Two hundred and fifty years.
Five vintages of Cristal. One afternoon.
Louis Roederer was founded in 1776 and is still owned by the same family, which in Champagne makes it an outlier twice over. To mark the 250th we are launching the 2018 Cristal, the wine Antonio Galloni described as opening a new chapter for the house and "a Cristal unlike any other I have tasted."
It will not be poured alone. The 2016 on 100 points. A magnum of the 2012. A three-litre methuselah of the 2009. And the 2008, which Jeb Dunnuck called perfect and James Suckling scored 100. Before them, Collection, Vintage Brut and Blanc de Blancs in magnum. After them, three rosés closing on Cristal Rosé 2014.
Saturday, October 3rd
Hosted by Tracy Mann
Masterclass: 3–5.30pm | 14 wines & canapes | $595
(Strictly limited seats.)
A Tsar's Commission, and the Only House That Owns Its Land
The house was founded in 1776 and took the Roederer name in 1833. Cristal was created in 1876 for Tsar Alexander II, in clear crystal with a flat base, reportedly so that nothing could be concealed beneath it. It is the oldest prestige cuvée in Champagne and the only one that began as a private commission.
What makes Roederer unusual now is land. The house owns the large majority of the vineyards that go into its wines, which almost no other Champagne house of this scale can say, and it has converted them to organic and biodynamic farming under chef de caves Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon. The 2012 was the first Cristal made entirely from biodynamically farmed fruit. Every vintage since has followed.
The 2018 marks a genuine change of approach. It was a ripe, low-acid year, so Lécaillon widened the estate selection from forty-five parcels to fifty-seven hunting for freshness, reduced oak ferments, racked early, bottled early, and used a crown cap liner that admits less oxygen. He committed all his best Chardonnay to Cristal, to the point that there is no Blanc de Blancs from the vintage. This is the first chance in Perth to see whether it worked.
"The 2018 Cristal opens a new chapter for Roederer. 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."
98+ Points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous
The Wine List
First Bracket: Collection, and what a perpetual reserve tastes like
NV Louis Roederer Collection 247
New Release
Tasting note to follow.
NV Louis Roederer Collection 245, Magnum
93 Points, Audrey Frick, JebDunnuck.com
“The bright straw-colored NV Champagne Collection 245 is juicy and ripe, revealing notes of ripe, fresh peaches and bread, with a chalky, elegant texture and a pinpoint, refined mousse. This medium-bodied Champagne continues to impress and is an outstanding value to drink now or over the next 10-15 years. Drink 2025-2040.”
Second Bracket: Vintage Brut and Blanc de Blancs
2018 Louis Roederer Vintage Brut
94 Points, Tom Hewson, Decanter
“Louis Roederer’s vintage cuvée is 80% hailing from the northern Montagne de Reims in Pinot Noir in the ripe, approachable 2018 vintage, with the remaining 20% in Chardonnay from Chouilly. The inherent freshness of these northern slopes really benefits the style in such a vintage, with a little more precision and restraint than is sometimes present in 2018. This is polished, silken and gently warmed-up with almond macaron richness and toasted brown bread notes. Drinking window 2026-2040.”
2016 Louis Roederer Vintage Brut, Magnum
96 Points, James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com
“Complex nose of restrained strawberries and lemon zest, with macerated flowers and shortbread. Full body and plenty of concentration, with pinprick mousse, long and chewy, integrated acidity and amazing length.”
2019 Louis Roederer Blanc de Blancs, Magnum
95 Points, Audrey Frick, JebDunnuck.com
“A bright medium yellow color, the 2019 Champagne Blanc de Blancs is focused on the nose and is an exciting wine because it’s beautiful and friendly yet still carries real structure. It has lemon sorbet and creamy cheese notes, with concentration and beauty but also vertical minerality. It’s a gorgeous Chardonnay with long-lasting energy and length, and the mousse is refreshing and springy.”
2017 Louis Roederer Blanc de Blancs
95 Points, James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com
“Croissants, sliced pears, apples, white flowers and almonds on the nose of this creamy and elegant blanc de blancs. Very silky on the palate, with almost imperceptible bubbles and delicate pastry notes. Soft and beautifully balanced. Chardonnay from the Grand Cru village of Avize.”
Third Bracket: five vintages of Cristal, 2018 back to 2008
2018 Louis Roederer Cristal
98+ Points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous
“The 2018 Cristal opens a new chapter for Roederer. The 2018 vintage brought with it elevated ripeness and generally low acids, and 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. In tasting, the 2018 is positively stunning. Drink 2028-2068.”
2016 Louis Roederer Cristal
100 Points, Audrey Frick, JebDunnuck.com
“The 2016 Champagne Cristal is chalky and pristine, with a crystalline nature and notes of white peach, fresh citrus blossoms, and bright salinity. It captures a precise and focused energy that’s unmatched. It boasts the energy and tension of 2002 and the precision of 2008. The wet-stone minerality of fresh chalk texture is profound, opening with medium body, showing pinpoint mousse, and sustaining a weightless energy through the long finish. Drink 2027-2050.”
2012 Louis Roederer Cristal, Magnum
98 Points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous
“The 2012 Cristal is the first made entirely from biodynamically farmed vineyards. Passionfruit, mango, spice and ginger open first, but it is the wine’s textural richness and volume that stand out most. The 2012 is one of the most opulent, flamboyant recent Cristals. It was a complicated season, as mildew reduced yields significantly, resulting in an especially rich Cristal that seems to be gaining intensity with time in bottle.”
2009 Louis Roederer Cristal, Methuselah (3L)
97 Points, Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com
“The 2009 Cristal is a beauty, with incredible richness as well as elegance, which are the hallmarks of this cuvée. It has a toasty, yet pure bouquet of stone fruits, rising bread, white flowers, and toasted bread, as well as a terrific sense of chalky minerality. While it’s not built around sheer richness and power, it’s perfectly balanced, has a fine, fine mousse, and shines for its class and purity. Bravo!”
2008 Louis Roederer Cristal
100 Points, James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com
“One of the masterpieces of this exceptional vintage. Ravishing nose of Amalfi lemon and white peach with hints of white chocolate, chamomile and oyster shell. Super-elegant and tightly structured with a hint of creaminess on the mid-palate adding tension. Very long steely finish carried by the linear mineral acidity. Getting very scarce on the secondary market, partly because of the great aging potential.”
To Finish… three rosés, closing on Cristal
2018 Louis Roederer Vintage Rosé
95 Points, Audrey Frick, JebDunnuck.com
“Based largely on Pinot Noir from Cumières, with additional Pinot Noir from Mareuil sur Aÿ that brings more intensity and drive to balance the upfront fruit of Cumières. Composed of 60 percent Pinot Noir, it offers a chalky, lightly saline profile with notes of apricot, fresh strawberry, and blood orange. Medium-bodied, it has more structure than expected in the vintage and finishes clean and mineral. Drink 2025-2045.”
2013 Louis Roederer Vintage Rosé, Magnum
94 Points, James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com
“White fruit immediately on the nose, as well as some very strong lemon and lime notes. Some gently chalky notes, too, from the Chouilly chardonnay, which is super chalky. The palate has such focus and drive and a great, mineral core. Very long with a fresh line of acidity and peripheral, smooth flesh. Some pink grapefruit at the finish.”
2014 Louis Roederer Cristal Rosé
98 Points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous
“The 2014 Cristal Rosé is decidedly linear and taut, signatures that are typical of the year. Cranberry, chalk, mint, white pepper and blood orange are all finely sculpted. This is an especially fine showing. I imagine the 2014 will flesh out beautifully with time in bottle. It’s not an immediate Cristal Rosé, but more of a long distance runner. Readers should be in no rush here. Drink 2029-2049.”