Premiere – 2015 Louis Roederer ’Cristal’

Richard Juhlin premiere-tasting the new vintage of 2015 Louis Roederer ‘Cristal’. Read the full story.

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

Cristal, just the name makes most of us burst into an enjoyable smile. Either we feel a historic reverence before the Russian tsar witch we have gratitude for the magical wine or that we associate the proudest of all champagne bottles and everything in its glittering wake. Think about all the classic film scenes which have been glorified by the clear bottle with its golden wrapping. Cristal is now the foremost choice in Hollywood when illustrating a luxurious situation, even thou Hip-Hop stars recently got pissed off that they did not get recognition from Louis Roederer despite their Cristal worship. However the symbol has already become so strong that it is impossible for the stars to get their fans to change to another brand.

Tasting note – Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon

Intense, bright and luminous golden hue. Dynamic effervescence with a continuous stream of fine bubbles.

Intense, fragrant bouquet of great purity. Concentrated and candied citrus fruit mingle delicately with notes of grain and lightly roasted almonds. The lovely sensation of big ripe fruit is balanced and lifted by energetic fresh tangy overtones.

Fruity palate with a silky texture, complemented by soft bubbles that are perfectly integrated and deliciously elegant. The purity and perfection of the ripe yellow fruit melt into the intense chalky freshness, typical of Cristal, that is both powdery and saline.
Dense, juicy, concentrated and long on the mid-palate, thanks to the spicy and sappy structure resulting from partial ageing in large oak vats (foudres).

The finish builds to a crescendo, revealing a rich grainy and velvety texture that is wrapped in a long, saline and superbly elegant finish.

Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon

Vintage 2015 according to Louis Roederer