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  • Country ranking ?

    854
  • Producer ranking ?

    59
  • Decanting time

    15min
  • When to drink

    now to 2025
  • Food Pairing

    Seafood, Salads & Consommes

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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

In 1876, a Roederer champagne made for Russia’s Tsar Alexander II became the world’s first luxury cuvée. But with the sudden collapse of the Russian market, the champagne house endured a long struggle on the verge of bankruptcy. Eventually, the family’s shrewd patriarchs managed to turn things around, and today, Roederer is the most solvent of Champagne’s houses; indeed, its future looks Cristal clear.
Roederer is one of the few top champagne...

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Vintage 1995

A welcome relief after some difficult years in the region. Quantity-wise, it was the seventh high-cropping year in a row. But, in 1995, the quality also excelled, and particularly so for Chardonnay. There were significant frost damages during the spring and the warm but wet weather in the summer ignited mildew and rot problems. The vines cropped heavily and rigorous vineyard work and selection during harvest led to best results. Harvest commen...

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Tasting note

color

Light, Straw and Bright

ending

Medium, Smooth and Flavorful

flavors

Apricot, Waxy, Honey, Tropical fruits and White fruits

nose

Complex, Ripe, Generous and Open

taste

Average in Acidity, Low alcohol content, Low tannin, Complex, Balanced, Concentrated, Tired, Light, Modest, Ripe, Refined and Dry

Verdict

Oxidised

Written Notes

The final wine (sort of) simply had to be from Louis Roederer, their Cristal. A magnum of 1995. It showed the grandeur of the 1995 vintage to its full extent. A wonderfully complex wine with intensity and a supple palate, finishing with notes of honeycomb. A long, lingering finish here. The wine still has a decade of pleasure ahead of it.  Stunning. 98.

  • 98p

Youthful medium lemony colour, lively small-sized bubbles. The nose is highly restrained and non-expressive - early in the process of maturation. Classically elegant. Balanced and ripe sweet fruitiness, subtle smoky, mineral and brioche aspects. The ripeness of the vintage is more evident on the rich fat palate, offering impressive weight and roundness. Very pure fruitiness and fresh acidity. Worthy of its reputation. This will come around fairly soon. Give it 5-10 years and it will shine.

  • 94p
Considerably shyer and more discreet than the ecstatic rosé of the same vintage. Initially just a youthfully floral, tranquil nose that merges into expressive grape ripeness and buttery complexity. Perfectly balanced, purebred finesse on the palate, with crystal-clear aromas and a lively development and taste transformation in the mouth. An extremely femininely composed, classic Cristal, with handsome aromas of liquorice, vanilla, apples, and butter toffee—and a fabulous finish. More uniform as time passes and actually much worse quality than expected, in step with the insipid, neutralising process of maturity.
  • 92p
Surprisingly mature, orange-hued, toasty, ripe, overt, bruised apple, fluffy mousse, lemony, juicy acidity, a bit shocked. Dried apricots, opens nicely in the glass.
  • 93p
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Information

Origin

Reims, Champagne

Other wines from this producer

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Coteaux Champenois Le Mesnil-sur-Oger Hommage à Camille

Cristal Rosé

Cristal Rosé Vinothèque

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Rosé Brut

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Vintage

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