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  • Country ranking ?

    311
  • Producer ranking ?

    14
  • Decanting time

    20min
  • When to drink

    Now to 2035
  • Food Pairing

    shellfish carpaccio, sashimis & grilled sea bass

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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Wine Spectator scored this 98 points saying "This vivid Champagne has upfront and linear definition, thanks to rapierlike acidity, with finely meshed flavors of ripe black cherry and mandarin orange fruit, raw almond, anise and cardamom spice as well as a touch of honeycomb, which all unfurl and expand on the fine, creamy palate. Sleek acidity continues through to the finish, with additional racy character provided by a streak of minerally sal...

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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

This is one of the earliest releases of a prestige cuvee from the major houses (Louis Roederer used to release Cristal after just five years, but Lécaillon has extended that to the benefit of the wine). Some houses have not yet released their standard 2014 vintages, so in terms of an assessment of this vintage, early days. It certainly was not a year that enjoyed the benefit of the sort of hype that blessed 2008, 2012, and 2018, but champagne ...

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Vintage 2014

Louis Roederer’s Cristal 2014 comes from what the house terms one-third “La Rivière” (the Marne), one-third “La Montagne,” and one-third “La Côte.” The main Crus included are Verzenay, Verzy, Beaumont-sur-Vesle, Aÿ, Avize, Mesnil-sur-Oger, and Cramant. The final composition – Lécaillon is careful to note that Louis Roederer does not blend Cristal, but rather composes it – is 60 percent Pinot Noir and 40 percent Chardonnay, which, coincidentall...

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Tasting note

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Written Notes

So does the Louis Roederer Cristal 2014 match all the hype? Tasting notes
Oh, yes! A lovely delicate pale lemon/straw color. This is pristine and fragrant, perfumed if you prefer. There is citrus, notably lemon, oyster shell notes, fresh pastry, the merest whiff of almonds, and an entrancing chalk. A textural note like crème brûlée and yet the finest of mineral backing. Immaculate balance, finesse, and length. Bright acidity, almost like biting into a green apple. A champagne bursting with life and freshness yet remaining refined. Glorious.

A joy now but will become an orchestra of brilliance over the next decade and more. Imagine a perfect Queensland winter’s morning (the temperature will probably drop to around 22°C, but there will be minimal humidity – if you have not visited in winter, put it on your bucket list). You are on a yacht slicing through the crystal-clear blue ocean and someone opens a nearly perfect bottle of champagne. And we have the 2014 Cristal. 99.

  • 99p

“This has a charmingly fragrant, even playful, fruity nose with ripe peach, vanilla and orange blossom intermingling with fruit drops, chalky mineral notes and toasted bread. The irresistible transparency of pure, perfect fruit continues on the lush, sweet palate. Then the whip of acidity hits, bringing on a burst of energy and fine mineral salinity, refreshing the whole. The finish is salty-tangy, immediately readying one's palate for the next sip. An instant charmer of a Cristal. Dosage 7g/l”

  • 96p

An enlightened expression from a season of extremes, this has intensity, ripeness and depth of fruit that is underpinned by chalk soil-derived structure and freshness. Complex nose with lemon and grapefruit aromas, as well as closed red apple, blood orange, light biscuit spices and toasted hazelnuts. Super fresh. The palate starts pithy and fleshy with pink grapefruit, blood orange, red apple, sliced strawberry and nectarine. Expansive and mouth-filling build that is driven by concentrated fruit, Then it tightens and turns to a more mineral edge, before smoothly honed phenolics finish it long. It is 60% pinot noir and 40% chardonnay, 32% oak fermentation in those same proportions, no chaptalization, no malolactic and a dosage of 7g per liter. From organically farmed grapes. Very complex, it strikes a natural balance and is very drinkable already, though will develop well for more than a decade in the cellar.

  • 97p
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Information

Origin

Reims, Champagne

Other wines from this producer

Blanc de Blancs

Brut Nature Rosé

Brut Nature Starck

Brut Premier

Carte Blanche Demi-Sec

Carte Blanche Sec

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

Starck Brut Nature Rosé

Vintage

Vintage Blanc de Blancs

Vintage Rosé

Inside Information

As I have discussed previously, the great advantage Cristal (and Louis Roederer) has is that the house owns a staggeringly high percentage of its own vineyards. Not only are many of these vineyards in the finest sites in the region, Louis Roederer has been meticulous in ensuring that they are cared for as well as they possibly can and they have moved to an organic/biodynamic regime. Cristal 2014 is only the third fully biodynamic vintage.

Louis Roederer makes specific mention of the “good drainage properties of the chalk,” notably on the lower middle part of the hillsides, which allow summer’s excess water to drain away harmlessly. This prevents any unwanted vigor in the vines. The 80 hectares that are the core of this wine now are divided into 45 discrete plots that provide fruit of the caliber needed for Cristal.

Lécaillon talked of how he and the team keep learning every year in the search for “permanent improvement” and the “pursuit of taste.”

His view of the 2014 is that it is a “wine of the soil, not a wine of climate.” Louis Roederer’s Grand Cru vineyards are mid-slope with shallow topsoil. He sees it as a “wine of character, elegance and freshness,” noting the intensity, ripeness, depth, dry extract, and aromaticity. He defines it as “perfume-y and refined,” pointing out how crucial the choice of chalk is. He looks for very poor soil with low nutrient and a high pH. For Lécaillon, the chalk is a “magic sponge” and this allows the vineyard to take all the water that the vintage can throw at it.

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