Louis Roederer - Cristal Champagne 2012 (750ml)
Price: $395.00
| Producer | Louis Roederer |
| Country | France |
| Region | Champagne |
| Varietal | Chardonnay |
| Vintage | 2012 |
| Sku | 1227 |
| Size | 750ml |
Vinous: 98 Points
The 2012 Cristal is another absolutely stellar wine this flight of recent releases. Rich vinous and beautifully textured the 2012 has been nothing short of magnificent on the three occasions I have tasted it so far. In the glass the 2012 is radiant and luscious yet it possesses remarkable transparency and striking aromatic depth. Light tropical notes develop in the glass giving the 2012 a real feeling of exotic beauty. The 2012 is the first vintage of Cristal done with 100% organically-farmed fruit an approach introduced gradually starting with the 2007 that has profoundly changes Cristal especially in its aromatic breadth. Two thousand twelve is the vintage where endless trials and experiments in farming and winemaking are fully realized. The 2012 is just stunning. It’s as simple as that. Dosage is just over 7 grams per liter the lowest it has even been for Cristal. -- Antonio Galloni
John Gilman: 98 Points
The 2012 vintage of Cristal is the first to be produced entirely from Demeter-certified biodynamically-farmed fruit which is a landmark for Maison Roederer. The future is now here! I have been looking forward to this release of this vintage of Cristal for a few years now but sadly found myself not in top form to appreciate its debut as I was so suffering from jet lag after my three weeks on the road in November that my energy level was no match for this beautiful young wine. The 2012 Cristal is its customary cépages of sixty percent pinot noir and forty percent chardonnay and none of the vins clairs went through malo this year with one-third of the blend barrel-fermented. The wine was finished in 2012 with a dosage of 7.5 grams per liter and offers up a beautiful young nose of pear apple fresh lemon white flowers a very complex base of chalky minerality a hint of the caraway seed to come and a topnote of white flowers. On the palate the wine is deep full-bodied and nascently complex with a racy girdle of acidity a rock solid core impeccable focus and grip refined mousse and stunning length and grip on the poised and perfectly balanced finish. This is another great vintage of Cristal in the making but it deserves plenty of time in the cellar to blossom properly. 2030-2100. 98.
vWine Advocate: 97+ Points
Aromas of clear honey crisp green orchard fruit white peach pastry cream and dried white flowers introduce the 2012 Cristal a full-bodied concentrated and powerful wine that's built for the cellar. Broader more textural and more muscular than the 2008 Cristal with seemingly even greater reserves of structuring dry extract the 2012 is incisive and searingly chalky. This is the first Cristal produced exclusively from organically farmed fruit and it marks the opening of a new chapter for Louis Roderer. The blend is 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay vinified without malolactic fermentation and disgorged with 7.5 grams per liter dosage. Chef de Caves Jean-Baptiste Lecaillon has once again excelled himself.
