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  • Country ranking ?

    621
  • Producer ranking ?

    36
  • Decanting time

    10min
  • When to drink

    now to 2025
  • Food Pairing

    Shrimps in cream curry sauce

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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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 ...

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Wine Information

Louis Roederer II, his son, receives the credit for developing Cristal. The Russian Tsar was absolutely taken with Roederer champagne: in 1873, some 666,386 bottles, which amounted to approximately 27% of its entire production, were delivered to the court of Alexander II. In order to formalise Roederer’s status as official purveyor to the Imperial Court of Russia, Alexander II commissioned Louis Roederer to produce a very sweet, prestige blend...

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Average Bottle Price

2016 2015 2012 2010 2005 2000
1 879€ -26.7% 2 562€ +22.8% 2 087€ +55.3% 1 344€ +75.7% 765€ +96.7% 389€

This data comes from the FINE Auction Index, a composite of average prices for wines sold at commercial auctions in 20 countries. The average prices from each year have been collected since 1990. This chart plots the index value of the average price of the wines.

Tasting note

color

Deep, Straw and Healthy

ending

Long, Extensive and Gentle

flavors

Tropical fruits, Vanilla, Mineral, Nutty, Citrus and Dried-fruit

nose

Intense, Fresh, Opulent and Generous

taste

Average in Acidity, Low alcohol content, Balanced, Medium-bodied, Harmonious, Perfumed, Fragrant and Silky tannins

Verdict

Transparent and Sophisticated

Written Notes

Cristal 1966 has a very strong, open and flavourful bouquet. The bubbles were small, typical to Cristal, and they moved in a tight flock - just as small pearls were rising to the surface to give the wine solemnity. The nose was so giving that compared to it the wine felt at first a little reserved on the palate. After a short delay it however almost exploded in the mouth giving an extremely aromatic and abundant tasting experience. A perfectly cultivated, many layered and coolly refined, mature wine!

  • 97p
So where were we? It was still Friday night, I was still in LA, and I swear I didn’t inhale. It was time for a Cristal intermezzo before the Burgundies, that’s right, and it was a pretty good one. The 1966 Roederer Cristal got ‘fresh,’ ‘great’ and ‘beautiful’ from the crowd. It was sweet and flavorful with a long backside. It had an outstanding finish, showing the greatness of the vintage, and its sweetness dominated (95).
  • 95p
It's hard to conceive of a wine being more enjoyable than this one. The fruit is incredibly dense and the style is unimpeachable. A classic Champagne that has everything and more. A little lighter and more elegant than the awesome '59. Unfortunately madeirised last time i tasted it.
  • 97p
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Information

Origin

Reims, Champagne

Vintage Quality

Excellent

Value For Money

Good

Investment potential

Average

Fake factory

Be Cautious

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Coteaux Champenois Le Mesnil-sur-Oger Hommage à Camille

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Vintage

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