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  • Country ranking ?

    753
  • Producer ranking ?

    49
  • Decanting time

    15min
  • When to drink

    now to 2035
  • Food Pairing

    Marinated venison skewer with celery

The Tb points given to this wine are the world’s most valid and most up-to-date evaluation of the quality of the wine. Tastingbook points are formed by the Tastingbook algorithm which takes into account the wine ratings of the world's best-known professional wine critics, wine ratings by thousands of tastingbook’s professionals and users, the generally recognised vintage quality and reputation of the vineyard and winery. Wine needs at least five professional ratings to get the Tb score. Tastingbook.com is the world's largest wine information service which is an unbiased, non-commercial and free for everyone.

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Robb Report - November 2007

Recommended "Since 1776, the distinguished Roederer family has created some of the most finely crafted Champagne in the world, most notably the famed Cristal, a creamy balanced orchestration of strength and delicacy."

Wine & Spirits - December 2006

95 Points "The precision of the flavors in this vintage of Cristal is riveting. They feel substantial, complete, youthful and extremely long even as their aromatic intensity remains subtle, layered in scents of fresh apple, brioche and yellow plum. But the integration is such that rather than emphasizing indiviual elements, the wine brings to mind words like brisk, elegant, refined. A beauty to drink now, though it will have more to offer with age."

 

Wine Spectator - November 30, 2006

91 Points "High-toned and floral, with hints of coconut and spice. Firm and lively. Needs a little time to integrate and resolve the fine mousse with the tactile finish. More backward and powerful than most 1999s, this has potential. Drink now through 2015." - B.S.

 

International Wine Cellar - J.R. - November 2006

92 Points “Light gold. Vibrant, tangy aromas of apple, pear, white peach and minerals. Wound tight right now, only reluctantly offering up flavors of fresh orchard fruits, herbs and pepper. Finishes zesty and long. Seems less deep than the 1997 bottling; is this just in a sullen, youthful stage?”

 

Wine News - December 2005

96 Points "Bold, winey aromas of Sherried apple, beer, minerals and butter. Explosive flavors of stawberry, apple and pilsner beer are weighty, juicy and balanced. Sweet finish features telltale apple and exotic brown spice notes."

 

The Wine Advocate - Robert Parker - December 2005

98 Points "One of the finest Champagnes I have ever brought to my lips, the 1999 Cristal bursts from the glass with fresh hazelnut and apple scents. Elegant, deep, and silky-textured, this medium to full-bodied beauty is immensely concentrated, pure, packed with apple flavors, and astoundingly long in the finish."

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The Story

In 1876 when Tsar Alexander II requested that a special cuvée be created for his court Roederer duly obliged, creating what many regard to be the first prestige cuvée. 

As the political situation in Russia was somewhat unstable, Tsar Alexander feared assassination. He ordered that Champagne bottles be made of clear glass, so that he could see the bubbles and to prevent anyone from hiding a bomb within, as could easily happen with a typical dark green bottle. Roederer commissioned a Flemish glassmaker to create clear lead crystal Champagne bottles with a flat bottom. 

Originally a sweet blend, the Champagne was named “Cristal” after these distinctive clear lead crystal glass bottles.

In 1909, the House of Louis Roederer was regarded as the “Official Purveyor of Champagne to the Imperial Court of Russia” – a business coup that was later reversed following the deposition of the Tsar during the 1917 Revolution. Prohibition in the US caused additional financial difficulties during the early 20th century. However, the house survived these setbacks and today Louis Roederer remains an independent, family-owned business, managed by Roederer’s descendant, Frédéric Rouzaud.

The composition of Cristal is approximately 55% Pinot Noir and 45% Chardonnay. The grapes used in the wine come from only the finest vineyards in Grand Cru villages. Lecaillon talks about the crucial role that vineyards play in quality:

“A majority of our most recent development has been in vineyard operations. We have strict limits set for crop yields and we're using vines that are 25 years old on average. We evaluate the grapes coming from our own vineyards very critically. We try to improve the vineyards that aren't performing well and keep the ones that are at the highest level of quality.

The grapes from our own vineyards produce wines with an alcohol content that’s an average of 1% higher than those produced with purchased grapes. There’s less tart malic acid in our own grapes. Even though we strive for the highest possible acidity, it’s absolutely necessary that this is accompanied by a ripe fruitiness. We belong to the five-percent minority of Champagne's producers who do not use malolactic fermentation to reduce wine acidity. The range of aromas is accentuated by the high-acid structure, much in the same way a salad dressing brings out the aromas in the food.

“And we stopped using cloned vines - we're only using the vine offspring from our own vineyards to ensure natural diversity. In the 1950s, -60s and -70s cloning was far too simple a solution for such a complex thing." Chef de Cave Jean-Baptiste Lecaillon explained

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Vintage 1999

A difficult start to the year led to early budbreak. There were some damaging hailstorms in early May, but the frost ultimately stayed away. The summer was overall warm and thanks to the hot and dry August, the grapes looked promising for the harvest. However, a damp September challenged producers and dilution was an issue for some. The 1999 harvest that started on September 15th produced a large yield (12,989 kg/ha) of sweet grapes that resulted in soft wines, low in acidity, which produced Champagnes that, in many cases, miss linearity and structure. Voluptuous and enjoyable with ripe, fruity, even exotic characters but in most cases for the medium-term only, even if the best seem to be maturing better than initially expected. The red wines of the year were exceptional and resulted in some outstanding prestige cuvée rosés, such as Louis Roederer Cristal Rosé, Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Rosé and Bollinger La Grande Année Rosé.

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Tasting note

color

Light, Straw and Bright

ending

Medium, Pure and Lingering

flavors

Mineral, Toasty, Mushrooms and Earthy

nose

Closed, Complex and Youthful

taste

High in Acidity, Balanced, Complex, Good texture, Developing, Medium-bodied, Firm, Vigor and Dry

Verdict

Transparent and Fine

Written Notes

Intense and ripe fruity nose. Roundness, with some edge on the palate. Great personality, full-bodied and chewy, but still youthful and restrained. Concentrated fruitiness with charm but most nuances are still hidden. Home-grown apples and caramel flavours; not much autolytic aromas at this stage. This vintage should ideally be kept in the cellar at least for another five years.

  • 93p
I seldom have the opportunity of enjoying a whole bottle on my own, but when I sat down in the Continental Restaurant in Reims on a job trip and saw that this new vintage of Cristal had just been launched in secret, I was unable to resist the temptation. I sat for hours and sipped at it until I had emptied the whole bottle, and with a smile on my lips I strolled out to the magnificently illuminated cathedral in the autumn night. I can sum up my detailed impressions briefly by saying that the aroma was weak and immature while the flavour had a fairytale elegance, concentration and classicism. Time will tell where we finally end up.
  • 95p

Broad toasty nose with lovely compelxity. Dry and crisp palate with firm structure. Bit reserved mineral mouthfeel with lean and long finish.

  • 91p

Pale lemon yellow, tiny bubbles. Brioche, yeast, minerals, bakery, apples, faint citrus, tiny nutty note far back. Fresh acidity, lively mousse, lovely balance, detailed, fresh, apples and citrus, brioche, long finish. 95

  • 95p
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Information

Origin

Reims, Champagne

Vintage Quality

Excellent

Value For Money

Best buy

Investment potential

Below Average

Fake factory

None

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Collection 241

Collection 242

Collection 243

Collection 244

Coteaux Champenois Le Mesnil-sur-Oger Hommage à Camille

Cristal Rosé

Cristal Rosé Vinothèque

Cristal Vinothèque

Rosé Brut

Vintage

Vintage Blanc de Blancs

Vintage Rosé

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