2002 Champagne Louis Roederer, Cristal, Brut
Critics reviews
Roederer’s 2002 Cristal, from Magnum, is just off the charts. What else is there to say? The magnum format is so well-suited to Champagne. As opposed to still wines, which are just aged in glass, for Champagne, the secondary fermentation takes place in the glass. I am convinced that is a major part of what makes Champagne from magnum (or larger) often so compelling. The texture, breadth and overall pedigree here is just remarkable, with layers of apricot, spice, dried flowers and citrus confit that continue to build over time. The 2002 is neither old nor young; it is quite simply eternal. What a great way to start the night. Wow!
Drink 2022 - 2042
Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com (July 2022)
Tasted from the original 2009 disgorgement, the 2002 Cristal is a broad, vinous wine, bursting with aromas of honeyed yellow orchard fruit, warm butter, brioche and fresh peaches. On the palate, it's full-bodied, textural and mouth-filling, rendering the fine-boned chalky structure and textural finesse that distinguish this quintessentially elegant style of this cuvée in a broader-shouldered, more enveloping register. The 2002 is beginning to enter its plateau of maturity and is drinking beautifully today, though it still has many years ahead of it.
Drink 2019 - 2039
William Kelley, Wine Advocate (March 2020)
Magnum. Disgorged in 2008, dosage 9 g/l. 60% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay. 17% of the cuvée is fermented in oak. Five years spent on the lees. ‘In 2002 I did nothing – just blended the usual Cristal plots’, said Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon.
Deep dark straw. Very complex and this seems really quite aged. Mature white-burgundy sensation. Complex and savoury. Really exciting. Maybe not the most persistent Cristal in this vertical tasting, but really exciting.
Drink now to 2026
Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com (March 2022)
A re-release of the original 2010 disgorgement. Super fine, super fresh and super savoury aromas of chalky stones with hints of flowers, white almonds, lemon peel and grapefruit. The palate has intense, mouth-filling, lemon-curd flavour. Very powerful, very concentrated and very expressive. Smooth finish that’s full of life, leaving a bright, white cherry note.
Drink in 2022
James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com (September 2019)
Twenty years is a sweet spot for Cristal, said Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon during the Decanter masterclass in New York, and this 2002 didn’t disappoint. Floral notes and touches of iodine on the nose give both an appealing aroma and minerality balancing the lemon, sea salt, honeysuckle and nutty aspects. Lean and crisp on the palate, this is definitely more on the mineral side right now.
The maturity is evident in the light, less immediately thrilling aspect of the acidity and fruit flavours. This is more calm, still full of richness and generous red fruit elements, juicy strawberry, and tangy lemon and lime. It's a lovely, soft, caressing Champagne that’s lost its fat. It's a charming and easy wine that really showcases the terroir.
Drink 2023 - 2040
Georgina Hindle, Decanter.com (June 2023)
The 2002 Cristal is one seriously big, huge even, Champagne. While this cuvee normally shows a seamless, elegant style, the 2002 vintage’s fruit profile dominates this wine. Toasted bread, oak spice, orchard fruits, and toasted nuts give way to a full-bodied, mouth-filling, rich 2002 that stays light, graceful, and elegant on the palate, with good to moderate acidity. It’s beautiful today yet has two more decades of longevity.
Drink 2017 - 2037
Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com (December 2017)
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
Twenty years is a sweet spot for Cristal, said Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon during the Decanter masterclass in New York, and this 2002 didn’t disappoint. Floral notes and touches of iodine on the nose give both an appealing aroma and minerality balancing the lemon, sea salt, honeysuckle and nutty aspects. Lean and crisp on the palate, this is definitely more on the mineral side right now.
The maturity is evident in the light, less immediately thrilling aspect of the acidity and fruit flavours. This is more calm, still full of richness and generous red fruit elements, juicy strawberry, and tangy lemon and lime. It's a lovely, soft, caressing Champagne that’s lost its fat. It's a charming and easy wine that really showcases the terroir.
Drink 2023 - 2040
Georgina Hindle, Decanter.com (June 2023)
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