Louis Roederer Cristal Brut Reviews
Learn More About Louis Roederer Cristal Brut Through its Reviews.
2015
Louis Roederer Cristal Brut Reviews
98 Pointz Wine Enthusiast
Cellar Selection
“From vineyards that are run organically, this iconic Champagne's latest iteration is as beautiful as ever. Textured, with a mineral undertow, the wine is just beginning to soften and show a balanced maturity.”
97 Pointz James Suckling
“For the warm and dry vintage, this has tremendous freshness and elegance. The complex nose of citrus blossom, mint, lemon, and lime zest opens up slowly as this aerates in the glass. The wine’s ample structure is still quite firm, which is a vintage characteristic, the mousse very fine but also very lively for an eight-year-old champagne. Cristal fans will love this as it is, but a year or two more in the bottle will do a lot for the very long mineral finish of this youthful masterpiece. A cuvee of 60% pinot noir and 40% chardonnay, picked from all 45 Cristal vineyard plots.”
96 Pointz Jeb Dunnuck
“I had the opportunity to taste the 2015 Champagne Cristal twice, both at the house in Reims as well as at my home office. On both occasions, the wine offered a terrific balance of decadence and notable freshness for this vintage, which was highly expressive on opening. The release reveals layered custardy notes of lemon balm, incense, apricot, and hazelnut. Medium to full-bodied, the mousse is fluffy and rounded out beautifully through the palate. Round and approachable, it has a well-managed richness along with underlying savory sapidity and saline to keep this going over the coming three or more decades, with a chalky tannin structure to support it.”
96 Pointz Vinous
“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.”
96 Pointz Wine Spectator
Collectible
“This mouthwatering Champagne has an ethereal quality, with a frame of chiseled acidity and focused precision to the pointillisme-like, vibrant mousse. Yet this shows depth and generous expression, with the finely spun notes of patisserie apple and blackberry fruit opening beautifully on the palate and through the minerally finish, with notes of grated ginger, blood orange granita, salted Marcona almond, and anise.”
95 Pointz Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
“If the 2014 vintage was especially open and demonstrative, the 2015 Cristal is going to require more patience. Unwinding in the glass with aromas of citrus oil, crisp stone fruits, white flowers, crushed mint, and subtle hints of buttery pastry, it's medium to full-bodied, deep, and layered, with a deep, concentrated and rather introverted core of fruit framed by chalky extract and animated by a pretty pinpoint mousse. This is a serious, vinous Champagne that has considerable substance to age and may well evolve along the lines of the lovely 1985.”
Bonus Reviews
United Kingdom
95 Pointz Decanter
“An open and inviting nose references cream, oatmeal, and Amalfi lemon with the slightest edge of smoke. The palate immediately strikes with a mouthwatering lemon ripeness and a juicy, mouthfilling generosity reminiscent of yellow plum. It stays true to the trademark sleekness of Cristal and speaks of the concentration of 2015. Fine mousse accentuates the fullness and roundness of the wine while the long finish hints at chalky depth which, for now, is dominated by ripe stone fruit and more of that textured, rich notion of oatmeal.”
17.5++/20 Pointz Jancis Robinson,
Master of Wine
“Creamy and welcoming on the nose. Flattering texture and lots packed in there. As usual, such a baby at this early stage! Some smokiness and a lot of dry savour. Tight-knit and introvert. Wait! Such a shame it has to be released so early …”
2014
Louis Roederer Cristal Brut Reviews
98 Point Vinous
“The 2014 Cristal is another in a long line of gorgeous wines from Roederer and long-time Chef de Caves Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon. A dazzling, vibrant Champagne, the 2014 impresses with a stunning combination of fruit density and linear energy that brings to mind a hypothetical blend of 2012 and 2008. At times, the bubbles feel totally wrapped up in waves of creamy, resonant fruit to the point the mousse is barely perceptible, especially with aeration. The flavors are bright and finely sculpted, leaning very much into the citrus, floral, and mineral end of the spectrum.”
98 Pointz Wine Spectator
Collectible
“This vivid Champagne shows up-front 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 saline and chalk, which gains momentum through the midpalate and rings out on the well-cut, lasting finish.”
97 Pointz James Suckling
“Lots of mineral and oyster-shell aromas with light toasted bread and pie-crust undertones. Hints of caramel, apple, and pear tart, too. Medium to full body with phenolic intensity and length. Intense at the finish, with driving acidity and length. Generous and expressive.”
97 Pointz Wine Enthusiast
#1 Top 100 Cellar Selection
“Still young, with toast aromas and shining white-fruit flavors, the latest release of Cristal is just setting out. A dry, tight core of intense flavors are shot through with minerality from the pure chalk soil of the 45 individual parcels in the blend.”
96 Pointz Jeb Dunnuck
“It’s always educational, and a treat, to taste the latest vintage of Louis Roederer’s flagship Cristal Champagne. This cuvée is sourced from 45 separate plots covering just under 200 acres spread between the villages of Verzeny, Verzy, Beaumont-sur-Vesle, Aÿ, Avize, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, and Cramant. The vineyards are farmed either organically or biodynamically and are planted to a 60/40 split of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay ... The 2014 fits in nicely in recent vintages and has a style all its own, showing a fleshy, round, nicely concentrated style reminiscent of the 2012 yet not quite the precision of either the 2008 or 2013. Gorgeous and classic Cristal stone fruit, chalky minerality, white flowers, almond paste, and subtle toast emerge on the nose, and it hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, a supple, almost creamy texture, terrific balance, and a great finish. It’s surprisingly approachable yet I’ve no doubt it will evolve nicely given its mid-palate depth and overall balance. It’s beautiful today and a terrific Cristal to enjoy over the coming two decades or so.”
96 Pointz Wine Advocate
“The 2014 Cristal is a terrific effort that transcends the vintage. Bursting from the glass with expressive aromas of ripe citrus fruit, nectarine, white flowers, freshly baked bread, and subtle hints of honeycomb, it's medium to full-bodied, vinous, and fleshy, with an exuberant core of fruit that's girdled by racy acids, resulting in a wine that's simultaneously chiseled and demonstrative, meaning that early appeal doesn't come at the expense of the requisite tension for long-term cellaring. Concluding with a long, aromatic, and intensely chalky finish, it is a brilliant Champagne that will offer a broad drinking window.”
Bonus Reviews
United Kingdom
95 Pointz Decanter
“The rollercoaster growing season of 2014 is reflected to perfection by the innate tension here; ripe citric fruit and even a touch of exoticism (mango and fig) tempered by a fine shard of acidity and a lifted ethereal character, described paradoxically by chef de caves Jean-Baptiste Lecaillon as ‘weightless density’. Purity, energy, and power make for very happy bedfellows, courtesy the chalky terroir and its organic husbandry. The texture is silky, the bubbles joyfully integrated and the finish resourceful and precise, its salinity deferential to the deep-digging roots. Disgorged: June 2021. Dosage: 7g/L.
18.5+/20 Pointz Jancis Robinson,
Master of Wine
“Tiny bead. Seriously impressive tension in this bottle whose flavour (but not mousse) is explosive. It starts tight and taut, opens out to breadth of fruit on the mid-palate, and then offers a positive fan of flavour on the bone-dry finish, all the time titillating every taste bud. Firm and a delightfully serious wine.”
2013
Louis Roederer Cristal Brut Reviews
98 Pointz James Suckling
“This is quite chalky with firm phenolics that frame the wine beautifully. It’s medium-to-full-bodied with strawberries and earth. Dense, linear, and intense. Hints of brioche and pie crust at the end. Very structured and gorgeous. Salty and lightly chewy. One-third of the base wines are fermented and aged in oak. Connoisseur Champagne. From organic vineyards of the Roederer domains. Smaller production than normal. Seven years on the lees. Give it two or three years to open.”
98 Pointz Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
“I've revisited Roederer's 2013 Cristal four times since I reviewed it in April of this year—including several times from my own cellar—and I had to admit that even my lavish praise didn't do it full justice. Combining the cool-vintage cut of 2008 with the more completely mature fruit of 2012, the 2013 Cristal might well be said to represent the perfect combination of the two from a purist's perspective. The wine unwinds in the glass with notes of crisp orchard fruit, white flowers, almond paste, and citrus oil, followed by a medium to full-bodied, seamless, and multidimensional palate that's intense but weightless, with racy acids, a pinpoint mousse, and a long, penetrating finish. Drink the 2008 Cristal on its own, and you're unlikely—to put it mildly—to have any complaints, but compare it directly with the 2013 and you'll see Roederer's rapid progress in the vineyards writ large.”
97 Pointz Vinous
“The 2013 Cristal is a wine of extraordinary precision and tension. Searing acids drive a bold, racy Champagne that won’t be ready to offer its best drinking anytime soon. In recent vintages, Cristal has been quite open on release. That is far from the case with the 2013. Readers should plan on being quite patient. The blend is 60% Pinot Noir (from Aÿ, Verzy, Verzenay, Beaumont-sur-Vesle) and 40% Chardonnay (Mesnil, Avize, Cramant). Chef de Caves Jean-Baptiste Lecaillon was especially selective and used only 30 out of the potential 45 plots that are typically available for Cristal. About 32% of the lots were done in oak, the rest in steel, with the malolactic fermentation blocked across the board. It was an October harvest, the sort of harvest that has become increasingly rare in Champagne. Lecaillon describes the summer as similar to 2012, but adds the vines were a month behind in their development. In tasting, the 2013 reminds me of the 1996 in its austerity, even more so than the epic 2008.”
96 Pointz Jeb Dunnuck
“I think the 2013 Cristal checks in behind the 2008, but it's nevertheless a beautiful wine. Lots of ripe orchard fruits, toasted bread, brioche, and chalky mineral notes define the nose, and it's medium to full-bodied, with a layered, nicely concentrated, tight, inward style, beautiful precision and purity, and a great finish. It needs a good 5-7 years of bottle age to hit its stride and will keep for two decades or more.”
96 Pointz Wine & Spirits
“A wine of chalk soils, from mid-slope estate parcels, Cristal is a blast of pale limestone power in 2013. Its textures are grand and sumptuous against the chalk, its flavors layering sunny apple briskness, smoky lees, and earthy acidities ghosting the finish, lasting for minutes, suggesting a long life ahead in the cellar.”
96 Pointz Wine Spectator
Collectible
“Exotic hints of tangerine and candied ginger are an enticing entrance for this vivid Champagne, accenting a finely meshed range of ripe green apple and cassis fruit, with rich notes of chopped almond, brioche, and lemon curd. An underscoring streak of salinity gains momentum through the mouthwatering finish, echoing as it rides the plushly creamy mousse. This is decadence in a sleek and graceful package.”
Bonus Reviews
United Kingdom
96 Pointz Decanter
“The peak of drinkability is between 15 and 20 years from the harvest; so says Jean-Baptiste, but he has not spared the taster the wondrous early impression of perfection in the making. A soft gold with glistening highlights, like the river meadow at dawn; the nose effortlessly marries a panoply of flavours, the citric grip nodding to hints of passion fruit and Mirabelle plum, with hazelnut and almond signalling the grace of development. Texturally generous, yet tightly wound, taut and flinty yet ripe and open, the wine faithfully underlines the vigneron’s philosophy, every nuance of its template deftly rehearsed and charmingly enacted.”
2012
Louis Roederer Cristal Brut Reviews
98 Pointz James Suckling
“Such attractive, fresh, floral aromas here with fine bread, hints of white almonds, and a lemon edge. White cherries and strong, chalky minerals, too. The palate has a very composed feel. Seamless and quite silky texture with effortless length and flow. Very fluid and composed. Very late, warming almond flavors. This is very long and smooth with a velvety finish. Super long Pinot weight. Resolved and drinkable, but will age so well.”
98 Pointz Vinous
“The 2012 Cristal is another absolutely stellar wine this flight of recent releases. Rich, vinous, and beautifully textured, the 2012 has been nothing short of magnificent on the three occasions I have tasted it so far. In the glass, the 2012 is radiant and luscious, yet it possesses remarkable transparency and striking aromatic depth. Light tropical notes develop in the glass, giving the 2012 a real feeling of exotic beauty. The 2012 is the first vintage of Cristal done with 100% organically-farmed fruit, an approach introduced gradually starting with the 2007 that has profoundly changed Cristal, especially in its aromatic breadth. Two thousand twelve is the vintage where endless trials and experiments in farming and winemaking are fully realized. The 2012 is just stunning. It’s as simple as that. Dosage is just over 7 grams per liter, the lowest it has even been for Cristal.”
98 Pointz Wine Enthusiast
Cellar Selection
“As the first 100% biodynamic Cristal, entirely from Roederer-owned vineyards, this is an important milestone. This latest incarnation is a great Champagne with its density, elegance, and poise. Still impressively young, the wine is taut, tightly wound, and textured. At the same time, it has pure, ripe white, and citrus fruits that are perfumed, and an important part of this wine’s long-term future. Drink at the earliest from 2023. Organic and biodynamic.”
97 Pointz Jeb Dunnuck
“Always from the same blocks (45 blocks) and 40-year-old vines, it’s more rounded and supple than the 2008 and has plenty of oomph in its apple blossom, white flower, chalky minerality, spice, and toasted bread aromas and flavors. With gorgeous purity of fruit, a seamless, layered mouthfeel, flawless balance, and a terrific sense of minerality on the finish, this is a beautiful, elegant yet rich Cristal to enjoy over the coming 20 years or so.”
97 Pointz Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
“Aromas of clear honey, crisp green orchard fruit, white peach, pastry cream, and dried white flowers introduce the 2012 Cristal, a full-bodied, concentrated, and powerful wine that's built for the cellar. Broader, more textural, and more muscular than the 2008 Cristal, with seemingly even greater reserves of structuring dry extract, the 2012 is incisive and searingly chalky.”
97 Pointz Wine Spectator
Collectible
“A classic beauty, fresh-faced and focused today but with a harmonious grace of form suggesting a long career ahead. There's a creamy, viscous quality to the mousse that swathes the palate, carrying finely detailed flavors of poached quince, Mandarin orange preserves, toasted almond, and pickled ginger. Mouthwatering throughout, with a pleasing, soft zestiness to the mineral-laced finish.”
95 Pointz Wine & Spirits
The purity of this wine sustains the crispness and freshness of a late-summer apple picked directly off the tree. Its layered concentration of chalk and fruit starts out as a tense buzz before it opens to a racy and ethereal flavor that gives no sign of repose anytime soon.
Bonus Reviews
United Kingdom
19/20 Pointz Jancis Robinson,
Master of Wine
“Rich and ripe, like 2002. Pungent nose -- straight up the nose. Gorgeous and seductive. Complex and embroidered. Already lovely.”