2018 Louis Roederer Cristal

A big new release of one of the most prestigious and recognisable of all Champagnes, the 2018 Louis Roederer Cristal. Rated at a massive 98+ points by Antonio Galloni, this is a magnificent young Cristal that will age superbly. If you’re a Cristal collector, it’s a must-buy.

2018 was a warm and dry vintage in Champagne, which meant that Roederer looked wider than usual when selecting grapes for the Cristal. 57 parcels were used instead of the usual 45, and a greater proportion of Chardonnay was used to keep the freshness and elegance that are the signatures of this famous Grande Marque. This approach has paid dividends and resulted in a spectacular Cristal.

Galloni tasted this last month and was clearly blown away by the quality on show. Thanks to the inclusion of these new parcels of vines in the blend, it is, for him, “a Cristal unlike any other I have tasted” and “positively stunning. Its linear energy and brilliance are a bit reminiscent of the 2014, but its flavor profile is completely different from any Cristal I can remember tasting.”.

98+ points Antonio Galloni

The 2018 Cristal opens a new chapter for Roederer. The Cristal estate is composed of 45 parcels. In better vintages, most of the 45 parcels are used for the blend. The 2018 vintage brought with it elevated ripeness and generally low acids. Longtime Chef de Caves Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon was forced to cast his gaze wider, to look for parcels that offered a touch of freshness. Lécaillon expanded his palette to 57 parcels. The result is a Cristal unlike any other I have tasted. Orchard fruit, dried flowers, spice, chalk and herbs are some of the many notes that take shape in the glass. Floral and savory overtones are quite distinctive. Lécaillon reduced oak ferments, racked very quickly after fermentation and used all his best Chardonnay lots for Cristal, so much so that there is no Blanc de Blancs. He bottled earlier than normal and chose a crown capsule with a liner that allows less oxygen transfer than the norm here. Taken together, those choices paid off handsomely. In tasting, the 2018 is positively stunning. Its linear energy and brilliance are a bit reminiscent of the 2014, but its flavor profile is completely different from any Cristal I can remember tasting. Dosage is 7 grams per liter. (2026) www.vinous.com Drink 2028-2068.

Please find below the wines we are currently offering