From the house Roederer comes the Louis Roederer Cristal Champagne, the epitome of class and elegance. A super limited and hard to find top echelon Champagne, Cristal is a 55% Pinot Noir and 45% Chardonnay blend that was harvested in near perfect conditions. The resulting wine is a blend of vineyards from the finest vineyards of Montagne de Reims, the Vallée de la Marne and the Côte des Blancs.
Luminous, densely rich apricot colour with flecks of gold on the hue and with miniscule bubbles that continue to bubble long after the glass has been poured. After swirling, the nose opens up to spectacularly vibrant notes of white flesh fruits, that settles into a creamy fullness like clotted cream, and ending with softly toasted cashews. Remarkably harmonious palate revealing full-on volume and mellowness. Substantial length capped off with a note of freshness.
From the Producer
Louis Roederer was originally founded about 1776 as Dubois Père & Fils. Nicolas Schreider from the Alsace region came to work with the Dubois family and eventually purchased the company. Nicolas Schreider's nephew, Louis Roederer joined his uncle at the company in 1827. When Nicolas died in 1833, Louis inherited the Champagne House and gave it his own name “Louis Roederer.”
Louis Roederer II eventually inherited the Roederer Champagne House. In the 1870s he began exporting the wine. Early links with Russian court led to the creation of Cristal, Roederer’s famous Prestige Cuvee in 1876. Cristal was originally sweet, unlike the current dry (Brut) style. Cristal was commissioned by Russian Tsar Alexander II who wanted it in clear glass crystal so that it would not stand out, hence the name Cristal. Another unusual feature of the crystal bottle is that they are so strong they do not need a punt, the indentation found in the bottom of most champagne bottles. Rumor has it that the Tsar requested a bottle without a punt so his enemies could not hide something lethal in the indentation and it also helped reassure the Tsar that the wine was authentic. Cristal is considered the first Prestige Cuvee of Champagne, but was not available for commercial purchase until the mid 1940s.
