Description
Louis Roederer Cristal 750ml is the top cuvée from Louis Roederer in Reims, always made as a vintage wine from Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The house created Cristal in 1876 for Tsar Alexander II, and the clear glass and flat-bottomed bottle date from that time. It stayed in production after the 1917 revolution and went on commercial release in 1945.
Buy Louis Roederer Cristal Online in NZ
Serve it at around 10 degrees in a white wine glass. Delicate seafood is the classic match, particularly lobster, scallops or turbot in a light butter sauce.
- Always a single-vintage Champagne, from Pinot Noir and Chardonnay
- Sourced from Roederer’s own Grand Cru estate vineyards
- Created in 1876 for Tsar Alexander II
Cristal is known for a linear, precise style, with citrus and white-fruit tones, fine mineral notes and vibrant acidity. The texture is refined rather than heavy, and the finish is long with plenty of tension.
All of the fruit comes from Roederer’s own vineyards: mid-slope plots on chalky soils across seven Grands Crus, using vines over 20 years old. Younger vines from those sites go into other Roederer wines. The plots have been farmed biodynamically, and since 1999 cellar master Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon has worked with the same plots consistently rather than choosing purely by taste each year.
In the cellar, the base wines ferment mainly in stainless steel with some oak, and the wine rests on its lees for a long period before disgorgement. The Rouzaud family, who still own the house, take part in tasting the final blend. The clear glass leaves the wine exposed to light, which can cause faults, so the cellophane wrapper on each bottle is there for protection and should stay on until the wine is served.
A bottle for a significant meal or a considered gift, and one worth opening with time to pay attention to it.
