than the Krug. Less acidity and more oxidative in character. A big nose of sweetness and oxidized citrus fruits. Based on the lack of pressure when the cork was removed and the way this showed, I don't think this was a representative bottle.
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8/12/2014 - Rieslingfan Likes this wine:
Served with steamed lobsters for our 25th anniversary dinner, this was a breathtaking bottle of Champagne that demonstrated the class and refinement of Cristal. From the pinpoint mousse to the elegant, mature flavors, this bottle showed as well as could ever be expected. Nuts, warm bread, apple and toasty elements dominated at first, but freshened with time and with the partnership of lobster and lemon. The brightness on tbe palate was a little bit unexpected from a ripe vintage wine, but very welcome, as it balanced the depth and richness of the flavors. Overall a truly outstanding bottle, worthy of the occasion.
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6/10/2014 - BradE wrote:
A great bottle of 90, and one of the evenings stars.
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5/30/2014 - AirborneRegnar wrote: 92 Points
Not much life left in this bottle, but still a wonderful nose of honey, apricot and caramel. Needed an hour to firm up and was a pleasure to drink with main lobster and crab cakes at capital grill in Miami.
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1/25/2014 - esburgundy Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drank with OT and B Fare, I love this champer, tonight i was good but not terrific, the nose had some funk that needed to blow off. In the mouth, wine had great crispness and terrific balance. Need to open another bottle.
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1/25/2014 - fatboi wrote: 87 Points
Was really disappointed...Bottles supposedly from cristal but some thing was off. blew off a bit but never had got to a clean point. Musty. better on palate in comparison to nose but when fresh this wine is truly captivating
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1/5/2014 - treborito Likes this wine: 97 Points
Intense nose of dried porcini and honey upon opening. Incredibly rich complexity assaulting the pallet with layers of passion fruit, nutmeg, vanilla and truffle. The earthy mineral notes started to dissipate after about thirty minutes of breathing. Its exceptionally crisp finish and bright effervescence lasted for several hours. Outstanding wine with a satin-like finish.
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12/26/2013 - tkim42 wrote: 96 Points
Still vibrant and balanced with yeasty/nutty overtones but appropriate acidity. Drinking perfectly.
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12/25/2013 - Tartiflette Likes this wine: 96 Points
Something was definitely wrong with this bottle. The color was light brown and we were quite sad upon opening it. But... Nothing wrong with the taste. Oxidative nose, and quite developed in a great way. Toffee, coffee, baked apples, vanilla, nuts. Very little mousse left but a long aftertaste. Tasted along side a Cristal 1996, which was so closed in comparison.
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12/25/2013 - dream Likes this wine: 96 Points
A truly profound champagne with a wonderful, slightly oxidative nose with notes of nuts and yeast. Vivacious yet elegant with great richness and perfect fresh acidity and bubbles. Incredibly complex flavors fill the mouth with brioche, tangerine, lemon meringue and hazelnut notes. Seems perfectly mature to me and while there are some oxidative and caramel notes that add to this gorgeous champagne, it manages to avoid the early oxidized characteristic of the vintage. Delicious now but no need to hurry.
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11/9/2013 - Topper wrote: 92 Points
This bottle was holding up beautifully. Clear, crisp, with lots of delicate interplay of flavors. Lemons were at the forefront with a hint of toffee and almonds. Beautifully clean wine that could engage you for a long time if there weren't 12 other wines waiting at this ridiculous dinner. Served alongside the 90 Krug Brut, the differences between two wines was very apparent with some preferring the cleaner, crisper Cristal and others the deeper, more brooding Krug. For me the Krug was more intriguing, inching out the Cristal by a nose.
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11/4/2013 - graemeg wrote: flawed
NobleRottersSydney - Grange night (Verde, East Sydney): {cork, 12%} (Geoffrey) A touch cloudy-looking, rich gold in colour. The nose was clearly cheesy and nutty; you might expect this at nearly a quarter-century, but the palate had a distinct flat-spot to it. Is it odd that it could taste oxidised, despite there still being plenty of fine bubbles and some acidity? Weird. It’s like the fruit alone has faded, whereas the rest of the palate is in fine shape. Sadly, this takes the complexity and length of finish with it. I sense here the shell of a very great wine, but it was not to be on this occasion.
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10/30/2013 - Bandreas wrote: 94 Points
Tasted at the New York Wine Experience 2013
Really good and serious wine! Heady smell, deep and satisfying on the palate. The age gives it extra depth and complexity.
A beauty!
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8/30/2013 - Neecies wrote:
Drinkable but ordinary, lacking the depth and grandeur this bottling should have. Worse, of about nine I bought some time back from a good, trusted cellar, about every other bottle has been disappointing in this same way. Scary.
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6/21/2013 - Pacalet Likes this wine: 93 Points
Golden yellow in color. Nose of apple strudel and pear. Full and lush palate showing a bit of mazipan and loads of oxidative fruit. Very fine and persistent bubbles even after 3hours. Quite oxidative in style and in a great place to drink now.
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5/15/2013 - canan wrote: 95 Points
BYO (My tasting @ Michaels place): Creamy caramel and some complexity but also a bit metallic.
Due to previous experiences I had really expected a lot more but it could have been an off bottle.
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4/1/2013 - S-C-S wrote: 95 Points
Poulet Fermier Noir and Cristal 1990 - perfect marriage
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3/31/2013 - VinnyB wrote:
Unfortunately the bottle was compromised. Good thing it was a gift!!
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3/4/2013 - BradE wrote:
From magnum. Not shot, but simply lacking the charm that good bottles of this show. Improved over a couple of hours, but all in all a disappointing bottle.
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2/1/2013 - SajH wrote: flawed
Oxidised and flat. Pity.
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11/1/2012 - avp wrote:
Open and aromatic nose with apple butter, vanilla, toffee, slight wool, meat, some hazelnuts and shellfish.
Dry, crispy and well-balanced fullbodied palate with ripe fruit and fine vivacious moussé. Nutty finish with minerally touch. Long.
Very nice! Still pretty youthful stuff - despite the obvious ripeness and some more aged characteristics. Should be splendid in five to ten years.
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9/24/2012 - abh wrote:
Classic French Lunch: Advanced but not over the hill. Extremely complex set of flavors - oyster shell seems quite prominent - with some oxidative notes, but still very vibrant.
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9/13/2012 - BradE wrote:
Basically shot and oxidized.
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9/2/2012 - Skeptic wrote: 95 Points
Amazingly light color for the age. Biscuits, mineral, caramel. All things that Cristal should be.
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7/29/2012 - DKim wrote:
Beautiful champagne. Everything you would expect it to be
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6/16/2012 - canan wrote: 98 Points
KYD #1.3: Just after single smell and taste of this wine it is very clear that it is in a league of its own!
The nose is very intense but still sophisticated. There is plenty of depth and showing fresh red apples and caramel. The nose also has a little oxidation/sherry notes but not in a bad way!
A completely massive and full-bodied palate fills the mouth with great pleasure.
Loads of red apples in the beginning with a very impressive structure.
In the beginning there is a lot of sweetness to it but it is balanced out nicely with a very clean acidity in the very long and impressive aftertaste.
There is a great fruit depth and a huge length!
This wine is simply stunning and it is really peaking at the moment.
It will keep for a very long time but it will not get much better than it is at the moment...
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6/4/2012 - BradE wrote:
Always a great champagne, and this perfectly stored bottle was no exception. Due to perfect provenance, it wasn't as advanced as previous bottles. Very good.
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3/5/2012 - Sonomatony wrote: 95 Points
Exceptional mouth feel and finish, especially with the chocolate truffles. Deep, rich color and floral notes.
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2/2/2012 - sdr Likes this wine: 90 Points
While not as dazzling as usual, this '90 was certainly enjoyable for its open, easygoing, relaxed peachy fruit. But as sometimes happens with Chris, it was dangerously close to sweet. Almost a quaffer. No need for food; this is an appetizer style champagne.
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1/27/2012 - Lipsman wrote: 94 Points
A bit amber in color. Aroma of soy sauce and apricots. Taste of light Madeira, showing maturity, apricots, lightly effervescent, heavenly butterscotch, long lasting flavor.
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1/21/2012 - BradE wrote:
We drank the 75, 85, 90, and 02 Cristal side by side over the course of a four hour lunch yesterday. The 90 showed as typical, a touch advanced yet so good. It's simply a terrific Cristal. The 75 also showed its age, but was really enjoyable. Very similar in profile to the 90, lots of Cristal fat and yeast. Good stuff. The 85 was so weird its hard to describe. At first we thought it might be a fake, but all looked perfect on the bottle and cork. For about two hours it gave off nothing on the nose, and not a lot on the palate. About hour three, it started to open. then at hour four it was rocking. Weird, but in the end pretty damn good. And last but not least, the baby 2002. As always, precise and laser like. A gorgeous young champagne, that drinks very well young.
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11/24/2011 - PJRONeill wrote: 94 Points
A thanksgiving aperitif. Not a whole lot of analytical evaluation here but suffice it to say it was wonderful. Golden yellow color, fine stream of bubbles. Broad, plush, full, yeasty with lemon and pear. Expands in the mouth beautifully. Not the longest finish but completely satisfying.
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10/8/2011 - Atreyu wrote: 94 Points
Plush fruit with pure toffee and candied fruits backed up by impressive acid and a long finish of citrus candy. The overall impression is only jarred by an initial soapy aroma that thankfully eventually transforms into a more waxy but still not entirely pleasant tone.
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6/18/2011 - BradE wrote:
Sweet, fat, a bit of candy. Showing age.
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6/1/2011 - aagrawal wrote: 96 Points
Golden colored, steady stream of small bubbles rising one by one; nose of balanced yeast and apple, hint of brine, salt; palate had lovely effervescence, exceptional blend of slightly oxidized fruit and fresh acidity, clean every step of the way with hints of salinity, lime, fresh baked bread, well balanced dosage; finish is extraordinarily long, fresh, and flavorful, lasts at least 60+ seconds if not longer, mouthwatering acidity brings you back to your food or to another sip of the wine. An exceptional wine.
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4/16/2011 - BradE wrote:
Great bottle, everyone loved it.
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4/14/2011 - Peech wrote: 96 Points
the Champagne almost stole for show... it was THAT good. Lovely nose of salty plum (話梅), very yeasty, sweet like sugar cane, fleshy and plump on the nose with salty minerals. Yes, the nose was oxidized and I loved it. Still some crisp acidity on the palate. One of my last remaining bottles which I bought from Tokyo more than 10 years ago, this was definitely an amazing wine.
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4/14/2011 - Lord Rayas wrote:
MNSC Annual Dinner (Yung's Club (嚐真)): Lovely nose of oxidised pears and apples. Great start to the evening.
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3/26/2011 - sdr Likes this wine: 94 Points
This vintage of Cristal is aging extremely well. Perfect medium yellow with a hint of gold. Active mousse for age with tiny bubbles. Idiosyncratic nose of sweet peach and apricot with hints of Carries off the trick of being mouthfulling yet medium weight at most. It doesn't taste as sweet as it smells but it's remarkably easy to gulp down. The finish is creamy smooth and soft.
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1/5/2011 - gutt22 wrote:
From magnum. Light yellow color. Stunning bouquet, with tart apple, pear, citrus, ginger, yeast, and crushed shells. In the mouth, relentless. Intense, balanced, lively, and absolutely seamless. A remarkable wine for its youthfulness, vigor, and impeccable layers of flavor. A wallop of fruit quickly gives way to a touch of toffee, then more spicy, yeasty notes that are buttressed by ample acidity and the minerality of crushed shells. Profound finish that simply lingers effortlessly and endlessly. Absolutely superb. A+
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10/22/2010 - jmd60611 wrote: 95 Points
Delicious toasty, silky velvet...Very rich and in no way over any age curve
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2/1/2010 - don_quichotte wrote: 94 Points
Very impressive but not yet very complex
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1/12/2010 - BradE wrote:
Tight, but not unpleasantly so. Laser like, and this bottle was (atypically?) acidic. Overall though I really liked it.
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10/14/2009 - WST wrote:
Bellingham Grand Crew Celebrates a Birthday (DuJour Bistro): Nice follow-up to the oxidized '59 (former) sparkler. Generously brought by Jenise.
Straw colored, with wonderful fine mousse. It's hard to believe this is almost 20 y.o., as it's youthful as can be. The strength of this wine is the perfect balance of gorgeous aromas and flavors, fine mouthfeel, and gentle but lengthy finish. Lemon curd, green apple, a little toast. Persistent. My COTY.
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9/25/2009 - candyman wrote:
bright fresh and acidic 10 more years will show more complexity
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6/20/2009 - sdr wrote: 97 Points
Still the undisputed champion vintage of Cristal for me. This was a perfectly preserved bottle from an Acker auction. Remarkably fresh, lively and juicy with a strong mousse of pin point bubbles. Very peachy and tropical fruity with just a hint of caramel to indicate its age. Typical high Cristal dosage, but stops just short of tasting sweet. Beautiful, lingering finish. This is one of those relatively unusual champagnes that is best appreciated alone, rather than with food.
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4/23/2009 - wine_junkie wrote: 97 Points
Beautiful Fruit on the nose and palate...often a favorite of Champagne specific Sommeliers....I loved the flavors of aprcot and slightly sweet fruit but still didn't intrigue me as much as the 95.....the 95 almost drinks like a red wine...
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12/5/2008 - Hillbilly wrote:
Drank 3 bottles from a perfect ocb in the last 30 days. This is a very nice wine. It shows some aged tones of toffee, caramel and red apples, pastry and freshness. it is a bit sweet and works great as a dessert wine! Some complexity and nice weight. it can come off a little heavy at times as the acidity is not strong, much more ripeness. Strong wine, but the 1989 is notably better with more acidity. GIven the elevated price of 90, I'd buy 89
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6/21/2008 - BLACK SHEEP wrote: 96 Points
Well my first 'cellar tracker' tasting note after entering my collection toady and a very good start; and what a great website!!! This has been in my collection for 10ish years - cost me £63. My whole close family went to a very good restaurat at the local golf course for my mothers birthday. After looking at other people's notes I was worried this might be heading over the edge. Still a good pop when releasing the cork, much lighter yellow appearance than I expected for an18 year old wine. Yeast very apparent on the nose, fresh bread and dough with a touch of ripe lime, lemon sherbert. On the palate really very fresh, loads of refreshing acidity. Sherbert, delicate marzipan and a wonderfully refreshing lift on the finish, really refined mousse and delicately balanced. The only better Champagnes I have tasted are Krug 1990 and Cristal Rose 1996. This is simply sublime! I do not see why this bottle couldn't have lasted another 5 years+ although I cannot imagine it tasting better than it did tonight. Not far off perfect Champagne for me, great vino!!! 96, if I had to score it. Only 1 bottle left, boo hoo.......
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5/29/2008 - jordidahl wrote: 97 Points
One of my first near perfect champagnes. Bought at a restaurant at an amazing price of 90 $ and got a perfect bottle. Third time I taste this wine, now almost perfect. Evolved nice notes of bread, citrus gooseberry. loads of fruit and acid, this wine is a monster!!, can probably evolve during next 10 years.The boubbles were very nice with a almost perfect mousse.
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12/12/2007 - David J Cooper wrote:
Deep yellow. Great mousse. Well aged Champagne nose, lots of toast and yeast. Even a hint of chocolate. Great acid. Fantastic aged Champagne.
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12/8/2007 - jmd60611 wrote: 95 Points
Creamey yet yeasty, delicious nuanced champagne that had a viscous, toasty kind of thing going on...Very divine
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7/22/2007 - JeffW wrote: 96 Points
Aged Cristal has such unique flavors. Pinnapple, lemons, toasty brioche, deep long finish...not too many bubbles but incredible flavors. Very different style than Dom or Krug. Very nice; a real treat.
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7/5/2007 - mortenef wrote: 97 Points
My 1. go with this top cuvee. Nose was absolutely out of this world. Bread, yeast, exotic fruit, and, yes...white chocolate. Full bodied in the mouth, very tasty, very complex. Had with some fish courses, but could easely stand alone, yum. Bubbles a bit in the background alas. Power here to last 5 more years, at least. Only problem? It wasnt a mag...
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6/2/2007 - CAS wrote: 95 Points
Rich golden in appearance - not too many bubbles. The nose is very complex - yeast, caramel, cream, butter, citrus and some nuts. Never knew a Champagne could smell like this. Wonderful on the palate - nice layers of vanilla, toffee, peach, citrus and a very long finish of lemons. Good acidity and very smooth on the palate - this is a fantastic Champagne.
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2/14/2007 - JeffW wrote: 93 Points
Excellent, but I expect better for this wine.
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2/3/2007 - sdr wrote: 94 Points
Cristal is an idiosyncratic champagne; you love it or you hate it. And if you love it, you may feel its a guilty pleasure because it's so easy to drink. This 1990 version is still very fresh although the mousse is settling down and the cork comes out with a gentle sigh. Remarkably intense nose of lemon, mango and pineapple, as if the glass should have a paper umbrella stuck in it. "White chocolate" K nails it. A bit more stuctured on the palate, yet it still gives a sweet impression although it's technically dry. A very welcome citric acidity holds the concoction together and prevents it from becoming cloying. Soft, plush - and irresistible to me.
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7/19/2006 - gregg g wrote:
TN: Dinner at Providence (LA, CA) with 90 Cristal, '97 O Leflaive Batard & '03 Latour Pommard: This champagne showed a golden, orange raisined hue, which I suspected might be due to some maderization. The nose displayed wonderful aromas of brioche, chopped nuts with hints of orange peel. On the palate my suspicions were confirmed a there was a definite maderized flavor of raisins, though this did not immediately distract from the other notes. There is a creaminess to the sweet fruit that envelopes the tongue. A fine mouse contributes more layers of texture. The finish lingers, fading to a wonderfully. With some time the wine showed more oxidative characteristics. It’s a shame this wine was flawed. Though some of the wines qualities came through in the first 45 minutes, it eventually was overcome by the oxidation. We none the less moved forward to our next wine.
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4/23/2006 - sdr wrote: 93 Points
Consistently lovely and my favorite Cristal ever. Tiny, tiny lazy stream of bubbles leads to that seemingly sweet aroma of tropical fruits and lemon peel. Delicious and clearly at its prime.
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2/18/2006 - sdr wrote: 94 Points
What a delightful start to an evening of fine wine and superlative dining at the Four Seasons restaurant in Palm Beach. A recent Acker auction purchase, this bottle was in excellent condition. Pretty medium yellow, no gold. On first opening, an exqusite perfume of spring flowers, citrus and a hint of vanilla, which unfortunately vanished after about 15 minutes as it warmed up in the flute. The flavor emphasized a croissant-like butter and warm fresh mille-feuille filigree delicacy unlike any other champagne. Very feminine, very delicious, very well balanced. Just on the borderline of sweetness, but there's just enough tang in the finish to hold it together. It's at its best now and probably won't keep its beauty for more than a few more years at most.
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1/21/2006 - dbg wrote:
Crisp, apple, citrus nose and palate, good body, fine mousse, long
finish. Excellent, though I prefer breadier, winier Champagnes, this
was a hit.
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1/6/2006 - SimonG wrote: 97 Points
Consistent note with previous bottle seven weeks earlier. Excellent wine performing briliantly. Technically as good as last bottle but maybe just lacking a little through not being drunk alongside and out-shining some other great fizzes. In numerical terms this has to be a 97 or 98.
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12/30/2005 - skwid wrote:
Simply stunning Champagne. The bubbles are there but not in excessive quantity and the nose is great, not overly carmelly, this bottle obviously was well taken care of. Lots of pears and apples that smoothly meld with the rest of the flavors int he Champagne. When Roederer hits with Cristal they can do really well and this was definitely a year Roederer did great.
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12/30/2005 - PaulH wrote: 97 Points
Pale gold color; big nose of yeasty ripe fruit. Great attack of refreshing acidity with a mousse of a billion bubbles. Long mid palate, turning sweet on the long finish. A great bottle of wine. The best champagne I have ever tasted.
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11/14/2005 - Russell Faulkner wrote: 97 Points
Champagne Offline - Revenge of the Fizz (Snows - London): Mid gold colour, very rich concentrated nose, a hint of oak that may come from the richer style. I was worried about the high dosage on this, but it is fully integrated, so sign of sweetness. On palate smooth honied roast pear and apple, amazing length and balance. Damn, I really didn't want to like this!
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11/11/2005 - SimonG wrote: 97 Points
Slightly pinkish colour, slight sweetness on the palate. Long. Elegant. Really excellent and supremely elegant - still singing as I drained the dregs after an hour or so for the toast to Steven. My WOTN and was hugely relieved that it hadn't been a let down. Absolute fantastic wine.
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9/16/2005 - Wrighty wrote: 90 Points
Enterprise's Studio 'soft' opening (Kowloon Bay, Hong Kong): Flat. Finest mousse but just lacked fruit and was flat in the company of the other wines.
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11/1/2004 - sdr Likes this wine: 94 Points
Jim opened 2 bottles of this wonderful Champagne for the lovely wine dinner he had on his patio. Stunningly youthful. Frothy and vigorous mousse. Light yellow. Intense nose. Very gingery. Light to medium weight. Elegant, delightful, stylish. Splendid individual Champagne. Could even improve for a few more years.
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10/26/2002 - La Cave d'Argent wrote: 99 Points
Consumed with dinner at the Brasserie. Simply speaking, this is the best Champagne that I have ever had the pleasure of drinking. Medium straw in color, with a brisk bead of tiny bubbles. Very intense, complex nose showing toast, nutmeg, bread dough, smoke, pear and sawdust. Amazingly creamy on the palate, with crisp acidity and similar complex flavors as for the nose. The finish seems to linger forever.
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3/1/2002 - sdr Likes this wine: 95 Points
Fabulously elegant Champagne. Gentle mousse. Packs a lot of flavor in a filigree package. Very Cristal.
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12/2/2000 - dbg wrote:
outstanding, apple, fruit, great balance and complexity
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8/1/2000 - sdr Likes this wine: 96 Points
Reassuringly wonderful this time. Amazingly tiny bubbles, powerful mousse. Chardonnay dominates, seems like a Blanc de Blancs. Very elegant. Similar to the Comtes this vintage. Wonderful weight, texture, flavor. Better than the ‘90 Cristal Rosé I tasted one week ago.
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5/1/2000 - sdr Does not like this wine: 85 Points
Puzzling. Fruity quality has disappeared. What’s left is dough, ginger and tartaric acid. Could it be too old already?
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10/1/1999 - sdr Likes this wine: 94 Points
Almost delicate. Urgent mousse. Wheat thins, ginger, apple, hint of mint. Very fresh. Wonderful now. Probably not for the long term.
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12/3/1998 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 96 Points
High End Champagne Tasting (Lafayette, Ca.): Best mousse, most tiny bubbles of all tonight, lovely, rich nose with yeast, delicate and feminine touch of pineapple, and butterscotch, lovely balance of fruit on the palate, elegant, intense fruit, needs 5 years cellar time and will merit a higher score, and a long, long, lovely finish. My #1 of 6.
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12/1/1998 - sdr Likes this wine: 98 Points
Luscious and brilliant. Marvelous peach fruit on nose and palate. Almost undetectable citrus, year, acid. So savory, so delicious.
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10/30/1997 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 92 Points
7 Expensive Champagnes (Lafayette, Ca.): Very lovely, fruity nose, lots of apples here, nice, tiny, and lots of bubbles in the glass, lovely, rich, full body, taste lots of yeast, hints of good acid, vanilla, and wood, medium finish.
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10/23/1997 - bestdamncab wrote: 95 Points
BIRTHDAY 10/23/1997 (Walnut Creek, Ca.): Nose of hazelnuts, slate, yeast and allspice, medium amount of tiny bubbles which formed a lovely mousse, same on the palate, big body, good acid, elegant, delicious, mouth filling, at it's peak drinking point so time to enjoy is now, and a long, long finish.
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