Champagne Brut
Cristal 2016

Cristal is a Champagne of pure pleasure, capable of combining gastronomic refinement with a surprising duality: delicacy and power, supported by impeccable stylistic precision. The most iconic of the Champagnes from Maison Louis Roederer was born in 1876 at the request of Tsar Alexander II, who wished to receive each year the house’s finest cuvée, which he particularly appreciated.

To highlight its exceptional character, a flat-bottomed crystal bottle was created—an emblem of elegance and transparency—from which it takes its name. Cristal is produced only in great vintages, when Chardonnay and Pinot Noir reach perfect ripeness, fully expressing the purity and harmony of a unique terroir.

Cristal 2016 by Louis Roederer is a masterpiece of balance and brightness, capable of uniting power and delicacy, technical rigor and sensory emotion. Born from a selection of 32 Grand Cru plots located in Verzenay, Verzy, Beaumont-sur-Vesle, Ay, Avize, Mesnil-sur-Oger, and Cramant, it combines 58% Pinot Noir and 42% Chardonnay. Vinified without malolactic fermentation, with 31% of the wines aged in oak, it matures for at least seven years on the lees. The final dosage of 7 g/l gives it a crystalline and vibrant profile, with absolute precision.

The 2016 vintage, complex and challenging, saw a humid and late spring followed by a dry, hot summer that culminated in an intense heatwave. These conditions allowed for optimal ripening, giving the Pinot Noir rich fruit depth and a silky texture, and the Chardonnay saline energy and finely sculpted classicism. Cristal 2016 reflects this duality with radiant vitality: a rare balance of aromatic purity, tension, juicy fruit, and a saline and chalky finish, the perfect expression of the harmony between earth and sun.

On tasting, Cristal 2016 presents a brilliant yellow color, with fine, steady bubbles. The bouquet reveals white flowers, toasted citrus, and ripe yellow fruit; iodized and smoky touches emerge, telling of the prolonged aging. On the palate, it is direct and generous, with a succulent and creamy substance, reminiscent of a fruit zabaglione, opening onto sharp freshness and a silky texture. Saline and chalky notes lead into a long, refined, and precisely defined finish. A Cristal of exemplary purity, recalling legendary vintages like 2002, 2008, and 2012, yet with an even more compact, deep, and composed character.