1996 Champagne Louis Roederer, Cristal Vinothèque, Brut
Critics reviews
This is a late disgorgement from 2009. Dosage: 8 g/l.
One of the many highlights of the afternoon, the 1996 Cristal Vinothèque (magnum) exudes a level of richness and intensity that is simply breathtaking. That extra kick of richness the 1996 has developed in magnum and over an extended time on the lees is pure magic in balancing some of the natural austerity of the year. What comes through is a Champagne of unforgettable profoundness. Smoke, crushed rocks, white flowers, mint and finely sculpted citrus confit/orchard fruit add striking layers of dimensions. The 1996 is so bright and so alive in the glass. A whole range of Chardonnay inflexions punctuates the finish.
Drink 2019 - 2029
Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com (December 2019)
A different balance of the three stages of ageing. Just 400–500 bottles. This needed longer on lattes because of the high acid – 10 or 11 years sur lattes, just four years sur pointes and seven years before disgorgement. Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon: ‘I want to keep sugar for ageing. We don’t want to go Extra Brut for Cristal. Maybe I would for immediate drinking, but I know this wine will need to travel and perhaps age.’ Skins were very thick and bitter – high phenols and maybe more terpenes than usual.
Deep straw. Very firm and grown-up and very Cristal. Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon prefers the original disgorgement for 1995 but Vinothèque for 1996. It’s really exciting, beautiful, and firm. Lovely tight bead. So clean and fresh.
Drink 2018 - 2033
Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com (December 2018)
The 1996 Cristal Vinothèque spent ten years sur lattes and four years sur pointe (for an explanation of those terms, readers are directed to the accompanying article) before disgorgement. Opening in the glass with a complex bouquet of dried fruits, honeycomb, fresh butter, lemon oil, spices and smoke, it's medium to full-bodied, ample and integrated, its racy spine of vintage-typical acidity elegantly cloaked in crisp but fleshy fruit, with terrific concentration and a long, precise finish. Incisive and powerful, this is a 1996 Champagne that has turned out very well indeed.
Drink 2019 - 2040
William Kelley, Wine Advocate (March 2020)
The wine starts with attractive, reductive, toasty aromas, then freshens with air to offer fresh flowers, very fine lime peel, lemon pith, grapefruit, and yellow plums. The palate has an intense, fine and fresh feel with super long lemon and lime flavours and subtle, nutty moments that will build with time on the cork. Then, a late, spicy edge and super tart, mouthwatering grapefruit. Seemingly endless length and potential. Kept on the lees for its entire life. A must for every collector of great Champagne.
James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com (October 2019)
A blend of 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay, this truly remarkable champagne offers pure, unalloyed pleasure now and for many years. It has a fabulous nose showing freshness and fruit with supple, savoury aromas of brioche and Cox’s apple. The acidity is vibrant, light and taut yet somehow also exhibits lovely roundness and a gorgeous satin-like texture. The palate spectrum is mind-boggling, with flavours ranging from cashew, cream, nougat and toast to white pear, citrus and crystallised fruits. It is supremely balanced and refined and finishes with a sumptuously long, savoury-umami finish.
Drink 2018 - 2035
John Stimpfig, Decanter.com (November 2018)
About this WINE
Louis Roederer
Founded in 1776, Louis Roederer is a family-owned, independent Champagne house with a well-deserved reputation for quality. It is managed by Frédéric Rouzaud, the seventh generation to be at the helm.
In 1876, Louis Roederer created the now-famous Cristal at the request of Alexander II. This once intensely sweet wine is now one of the most luscious, deeply flavoured champagnes available, with the '88, '89 and '90 among the greatest Cristals ever released.
Louis Roederer’s best-selling non-vintage blend for almost 40 years, Brut Premier, has recently been replaced by Collection 242. This new multi-vintage blend was created by Chef du Caves Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon in response to increasingly warm vintages. The cuvée aims to capture freshness and is based on a perpetual reserve which focuses on acidity and minerality.
Brut Champagne
Brut denotes a dry style of Champagne (less than 15 grams per litre). Most Champagne is non-vintage, produced from a blend from different years. The non-vintage blend is always based predominately on wines made from the current harvest, enriched with aged wines (their proportion and age varies by brand) from earlier harvests, which impart an additional level of complexity to the end wine. Champagnes from a single vintage are labelled with the year reference and with the description Millésimé.
Non-vintage Champagnes can improve with short-term ageing (typically two to three years), while vintages can develop over much longer periods (five to 30 years). The most exquisite and often top-priced expression of a house’s style is referred to as Prestige Cuvée. Famous examples include Louis Roederer's Cristal, Moët & Chandon's Dom Pérignon, and Pol Roger's Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill.
Recommended Producers : Krug, Billecart Salmon, Pol Roger, Bollinger, Salon, Gosset, Pierre Péters, Ruinart
Champagne blend
Which grapes are included in the blend, and their proportion, is one of the key factors determining the style of most Champagnes. Three grapes are used - Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier.
26% of vineyards in Champagne are planted with Chardonnay and it performs best on the Côtes des Blancs and on the chalk slopes south of Epernay. It is relatively simple to grow, although it buds early and thus is susceptible to spring frosts. It produces lighter, fresher wines than those from Burgundy and gives finesse, fruit and elegance to the final blend. It is the sole grape in Blancs de Blancs, which are some of the richest long-lived Champagnes produced.
Pinot Noir accounts for nearly 40% of the plantings in Champagne and lies at the heart of most blends - it gives Champagne its body, structure, strength and grip. It is planted across Champagne and particularly so in the southern Aube district.
The final component is Pinot Meunier and this constitutes nearly 35% of the plantings. Its durability and resistance to spring frosts make the Marne Valley, a notorious frost pocket, its natural home. It ripens well in poor years and produces a soft, fruity style of wine that is ideal for blending with the more assertive flavours of Pinot Noir. Producers allege that Pinot Meunier lacks ageing potential, but this does not deter Krug from including around 15% of it in their final blends.
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Description
The 1996 Cristal Vinothèque spent ten years sur lattes and four years sur pointe (for an explanation of those terms, readers are directed to the accompanying article) before disgorgement. Opening in the glass with a complex bouquet of dried fruits, honeycomb, fresh butter, lemon oil, spices and smoke, it's medium to full-bodied, ample and integrated, its racy spine of vintage-typical acidity elegantly cloaked in crisp but fleshy fruit, with terrific concentration and a long, precise finish. Incisive and powerful, this is a 1996 Champagne that has turned out very well indeed.
Drink 2019 - 2040
William Kelley, Wine Advocate (March 2020)
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