Louis Roederer - Cristal Champagne 2016 (750ml)
Price: $336.00
| Producer | Louis Roederer |
| Country | France |
| Region | Champagne |
| Varietal | Champagne Blend |
| Vintage | 2016 |
| Sku | 9223 |
| Size | 750ml |
The Wine Independent: 98 Points
The 2016 Cristal is a blend of 58% Pinot Noir and 42% Chardonnay with 7 grams per liter of dosage. No malo-lactic was performed here and 31% of the base wines were aged in French oak. The nose begins with bright red berry notes of fresh raspberries and strawberries before opening out to a complex undercurrent of saffron white chocolate talc baker’s yeast and emerging wafts of citron blossom and pear tart. The palate is very dry and spicy not needing even a touch more sweetness thanks to the abundance of ripe berry and citrus flavors delivering beautifully knit acidity and typically tiny persistent bubbles. It finishes with notes of effervescent chalkiness and saffron flowers leaving you reaching for another sip. Reviewed by: Lisa Perrotti-Brown Review date: 2024-07-31 Source: Louis Roederer New Releases and 2016 Cristal
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Wine Enthusiast: 98 Points
This iconic Champagne, first made in the 19th century for the Tsar of Russia, shows its typical stunning balance and poise between richness and concentration. It has a pure white fruit and honeysuckle aroma and tight, tangy fresh fruit flavors. Just ready to drink, the wine will age well, for at least 20 years. Organic.
Wine Advocate: 97 Points
The 2016 Cristal is a taut incisive rendition of this benchmark bottling unwinding in the glass with youthfully reserved aromas of citrus oil white flowers wet stones and subtle hints of sweet buttery pastry. Medium to full-bodied chiseled and racy it's almost as electric as the brilliant 2013 with serious concentration a pure core of fruit chalky structuring dry extract and a long intensely mineral finish. Given its tightly wound profile my advice is to forget it in the cellar for a few years and work on the more open outgoing 2014 in the meantime. Jean-Baptise Lecaillon described 2016 as a complicated season much like 2021 and 2024 (so far). Heavy pressure from downy mildew in spring and powdery mildew in summer made for low yields and caught some growers unawares perhaps explaining why this vintage is a notable omission from a number of houses' portfolios. An August heat wave made for ripe Pinot Noir with thick skins contributing density and extract; and so to temper that Lecaillon and his team included a touch more Chardonnay than usual fully 42% versus a more habitual 40%. That Chardonnay somewhat reductive in profile amplifies the 2016 Cristal's taut chiseled profile. Only 32 of the 45 parcels that are candidates for inclusion in Cristal's blend made the final cut; but neither the Montagne de Reims nor the Vallée de la Marne predominate as both had their contribution to make. The result is a classic in the best sense of the term and one that will offer a long and broad drinking window. Published: Aug 15 2024
Wine Spectator: 96 Points
This leads with pronounced minerality on the nose but then a bright burst of tangerine blood orange and Meyer lemon flavors on the palate hold sway joined by rich hints of crème de cassis toast point pastry cream and crystallized honey. Showing beautiful integration and a refined lacy mousse this is compact and statuesque with a sense of restraint and the hint of more to come while at the same time offering lovely expression in the glass today. Fresh and focused on the persistent finish. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Drink now through 2044. ?A.N.
Vinous: 96 Points
The 2016 Cristal is bright, aromatic and nicely lifted. Citrus peel white flowers, mint and a touch of chamomile all grace this understated, wonderfully refined edition of Cristal. Light on its feet and super-refined, the 2016 is exquisite in its understated beauty. I can’t wait to see how the 2016 ages and won’t be surprised it gains a bit of weight in bottle, as Cristal so often does. The blend is 58% Pinot Noir and 42% Chardonnay, so a touch more Chardonnay than the norm. Of the 45 parcels that make up the Cristal domaine, just 32 were used for the blend. Verzy and Verzenay dominate the Pinots, then Aÿ. Avize takes the lead in the Chardonnays, followed by Mesnil and Cramant. Dosage is 7 grams per liter.
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