1999 Champagne Louis Roederer, Cristal Vinothèque, Rosé, Brut
Critics reviews
Dosage is 7-8 grams per litre. Disgorged in 2016.
The 1999 Cristal Rosé Vinothèque is an extraordinarily delicate, transparent Champagne that blurs the line between Champagne and wine. The mousse is so refined, almost as if it wrapped within a ball of Pinot fruit. In 1999, the Rosé is 55% Pinot Noir and 45% Chardonnay, the Pinots from 2 blocks in Aÿ and the Chardonnays from one block each in Avize and Mesnil.
For the Rosé, the Pinot is done as a saignée that infused into the white wine. That requires picking the Pinots on the riper side (riper than for the Blanc), and it is likely elevated maturity in the fruit that tilts the Vinothèque into the more vinous realm. The 1999 is an exquiste wine laced with the essence of red berry fruit, rose petal, mint, orange zest and a touch of spice.
Drink 2020 - 2030
Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com (November 2020)
The 1999 Cristal Rosé Vinothèque spent seven years sur lattes and seven years sur pointes before disgorgement in 2013. Bursting with aromas of dried citrus peel, pomelo, white cherries, fresh pastry, iodine and beeswax, it's medium to full-bodied, vinous and fleshy, with a chalky backbone that enlivens the wine's textural, muscular profile, concluding with a long and sapid finish. Again, there's an extra dimension here beyond what the 1999 Cristal—impressive in its own right—achieves. Fully mature, this will drink well for the better part of two decades.
Drink 2019 - 2035
William Kelley, Wine Advocate (March 2020)
Magnum. Disgorged in 2016.
Rich and dense and round. An alluring sweetness and so flattering.
Drink 2022 - 2035
Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com (September 2019)
Disgorged in 2014 after seven years sur latte and seven years sur pointe.
The complexity of chocolate, toasted almonds, praline, burnt toffee, mushrooms and earth here is stunning. There’s a beautiful, spiced cherry-biscuit edge, too. The palate has a suave, supple and silky feel with such fleshy depth and drive. It is so melted together in flavours, so succulently textural, and full of dried-strawberry flavour. Long with plenty of time ahead.
Drink or hold
James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com (September 2019)
To make this rosé, Pinot Noir from two of Roederer’s parcels in Aÿ was lightly macerated before being blended with two grand cru parcels of Chardonnay. The result is a pale, elegantly fragrant Champagne, marked by a silky refinement and a subtle, detailed complexity. Like the 1999 Cristal blanc, this rosé feels broader and more generous than the original release, although it remains tense and energetic on the finish, infused by prominent notes of chalk.
Drink 2020 - 2030
Peter Liem, Decanter.com (October 2020)
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.
Rosé Champagne
Rosé wines are produced by leaving the juice of red grapes to macerate on their skins for a brief time to extract pigments (natural colourings). However, Rosé Champagne is notable in that it is produced by the addition of a small percentage of red wine – usually Pinot Noir from the village of Bouzy – during blending.
Recommended Producers : Billecart Salmon (Elizabeth Salmon Rose), 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
Dosage is 7-8 grams per litre. Disgorged in 2016.
The 1999 Cristal Rosé Vinothèque is an extraordinarily delicate, transparent Champagne that blurs the line between Champagne and wine. The mousse is so refined, almost as if it wrapped within a ball of Pinot fruit. In 1999, the Rosé is 55% Pinot Noir and 45% Chardonnay, the Pinots from 2 blocks in Aÿ and the Chardonnays from one block each in Avize and Mesnil.
For the Rosé, the Pinot is done as a saignée that infused into the white wine. That requires picking the Pinots on the riper side (riper than for the Blanc), and it is likely elevated maturity in the fruit that tilts the Vinothèque into the more vinous realm. The 1999 is an exquiste wine laced with the essence of red berry fruit, rose petal, mint, orange zest and a touch of spice.
Drink 2020 - 2030
Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com (November 2020)
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