Louis Roederer : Cristal 2012

A powerful and fine Louis Roederer champagne

The property

Founded in 1776 in Reims, Louis Roederer is a Champagne House that has managed to remain family-owned and independent. After more than 200 years of existence, the Louis Roederer House is still owned by the same family. Now led by Frédéric Rouzaud, who represents the seventh generation of the family's lineage, Louis Roederer boasts and embodies the excellence of Champagne around the world, through cuvées crafted like works of art.

The vineyard

With nearly 241 hectares of vines, the Louis Roederer House derives its strength from its extraordinary vineyard, made up solely of Grands and Premiers Crus in the Marne Valley, the Montagne de Reims and the Côte des Blancs. A veritable mosaic of terroirs, the Maison Louis Roederer vineyard is divided into 410 plots, reflecting the great diversity of the Champagne region's soils.

The wine

The House's iconic cuvée, first created in 1876 for the Tsar of Russia, Cristal is made from 45 exceptional vineyards, spread over 7 Grands Crus of the Montagne de Reims, the Marne Valley and the Côte des Blancs.

The vintage

The fruit of a year as complex as it was unprecedented in Champagne, Louis Roederer's Cristal 2012 is undoubtedly in line with the house's finest vintages.

Despite low yields in 2012, the continental climatic conditions during the end of the season enabled the teams to obtain grapes that reached a rare level of maturity. These grapes resulted in rich and powerful wines that showcase the grandeur of their terroirs. 2012 also marked the beginning of a new chapter in the viticulture of Louis Roederer's exceptional vineyards. Cristal 2012, the first vintage of this new and precise type of viticulture, is the fruit of several years of experimentation, placing the vine at the heart of the development of each champagne.

Vinification and ageing

The vinification is carried out in oak for 32% of the wine. No malolactic fermentation. The dosage is 7.5 g/litre.

The blend

Cristal 2012 by Louis Roederer comprises a blend of 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay.

Cristal 2012 by Louis Roederer: Characteristics and tasting tips

The tasting

Colour

The colour is a beautiful yellow gold with shimmering highlights. The effervescence is dazzlingly lively.

Nose

Rich and complex, the bouquet gradually emerges. Fruity and acidulous notes charm the nose and give way to warm, vanilla aromas followed by lightly toasted notes. Airing brings out delicious pastry notes evoking the scent of pastries and pleasant smoky notes that testify to the long bottle ageing.

Palate

From the outset, Cristal 2012 delights the palate with its silky and delicious texture. Precise and chiselled, the palate displays this incredible chalky tension giving this exceptional champagne a deep and streamlined appearance, with a beautiful persistent finish.