The bottle of Cristal Champagne comes complete in a golden-coloured anti-UV cellophane wrapper, presented inside a Louis Roederer Cristal gift box.

 

Rich, radiant and totally seductive, the 2009 Cristal possesses remarkable depth and striking purity. I have often felt that Cristal is released too young, but that is not at all the case with the 2009, a Champagne that is absolutely glorious today. The ripeness of the vintage comes through in spades in the wine's luxurious, enveloping personality. I remember tasting the vins clairs and the Cristal blend back in the spring of 2010. The finished wine is every bit as alluring as those early tastings suggested it would be. The 2009 is a superb Cristal in the making. The 2009 blend is 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay. The percentage of wine aged in oak is 15%, which is down slightly from previous vintages.

Antonio Galloni: 96+ Points

 

Yellow gold in colour with amber tints and persistent, fine and lively bubbles.

 

Subtle on the nose with notes of citrus compote, candied apricots and honeysuckle. When aerated, notes of vanilla and cocoa bean emerge, with toasted hazelnut, hints of liquorice and even a touch of cinnamon.

 

The palate is structured and energetic with chalky, cherry freshness and an almost mentholated brightness. The Cristal 2009 is delicate and etherial, exceptionally focussed and full of energy.

 

Perfect with white fish such as monk fish, and white meats.

 

Serve at 12°C

 

Cristal 2009 is made with 60% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay - 15% wines matured in wood (oak barrels) with weekly batonnage - no malolactic fermentation. Cristal is a blend of grand crus from the Reims mountain, the Marne Valley and Côte des Blancs.

 

Matured for five years in cellars with 8 months resting after disgorging. Dosage 8g/l.

 

A continental, sunny year with a real winter that was very cold and dry followed by a glorious sun-filled summer and almost no rain in August and September. All this meant traditional vine growth, excellent health and remarkable grape ripeness for the production of dense, fruity and delicious wines. 2009 is an obvious addition to the select group of brilliant and accomplished Champagne vintages with a light, sunny character.

 

Established in 1776, Champagne Louis Roederer is one of the few remaining completely independent family owned, great Champagne houses.

 

In 1876 Tsar Alexander II, who was already a great fan of Louis Roederer's champagne, asked Louis Roederer to go one step further and produce, for his own personal consumption, a unique wine in quality and bottle. Louis Roederer offered to create an exceptional white crystal bottle to house the best selection from the 7 finest vineyards of his estate. This wine was only produced in the "great" years when the ripeness of the Chardonnay and Pinot noir enabled a subtle, precise balance. The wine is the region's most prestigious.

 

The annual production of its wines (Brut Premier, Carte Blanche, Brut Vintage, Rosé Vintage, Blanc de Blancs, Cristal, Cristal Rosé) represents just over three million bottles, distributed to 100 countries worldwide.

 

In 1974, almost 200 years after the establishment of the Champagne house of Louis Roederer and 100 years after the creation of Cristal, Jean-Claude Rouzaud decided to create the Cristal Rosé cuvée. To achieve this, he selected old-vine Pinot Noir grapes using massal selection, which involves propagation from the vineyard's most successful plants.