Vilnius

Klaipėda

  • James Suckling

    97 / 100

  • Wine Spectator

    96 / 100

  • Decanter

    95 / 100

Champagne Louis Roederer Cristal Brut (gift box) 2015

The actual product may vary from the images shown on the website.

Sparkling dry

Champagne Louis Roederer Cristal Brut (gift box) 2015

305,00

Description

Roederer Cristal” is one of the most famous and sought-after champagnes in the world. It was created back in 1876, making this champagne one of the longest-standing ultra-premium champagne bottlings.

The nose offers aromas of tropical fruit and brioche. On the palate, the texture is silky, complemented by a powerful mineral quality. Flavors of white stone fruit and citrus lead to a luscious and deep-flavored champagne with a long finish. It represents a truly harmonious marriage of the full-bodied, smooth, and ripe 'Pinot Noir' and the fresh, elegant minerality of 'Chardonnay'.

The basis includes Grand Cru vineyards that Louis Roederer acquired in the middle of the 19th century. While other champagne houses only bought wine from winemakers, Roederer took the entire production process into his own hands – from the vineyard to the final bottling.

Cristal 2015 was assembled from 45 plots originating from 7 villages, namely Verzenay, Verzy, Beaumont-sur-Vesle, Aÿ, Avize, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, and Cramant. Critically, each plot was vinified separately, a meticulous approach designed to fully express each vineyard's soil and microclimate. Furthermore, the vineyards are cultivated using biodynamic methods, a practice that aims at augmenting the relationship between the vines, soil, and light.

25% of the wine underwent fermentation in oak barrels, a process that contributes a layer of richness and complexity. Notably, malolactic fermentation is avoided, a deliberate choice to maintain the freshness and purity of the fruit. The ageing on lees sur latte lasted for between 6 and 7 years, and subsequently, the bottles were held back for a further 6 to 12 months.

Serving recommendations

Serve as an aperitif at 8-10 °C with lobster, halibut fillet steak with wild mushroom and potato piuré, chicken rolls with foie gras, crispy duck salad, sweet and sour shrimps. 

Rating

97 / 100

James Suckling

For the warm and dry vintage this has tremendous freshness and elegance. The complex nose of citrus blossom, mint, lemon and lime zest opens up slowly as this aerates in the glass. The wine’s ample structure is still quite firm, which is a vintage characteristic, the mousse very fine but also very lively for an eight-year-old champagne. Cristal fans will love this as it is, but a year or two more in the bottle will do a lot for the very long mineral finish of this youthful masterpiece. A cuvee of 60% pinot noir and 40% chardonnay, picked from all 45 Cristal vineyard plots.

96 / 100

Wine Spectator

This mouthwatering Champagne has an ethereal quality, with a frame of chiseled acidity and focused precision to the pointillisme-like, vibrant mousse. Yet this shows depth and generous expression, with the finely spun notes of patisserie apple and blackberry fruit opening beautifully on the palate and through the minerally finish, with notes of grated ginger, blood orange granita, salted Marcona almond and anise.

95 / 100

Decanter

An open and inviting nose references cream, oatmeal and Amalfi lemon with the slightest edge of smoke. The palate immediately strikes with a mouthwatering lemon ripeness and a juicy, mouthfilling generosity reminiscent of yellow plum. It stays true to the trademark sleekness of Cristal and speaks of the concentration of 2015. Fine mousse accentuates the fullness and roundness of the wine while the long finish hints at chalky depth which, for now, is dominated by ripe stone fruit and more of that textured, rich notion of oatmeal. Definitely a Cristal to enjoy soon.

About brand

The Louis Roederer Champagne House, established in 1776 in Reims, France, has been crafting top-quality champagne, esteemed worldwide, for over 240 years. This independent, family-owned house gained fame for creating the legendary "Cristal prestige cuvee." To this day, the company's management remains in the hands of the family, with the seventh-generation representative, Frédéric Rouzaud, currently at the helm. Louis Roederer distinguishes itself by producing the majority of its champagnes exclusively from grapes grown in its own vineyards, a significant portion of which are located in prestigious Grand Cru territories.

Unique Louis Roederer Champagne Style

Louis Roederer champagnes are characterized by their elegance, subtlety, perfect balance, and aging potential. Great emphasis is placed on the highest quality grapes from their own vineyards and a meticulous winemaking process.

Brut Premier: The flagship multi-vintage champagne of the house, known for its balanced flavor and elegance. It is a harmonious blend of approximately 40% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay, and 20% Pinot Meunier.

Vintage: A vintage champagne produced in exceptional years, typically dominated by Pinot Noir (around 70%) and complemented by Chardonnay (around 30%). It exhibits complexity and aging potential.

Blanc de Blancs: A 100% Chardonnay champagne, distinguished by its minerality, elegance, and freshness.

Rosé Vintage: An elegant rosé champagne, usually made from Pinot Noir (around 70%) with a small amount of Chardonnay (around 30%). It offers notes of red berries and flowers.

Cristal: The prestigious cuvée, created specifically for Tsar Alexander II, made only from the best vintages of Chardonnay (around 40%) and Pinot Noir (around 60%) grapes. It is known for its impeccable balance, elegance, and aging potential.

Cristal Rosé: A luxurious rosé version of Cristal, produced using the saignée method from Pinot Noir (around 55%) and Chardonnay (around 45%) grapes.

Prestigious Louis Roederer Vineyards

Louis Roederer owns an impressive 240 hectares of vineyards, most of which are located in Grand Cru and Premier Cru areas.

Montagne de Reims: Renowned for high-quality Pinot Noir grapes, which provide structure and strength to the champagnes.

Côte des Blancs: Famous for elegant and mineral Chardonnay grapes.

Vallée de la Marne: Contributes to the complexity of the champagnes with Pinot Meunier grapes.

Their own vineyards allow Louis Roederer to strictly control the quality of the grapes and ensure the distinctiveness of their champagnes.

Aging and Best Time to Enjoy

Louis Roederer champagnes are aged for a long time in cellars, giving them more complexity and subtlety. Even the basic Brut Premier is aged for several years. Vintage and prestige cuvée champagnes, such as Cristal, are aged even longer, gaining exceptional depth and elegance. These champagnes have excellent aging potential and can be enjoyed both young and mature.

Louis Roederer

Louis Roederer

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