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Cristal 2015

Louis Roederer, Champagne, France

Louis Roederer
Champagne France
  • 100
    Points
  • The 139 best
    of 3 290 954
    wines globally
  • 13 Pros of
    13 recommend
    this wine
1126 100
  • Taste
  • Moment

  • Country ranking ?

    113

  • Producer ranking ?

    3

  • Decanting time

    45min

  • When to drink

    from 2028

  • Food Pairing

    salmon with cranberry 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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A perfect combination of softness and concentration, matched by a masterful maturity, Cristal 2015 delivers intense and delicious aromas with a superb energy and a magical vibration. This is a timeless champagne with a chalky temperament, sustained by its soils, freed from the sunny character of the vintage.

The nose begins with hints of yellow fruit, toasted almonds and wheat from the Chardonnay, combined with the juicy red fruit of the Pi...

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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

2015 was a hot and sunny year marked by episodes of heat and drought, relieved by some very welcome rain at the end of the summer which enabled the grapes to preserve all their freshness. These weather conditions gave rise to juicy, ripe and concentrated grapes with a perfect balance. Cristal 2015 has taken full advantage of these contrasting weather conditions, showing a strong chalky temperament and capturing the vibrations of its soils as n...

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Vintage 2015

A wet winter and mild spring gave way to an exceptionally dry summer from mid-May onwards. Hot weather prevailed until mid-August, when the skies opened again. Rains gave way to fine, cool, yet sunny weather for the first two weeks of harvest, which commenced on August 29th. The 2015 vintage has a lot of common denominators with the 2003 vintage but the 2015s are showing a better balance of weight and freshness with their average potential alc...

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Tasting note

color

Medium

ending

Long, Pure and Lingering

flavors

Mineral, Citrus and White fruits

nose

Youthful, Pure, Complex and Fresh

taste

High in Acidity, Balanced, Concentrated, Well-structured, Youthful, Medium-bodied, Focused, Fresh, Refined and Dry

Verdict

Sophisticated and Fine

Written Notes

Cristal 2015 greets the eye with a brilliant, pale golden color and an effervescent stream of fine bubbles. The nose is vibrant and fresh, offering an enticing blend of citrus blossoms, green apple, and pear, with underlying notes of toasted hazelnuts and a hint of chalky minerality. On the palate, it is crisp and lively, showcasing flavors of lemon zest, white peach, and a touch of brioche. The texture is silky with a precise, finely tuned acidity that provides excellent structure. The finish is long and clean, leaving a refreshing impression with delicate hints of saline and subtle spice. This vintage is a superb expression of youthful elegance and potential for aging.

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  • 97p

 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.

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  • 99p

“A child of a hot and sunny year, in 2015 all of the Cristal Estate vineyards made it to the final cuvée. The solar profile of the year comes across strongly in the wine, its nose being overt and fruity with apple compote and baked pear leading the way. Caramel, pear drop, vanilla, lemon and dried flower layers. There is a touch of earthy-vegetal, austere tones typical to the vintage, which do tie curiously to the accentuated chalky tones on both the nose and palate. Cristal’s hallmark purity and radiance are not the strengths of this vintage, but the textural chalky elements speak loudly of its terroirs. Lush and fruity on the palate with good freshness and plenty of refreshing energy from the perky, tingling mousse. ”

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  • 96p

The 2015 Cristal is a blend of 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay. No malo-lactic was employed, and 25% wine was aged in oak. The dosage is 7 grams per liter. An exquisitely delicate yet complex perfume of clover honey, freshly shaved ginger, marzipan, and jasmine slowly emerges from the nose, giving way to a core of pear tart, persimmons, and apple butter. The palate is an exercise in finesse, featuring very fine bubbles and fantastic intensity with a myriad of spice and floral nuances, finishing with impressive persistence and jaw-dropping poise. This is a style for those that embrace purity, soft-spoken expression, and impeccable crafting. It won't disappoint those who love Champagne in its initial youthful perfume flushes, yet will undoubtedly reward the patient with a richer, toastier, more obvious and opulent style with 5-10 years+ of cellaring.

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  • 98p

I have tasted the 2015 Cristal three times so far - once as part of an extensive vertical I will be reporting on shortly, and then later in my office. Those tastings paint a portrait of a complex Champagne that is still finding its center. Tasted at the maison, the 2015 is rich, dense and explosive, with tremendous textural intensity and also a good bit of energy to back it up. Citrus confit, spice, ginger, chalk and dried flowers abound in a Champagne endowed with tremendous aromatic presence in a style that offers notable richness, but lighter than vintages such as 2012. There is a bit of the savoriness that is such a signature of the year, but it is nicely integrated in the wine’s fabric.

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  • 96p
Good looking normal size bottle. Colour is medium. On the nose it is youthful, open, pure, refined, fresh and complex. The taste is refined, fresh, focused, and dry, and high in acidity, medium-bodied, with concentrated, well-structured, balanced structure and youthful. On the palate it is layered and has mineral, white fruits and citrus flavours. The finish is long, pure and lingering. This wine is sophisticated and fine. Perfectly stored bottles are still very worthy and will last well for another 10-15 years.
- (Tasting note created by Tb's AI)
  • 94p
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Information

Origin

Reims, Champagne

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Inside Information

Cristal 2015  originates from 3 emblematic vineyards of the house: 1/3 from the vineyards of "la Rivière", 1/3 from "la Montagne" and 1/3 from "la Côte".  The crus used to make this exceptional champagne are Verzenay, Verzy, Beaumont-sur-Vesle, Ay, Avize, Mesnil-sur-Oger and Cramant.

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