Louis Roederer Cristal Brut with Gift Box 2009
-
Enthusiast
Wine -
Suckling
James - Decanter
-
Parker
Robert -
Spirits
Wine & -
Spectator
Wine
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
In 1876, Tsar Alexander II - already a great lover of Louis Roederer wines - asked Louis Roederer to "take the exercise still further" and create a cuvée for his personal use which was unique, in terms of both its style and the bottle. So Louis Roederer offered him an exceptional crystal bottle, holding the fruit of vines selected from the seven great crus on his estate. The Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes provide the subtle, precise balance that has now become synonymous with the leading prestige cuvée of Champagne.
A yellow-gold colour with mat and amber tints. Persistent, brilliant, fine and lively bubbles. A subtle bouquet, simultaneously discreet and concentrated. It releases notes of citrus compote and candiedapricots and evokes the sweetness of honeysuckle. When aerated, notes of vanilla-edged cocoa bean emerge, with toasted hazelnut, hints of liquorice and even a touch of cinnamon. The palate is structured, energetic and sculpted. An initial dense, ripe and silky sensation is amplified by the discovery of a chalky, cherry freshness, a powdered, almost mentholated brightness. The feeling is delicate and ethereal, a succession of delicious and colourful textures perfectly integrated within the lightness andfinesse of the wine... an invitation on a journey of discovery. The bright personality of Cristal then appears, simultaneously pure and sharp, in a finish focused once again on chalk, energy and grain.
Professional Ratings
-
Wine Enthusiast
The latest incarnation of this famous Champagne now comes from Roederer's own vineyards, a good portion of which are run on biodynamic lines. This still-young wine has great depth and richness, a beautiful balance between ripe fruit and crisp texture that make it alive, crisp and bright. As it matures, it will deepen and become even more intense. Drink now if you must, but preferably wait until 2019.
-
James Suckling
A very rich and full-bodied Cristal that harks back to 2006 or 1989 in style. It's round and rich, which underlies the ripeness of the vintage. Lots of dried-apple and pineapple character with bread dough and flan flavors. The bubbles are so fine you almost don't notice them. Very vinous style.
-
Decanter
Translusent, shimmering gold indicates a wine of poised ripeness; beautiful scents of orange blossom merge with sense of great chalky terroir. The purity and sublime texture of the mouthfeel owes a lot to non-malolactic winemaking which maintains freshness after the uninterrupted warmth of summer to harvest end. Also it also shows the essential true fruit now and for 20 years to come. Long lingering finish. A great supremely elegant Champagne.
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2009 Cristal literally shimmers on the palate, showing great depth and purity in its sumptuous layers of fruit. It is a magnificent wine endowed with superb length and exceptional overall balance. The 2009 Cristal is 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay. The percentage of wine aged in oak is 15%, which is down slightly from previous vintages.
Range: 94-96 -
Wine & Spirits
Cristal 2009 is supple and lovely, the vintage adding richness to the clarity and precision of its fruit, heightening the sense of purity from a wine exclusively made from chalk terroirs. It’s a straight line of flavor widened by fruit notes of just-ripe white peach and deeper tones of red currant. What ornate charm this offers may be clarified by the details (60 percent pinot noir, 40 percent chardonnay, from seven grand cru villages, plus Mareuil-sur-Aÿ, where Roederer owns exceptional parcels of pinot noir, a portion of the lots fermented in barrel, none of it allowed to undergo malolactic fermentation). But this is not the kind of symphonic blend that other houses strive to produce. Young Cristal offers resonance rather than complexity, a long, gentle reverberation that lasts. Its future lies in its perfect shape, something time will address with a patina on the surface and in layers below.
-
Wine Spectator
White peach and acacia blossom aromas accent the flavors of poached apple, gingersnap biscuit, pastry cream and spun honey in this harmonious Champagne. The satinlike mousse caresses the palate, while firm, focusing acidity drives the lasting finish. Drink now through 2030.
Other Vintages
2015-
Enthusiast
Wine -
Spirits
Wine & -
Suckling
James -
Spectator
Wine - Decanter
-
Parker
Robert
-
Spectator
Wine -
Enthusiast
Wine -
Suckling
James -
Wong
Wilfred -
Dunnuck
Jeb -
Parker
Robert - Decanter
-
Suckling
James -
Spectator
Wine - Decanter
-
Dunnuck
Jeb -
Parker
Robert
-
Enthusiast
Wine -
Suckling
James -
Dunnuck
Jeb -
Parker
Robert -
Spectator
Wine
-
Enthusiast
Wine -
Suckling
James -
Dunnuck
Jeb - Decanter
-
Wong
Wilfred -
Parker
Robert -
Spectator
Wine
-
Wong
Wilfred -
Suckling
James -
Spirits
Wine & -
Enthusiast
Wine -
Spectator
Wine
-
Suckling
James - Decanter
-
Spectator
Wine -
Parker
Robert -
Enthusiast
Wine -
Spirits
Wine &
-
Enthusiast
Wine -
Spirits
Wine & -
Spectator
Wine
-
Spirits
Wine & -
Suckling
James -
Enthusiast
Wine -
Guide
Connoisseurs' -
Parker
Robert -
Spectator
Wine
Uncompromising Quality
Champagne Louis Roederer was founded in 1776 in Reims, France and is one of the rare family owned companies, which is still managed by the Roederer family. In 1833, Louis Roederer inherited the company from his uncle and renamed the company under his namesake. Under his leadership, the company rapidly grew while remaining true to their philosophy of uncompromising quality. Today, the company is under the helm of Jean-Claude Rouzaud and his son Frédéric who continue to place quality before quantity.
First-Rate Vineyards
Champagne Louis Roederer is one of the only French champagne producers to own nearly 75 percent of the grapes in the most desirable vineyards in the Champagne. The property is located on 450 acres in the finest villages of Montagne de Reims, Côtes des Blancs, and Valleé de la Marne. Each region is selected to produce Chardonnay and Pinot Noir with the elegance needed for perfectly balanced champagne. The Louis Roederer vineyards rate an average 98 percent based on France’s statutory 100-point classification scale.
The reserve wine is then tasted and graded by a team of Roederer specialists. They choose as many as 40 different wines from several lots for the blend. For the final touch, the wine is then added in order to enhance the cuvee and guarantee consistency while retaining the champagne's characteristics.
Representing the topmost expression of a Champagne house, a vintage Champagne is one made from the produce of a single, superior harvest year. Vintage Champagnes account for a mere 5% of total Champagne production and are produced about three times in a decade. Champagne is typically made as a blend of multiple years in order to preserve the house style; these will have non-vintage, or simply, NV on the label. The term, "vintage," as it applies to all wine, simply means a single harvest year.
Associated with luxury, celebration, and romance, the region, Champagne, is home to the world’s most prized sparkling wine. In order to bear the label, ‘Champagne’, a sparkling wine must originate from this northeastern region of France—called Champagne—and adhere to strict quality standards. Made up of the three towns Reims, Épernay, and Aÿ, it was here that the traditional method of sparkling wine production was both invented and perfected, birthing a winemaking technique as well as a flavor profile that is now emulated worldwide.
Well-drained, limestone and chalky soil defines much of the region, which lend a mineral component to its wines. Champagne’s cold, continental climate promotes ample acidity in its grapes but weather differences from year to year can create significant variation between vintages. While vintage Champagnes are produced in exceptional years, non-vintage cuvées are produced annually from a blend of several years in order to produce Champagnes that maintain a consistent house style.
With nearly negligible exceptions, . These can be blended together or bottled as individual varietal Champagnes, depending on the final style of wine desired. Chardonnay, the only white variety, contributes freshness, elegance, lively acidity and notes of citrus, orchard fruit and white flowers. Pinot Noir and its relative Pinot Meunier, provide the backbone to many blends, adding structure, body and supple red fruit flavors. Wines with a large proportion of Pinot Meunier will be ready to drink earlier, while Pinot Noir contributes to longevity. Whether it is white or rosé, most Champagne is made from a blend of red and white grapes—and uniquely, rosé is often produce by blending together red and white wine. A Champagne made exclusively from Chardonnay will be labeled as ‘blanc de blancs,’ while ones comprised of only red grapes are called ‘blanc de noirs.’