Louis Roederer - Crystal 2015

THE HISTORY. Created to satisfy the refined and demanding tastes of Tsar Alexander II of Russia in 1876, Cristal was immediately packaged in a flat-bottomed crystal bottle to accentuate its uniqueness and reassure the Tsar, who was afraid that his enemies might hide dangerous bombs at the bottom of the champagne bottle. Cristal is produced only in the best years, when the Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes that compose it reach perfect ripeness. It is aged for 6 years and rests for at least 8 months after disgorgement.

THE ESTATE Cristal is made up of 70 exceptional parcels, 70 plots selected with care and attention from 1845 to today. In the vineyard, for the parcels of the Cristal estate an organic regime is followed, with practices such as massal selection, gentle pruning, fallow periods and biodynamic compost, to encourage the establishment of a balance between man, vineyard and nature. For the most fragile vines, the youngest and the oldest, we proceed with the help of horses, without the use of machinery. The 70 parcels are located within 7 grand crus. 40% of these are cultivated with Chardonnay - Avize, Cramant and Mesnil-sur-Oger - while 60% is cultivated with Pinot Noir - Ay, Verzenay, Verzy and Beaumont-sur-Vesle. The blending of the wine also follows this proportion. The careful selection allows the use of 45 of these 70 plots, over 20 years old, with well-rooted plants on chalky soils.

IN THE CELLAR, 25% of the wine is vinified in wood. It does not undergo malolactic fermentation, to preserve the integrity of the fruit. 6-7 years of aging sur lattes will begin that magic that will continue over time until the bottle is uncorked, to enjoy its incredible harmony and balance.

"The 2015 VINTAGE is described as a perfect union of delicacy and concentration, crowned by masterly maturity. The Cristal 2015 cuvée releases intense and delicious aromas, with superb energy and a magical vibration. It is an eternal champagne, with a calcareous temperament, supported by its lands and liberated by the solar character of the vintage. On the nose, echoes of yellow fruits, toasted almonds and Chardonnay immediately emerge, together with the red and juicy fruits of Pinot Noir. The texture of the wine is characterized by its great energy, the vibrant intensity that transforms into a sweet caress, a silky texture in which delicate flavors of candied citrus and iodized spices emerge. The calcareous character of the vintage manifests itself in a tonic, vertical effervescence, with an insistent, precise and chiseled freshness. The finish, supported by light woody, concentrated and savoury notes, gives the whole a definitive sensation of delicacy and concentration. Cristal 2015 maintains a measure and a sovereign balance, resonating in the calcareous dimension of the soils more than in the solar character of the vintage. Always fully Cristal, intensely 2015, with immense aging potential."