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 50 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.
Uutiset
Patterson's Tasting Panel Magazine - Anthony Dias Blue - February 2008
94 Points "Luscious and complex with pure, ripe fruit and creamy texture; long layers of flavor and a finish that lasts for minutes."
USA Today - Jerry Shriver - December 30, 2007
Recommended
MSNBC Today - Ray Isle - December 12, 2007
"Floral and delicate, this ultra-luxury bottling from Roederer is what tete-de-cuvee Champagne is all about.'
Wall Street Journal - Dorothy J. Gaiter and John Brecher - December 01, 2007
Recommended "$100 and up:...We know that some people will turn to...Louis Roederer Cristal because [it has] such special status; that's fine because [it's] not just fashionable, but...really do[es] taste special, too."
Wine Enthusiast - Roger Voss - December 01, 2007
92 points "This is a lightweight Cristal, floating and fresh, without the punch this great wine can have from Pinot Noir. To taste, there is good balance, but the persistent grapefruit flavor shows the wine's youth."
Wall Street Journal - Dorothy J. Gaiter and John Brecher - December 01, 2007
Recommended "$100 and up:...We know that some people will turn to...Louis Roederer Cristal because [it has] such special status; that's fine because [it's] not just fashionable, but...really do[es] taste special, too."
Wine & Spirits - December 2007
95 points "A glorious, sunny Champagne, the 2000 Cristal weds all of its components into a dynamic sphere as if the bubbles were the wine itself. The bubbles carry concentrated flavors of red-skinned apple, hints of wild strawberry, high notes of apple blossoms and earthier notes of chanterelles. The interplay between the effervescence and the texture feels supple and rich, with a powerful drive that remains discreet. It’s an exceptional play on the vintage, transforming its broad ripeness into round elegance."
Quarterly Review of Wines - December 2007
Five-Star Prestige C "Deep, long, penetrating, non-stop, toast, fig and steel flavors."
International Wine Cellar - Josh Raynolds - November 2007
92 Points "Bright gold. Deep, subtly smoky nectarine and musky yellow plum aromas are energized by a suave mineral quality. Broad and fleshy, with deep, chewy pear, pit fruit and buttered toast flavors. A serious style, with velvety texture and excellent finishing punch. This has the concentration to repay cellaring but is open-knit enough to enjoy on the young side."
Wine News - Wine News Staff - November 2007
93 points "Doughy toasted grain aromas. Tart lemon-lime flavors have a frothy mouth-feel. This is a young, energized, well-structured Champagne with bracing acidity that sweetens-up in the finish."
Wine Spectator - Bruce Sanderson - October 19, 2007
91 points "This goes for personality and finesse. An assertive, honeyed style, with plenty of citrus flavors. Mature coffee and roasted nut accents are peeking through, with a robust structure and a dried citrus aftertaste. Drink now through 2018."
Viinin Kuvailu
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
Wine Information
CRISTAL 2000
HARVESTS
After growth got off to a flying start at the end of April beginning of May, flowering took place from 9-12 June. Rainfall in July was four times higher than average but August was quite sunny. The vineyards of Verzy, Verzenay, Aÿ and Epernay, were hit by a violent hail storm in July which destroyed approximately 45 hectares of vines.
Morale was running low at the beginning of September. The vines were slow to mature due to bad weather. The soil was completely sodden. However, thanks to fine weather that held throughout the month of September the first juices registered 9.5° and even 10°, and acidity between 7.5 and 8. Nothing short of miraculous!
For the first time in recorded history, the vintage started in all three regions on the same day: 18 September. The sun shone for the duration of the picking which lasted two weeks, and the harvest remained of remarkable quality from beginning to end.
Unflagging attention, frequent quality controls, new picking sequences every day, and exceptionally healthy grapes: all these factors reflect the painstaking work of the growers and their skill in producing grapes capable of yielding great wines.
ELABORATION
55% Pinot Noir and 45% Chardonnay.
Cristal is produced using only the finest vintages from crus guaranteed to originate from the Louis Roederer vineyard. The wine is left to mature on yeast for an average of five years and spends a minimum period of eight months in the cellar after disgorgement.
DOSAGE: low at 10 g/l.
The "liqueurs de dosage" are prepared with the greatest of care from a selected blend of 8 to 10 of the very best crus from the Louis Roederer vineyard and then left to age in oak.
TASTING
Colour: sustained golden yellow tones shimmering with luminous green highlights and ultra-fine, energetic bubbles.
Nose: an intense, precise but exquisitely subtle nose, opening with dominant aromas of fresh almonds and sweet-smelling flowers then revealing riper nuances of lush vine peaches, white chocolate, caramel and a sprinkling of lightly toasted hazelnuts.
Impressive Palate: the attack on the palate is sensual and fleshy with an almost caressing mouthfeel.
More mineral notes come through on the mid-palate - testament to this Champagne’s deliberately low dosage - supported by a refreshing crispness that carries an impression of delicacy rather than strength. The overall effect is one of precise elegance, a wine perfectly poised between the structure of the Pinot Noir and the finesse of the Chardonnay, marrying roundness and vinosity with a sense of freshness and verve. The finish is long and deliciously refreshing, underscored by harmonious, lightly caramelised notes of the year’s great wines aged in wood.
Overall impression: from the outset, the Cristal Vintage 2000 asserts its finesse, balance and aromatic complexity - ripe, precise and persistent but also light, refined and masterfully subtle.
Serve at a temperature of 8°C (46°F) to 10°C (50°F). We recommend that you leave the bottle to cool in the refrigerator for 2 H. Alternatively, immerse the bottle up to its neck in a champagne bucket filled with ice before serving. Never cool the bottle in the freezer since this breaks the wine.
AS A COMPLEMENT TO FOOD:
The strength and finesse of Cristal are perfectly suited to delicate foods. It is a flattering accompaniment to caviar, fish and shellfish such as scallops, John Dory, lobster and crayfish.
Vuosikerta 2000
A warm and wet winter was followed by an equally wet spring. First, in May, came the seri- ous heat, which gave a fast owering around June 14. Chlorosis and mold growth were evi- dent. June and August were hot and dry. But if you were like me, and tried to have a July vaca- tion in Champagne that year, you noticed how cold and rainy it was. The weather was almost as bad as at home, with constant rain and local hailstorms.
Everything looked hopeless, but the good weather during harvest saved a decent amount of fresh grapes. Harvest started on my birthday—September 11—and ended in early October. Chardonnay and pinot meunier did better than the delicate pinot noir. The year will become sought after thanks to their magic number. The quality does not look too fancy yet though. The wines are quite light with short lives. However, it is a very enjoyable moment, with its intense exotic aromas of passion fruit and tangerine. I am delighted to recommend some romantic bottles of the successful pink trio William Deutz Rosé, Louis Roederer Cristal Rosé, and Pommery Cuvée Louise Rosé.
by Richard Juhlin/
