2015 Louis Roederer Cristal Brut

Highly Rated NICK RYAN TOP 100
Louis Roederer |Champagne |Pinot Noir Blends
One of the world's great wines, Cristal is chalky, fine, powerful, textured, sweetly-fruited and savoury-finished. Exceptional.

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Sale price$525.00
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In stock, ready to ship, only 1 unit left
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Description

Cristal is the prestige cuvee from Louis Roederer, described by their cellarmaster Jean-Baptiste Lecaillon as "a wine of pure pleasure and a sophisticated gastronomic wine, Cristal is both powerful and delicate, combining subtlety and precision."

It was famously created at the behest of Russian Tsar Alexander II, and the story goes that he needed it be bottled in clear glass so he could see any potential assassin's threat... We do love the gold cellophane wrap.

Released in good years only, a blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay across the three main regions of Champagne, then aged in bottle for six years - this is the pinnacle of Roederer, and one of the few consistent pinnacles of Champagne.

97 points
"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."
- James Suckling

97 points & Top 100 Wines of 2024
"There are few Champagne houses over the last decade that have performed as strongly as Roederer. What was always great is now truly exceptional. And in tricky vintages like 2015, meticulous work in the vineyards and serious skill in the cellar come to the fore. This is an imperious Cristal, a cathedral contained in glass, a wine of the kind of beauty and power that haunts dreams."
- Nick Ryan (The Australian)

98 points & Top 100 Wines of 2023 - "The winter was wet and cold, summer record-breaking hot – and rain in August saved the vintage. The usual 60/40% pinot noir chardonnay split, 25% fermented in oak, disgorged in November 2022, the dosage 7g/l. A contrast of freshness and richness, the fruit concentrated and complex. Eternal life." - James Halliday (The Weekend Australian)

97 points & Top 100 Wines of 2024 - "There are few Champagne houses over the last decade that have performed as strongly as Roederer. What was always great is now truly exceptional. And in tricky vintages like 2015, meticulous work in the vineyards and serious skill in the cellar come to the fore. This is an imperious Cristal, a cathedral contained in glass, a wine of the kind of beauty and power that haunts dreams." - Nick Ryan (The Australian)

95 points - "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." - Decanter

96 points - "I have tasted the 2015 Cristal three times so far - once as part of an extensive vertical I will be reporting on shortly, and then later in my office. Those tastings paint a portrait of a complex Champagne that is still finding its center. Tasted at the maison, the 2015 is rich, dense and explosive, with tremendous textural intensity and also a good bit of energy to back it up. Citrus confit, spice, ginger, chalk and dried flowers abound in a Champagne endowed with tremendous aromatic presence in a style that offers notable richness, but lighter than vintages such as 2012. There is a bit of the savoriness that is such a signature of the year, but it is nicely integrated in the wine’s fabric." - Antonio Galloni (Vinous)

97 points - "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. Tasted at the Cristal vertical tasting at the champagne house on July 6th, 2023. Drink from release." - James Suckling

95+ points - "If the 2014 vintage was especially open and demonstrative, the 2015 Cristal is going to require more patience. Unwinding in the glass with aromas of citrus oil, crisp stone fruits, white flowers, crushed mint and subtle hints of buttery pastry, it's medium to full-bodied, deep and layered, with a deep, concentrated and rather introverted core of fruit framed by chalky extract and animated by a pretty pinpoint mousse. This is a serious, vinous Champagne that has considerable substance to age and may well evolve along the lines of the lovely 1985." - William Kelley (Wine Advocate)

A perfect reflection of its terroir, Cristal hails from vineyard plots that have been slowly built up since 1845 and sustainably worked as part of a bespoke viticultural approach. The practices include massal selection, gentle pruning, the use of biodynamic composts and allowing the land to lie fallow for long periods. Louis Roederer also uses methods inspired by the principles of permaculture, in which the ecosystem adjusts its balance and creates a close bond between Man and Nature.

Price Bracket $101 and Above
Type Sparkling
Body Full Bodied
Variety Pinot Noir Blends
Country France
Region Champagne
Feature High Score
Iconic
Reviewed By James Suckling
The Wine Advocate
Decanter
Critic Score 95
96
97
98
Size 750ml
Vintage 2015
Closure Cork

Louis Roederer

The House of Roederer officially dates back to 1776 but its real history kicks off in 1833 when the entrepreneur Louis Roederer took the reins.

It remains, unusually for a large Champagne house, in family hands, and this is perhaps one of the reasons it has moved with the times so readily. They are fully behind the move to leave behind the industrial agriculture of the region's recent past and embrace organic practices across their growing vineyard portfolio.

Based in Reims, with vineyards spanning the region but concentrated in the great Pinot Noir area of La Montagne de Reims, they are perhaps our favourite 'commercial' Champagne house.

The vinyards of Louis Roederer Louis Roederer

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