Louis Roederer Cristal Brut Vinotheque (Giftbox)

Cristal is famous the world over, with its own army of devotees. However, few are aware of its exceptional ability to age in bottle and the intelligence with which this fine wine is able to take advantage of the passing years. These two virtues, rare in the world of champagne, are the reason why the House of Louis Roederer ceremonially preserves some bottles of Cristal in its cellars, submitting them to the benevolent influence of time. Made ready for their ageing in an ideal environment, the bottles are then isolated and the wine will gently evolve towards a harmonious maturity, developing a more complex bouquet and evolved flavours.

Winemaker notes

Bright and clear with a golden yellow hue and delicate amber tints. Fine, delicate mousse forming tight bubbles in the glass. The bouquet is remarkably intense, lively, concentrated and complex. The nose opens with fruity aromas which is unusual for a 22-year-old wine: ripe pear and apple, apricot, zesty notes of candied lemon, yuzu and orange peel. After aeration the aromas evolve to hot stone, chalk, smoke, mocha, hazelnut and fresh pastries. On the palate the wine is concentrated with a rich, almost oily, texture that continues on to the mid-palate thanks to the wine’s chalky, saline freshness. The texture becomes more pronounced with a powdery minerality on the tongue. The finish is lively, saline and very long.

1995

Wine Advocate 96+: Disgorged in 2010 and re-launched in September 2017, Roederer's low dosed 1995 Cristal Vinothèque (dosage: six to seven grams per liter) is very intense on the nose and shows lovely maturity. Due to the vintage, which saw some rain in the summer, the Chardonnay part is a bit higher than usual (43% instead of 40%), with just 57% Pinot Noir (from Aÿ). Five percent of the wine was fermented in oak, and 15% underwent malolactic fermentation (only the Pinot Noir though). The palate is rich and vinous but also pure, straight and fresh, finishing with a tight structure, persistent minerality and a yeasty character.

James Suckling 98: A very different style to the 1996, this has much more savory, autolytic influence. Fresh, chalky aromas with hazelnuts and grilled lemons, as well as a super fine, toasty thread. There’s roasted coffee, smoky grilled lemons and a big mouthful of fresh white peaches and truffles. Gently nutty. Pulls into chalk at the finish. Eight years sur latte and seven years sur pointe. Disgorged with 7g dosage of the same wine.

Wine Enthusiast 98: This amazing wine is timeless. Just hinting a golden hue, the nose offers layers of toastiness balanced by an impressive amount of fruit and freshness. At 23 years old, it still has some life in it, showing bright citrus and minerality. Let it breathe before drinking to bring out all the subtleties.

Falstaff 95: Medium golden yellow, delicate bronze touch, gentle mousse with a fine bead. Initially dark malty scents, caramel nuances, chestnuts, some damp hay, underlaid with strawberry jam, very distinctive, with a little more air contact blackcurrants, but also saline-iodine notes emerge. On the palate fine nuances of dark cherry, gingerbread notes, complex, a fine honey touch, finesse, citrus-saline nuances, a lime-spicy tone superseded by yellow tropical fruit on the finish. Elegant style with some notes of maturity, oscillating between the Cristal-typical style freshness and savoury nuances after 25 years of maturity.

1996

Wine Advocate 96: The 1996 Cristal Vinothèque spent 10 years sur lattes and four years sur pointe (for an explanation of those terms, readers are directed to the accompanying article) before disgorgement. Opening in the glass with a complex bouquet of dried fruits, honeycomb, fresh butter, lemon oil, spices and smoke, it's medium to full-bodied, ample and integrated, its racy spine of vintage-typical acidity elegantly cloaked in crisp but fleshy fruit, with terrific concentration and a long, precise finish. Incisive and powerful, this is a 1996 Champagne that has turned out very well indeed.

James Suckling 99: The wine starts with attractive, reductive, toasty aromas, then freshens with air to offer fresh flowers and very fine lime peel and lemon pith, as well as grapefruit and yellow plums. The palate has an intense, fine and fresh feel with super long, lemon and lime flavors, together with subtle, nutty moments that will build with time on cork. Then, a late, spicy edge and super tart, mouthwatering grapefruit. Seemingly endless length and potential. Kept on the lees for its entire life and disgorged in 2012. Dosage of 7g using 1996 wine - as pure as possible. A must for every collector of great Champagne.

Vinous 98: The 1996 Cristal Vinothèque is a magnificent, towering Champagne. Bright and yet deep, with tremendous flavor intensity, the 1996 is a real stunner. The flavors are remarkably pure and crystalline, with tons of energy that gives the citrus and floral character its vibrancy. I have been fortunate to taste the 1996 a few times in the past. This is its best showing yet. The 1996 Cristal Vinothèque spent ten years on its lees, flat (sur latte), and another four years upside down (sur pointe), the first period to get a slight oxygenation, and the second to bring the wine back into a slightly reductive state. Dosage is 7 grams per liter, using a custom liqueur made from bottled wine and liqueur, as opposed to the Cristal from cask that is used for the first release of Cristal and Cristal Rosé.

Wine Enthusiast 100: A re-release from one of the legendary vintages of the last 30 years, this Champagne still shows some of the intense acidity that marked that year. It has gained maturity, but it's an ageless, magnificent wine. Although it is ready to drink, it will hold well through 2029.