Louis Roederer Cristal 2012 Magnum

Tasting Notes:

Golden yellow in colour with glistening gold tints. Incredibly dynamic effervescence, so lively you can almost hear it!

Rich and complex aromas with notes of zesty and candied fruit (lemon) mingled with pollen (white flowers), roasted hazelnut and Madagascar vanilla. After aeration, the bouquet develops rich notes of fresh pastries and smoky notes from bottle ageing.

A delicious, concentrated and chalky palate. It shows incredible tension and perfectly honed aromatic precision. The attack is powerful, distinctive and concentrated and reveals a silky, mouth-coating texture, characteristic of the ripe Pinot noirs from the 2012 vintage.

Food Pairing:

Perfect with white fish such as monk fish, and white meats.

Serving Suggestion

Serve at 12°C

Review:

"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."

JamesSuckling.com: 98 POINTS

September 2, 2019, James Suckling

Winemaking:

Cristal is a blend of Grand Crus from the Montagne de Reims, the Marne Valley and the Côte des Blancs.

Cristal 2012 is the first vintage to be 100% biodynamic. No malolactic fermentation.

Grape Varieties: 60% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay

Residual Sugar: 7.5 g/l

Vintage Information:

2012 was one of the most challenging and complicated years ever experienced in Champagne. However, difficult conditions often lead to great things... The low yields, due to the unpredictable weather, combined with continental conditions towards the end of the season, gave us unusual levels of maturity, resulting in rich, full-bodied and structured wines worthy of the greatest vintages in Champagne.

Background Information:

Founded in 1776, and property of the same family since 1819, Champagne Louis Roederer is today one of the last major champagne houses to be an independent family affair.

The annual production of its wines (Brut Premier, Carte Blanche, Brut Vintage, Rosé Vintage, Blanc de Blancs, Cristal, Cristal Rosé) represents just over three million bottles, distributed to 100 countries worldwide.

In 1974, almost 200 years after the establishment of the Champagne house of Louis Roederer and 100 years after the creation of Cristal, Jean-Claude Rouzaud decided to create the Cristal Rosé cuvée. To achieve this, he selected old-vine Pinot Noir grapes using massal selection, which involves propagation from the vineyard's most successful plants.