Cristal Brut 2009

Region AOC Champagne

Grape Varieties 60% Pinot Noir
40% Chardonnay

Tasting note

Yellow gold in colour with amber tints and persistent, fine and lively bubbles. Subtle on the nose with notes of citrus compote, candied apricots and honeysuckle. When aerated, notes of vanilla and cocoa bean emerge, with toasted hazelnut, hints of liquorice and even a touch of cinnamon.

The palate is structured and energetic with chalky, cherry freshness and an almost mentholated brightness. The Cristal 2009 is delicate and etherial, exceptionally focussed and full of energy.

Cristal Brut 2007

Region AOC Champagne

Grape Varieties 58% Pinot Noir
42% Chardonnay

Tasting note

Golden hued with slightly orange-coloured and warm highlight, it has impeccable, fine, regular, and dynamic bubbles.  Its classic bouquet is both elegant and discreet. The attack of juicy ripe fruits (Pear Williams) and slightly acid red fruits (redcurrants) combined with nuances of hot pastries and Tarte Tatin that have just been taken out of the oven. The wine is ready to reveal its many qualities and, after a few minutes in the glass, reveals notes of white chocolate and hazelnuts produced by the fermentation in wood of some of the wines from the 2007 harvest. This juxtaposition of aromas of ripe, acid, and sweet fruits with the more roasted notes resulting from ageing becomes more pronounced over time and produces a real impression of depth.  The attack in the mouth is concentrated and continues with mature fruits. The wine is prolonged by smoky flavours, once again creating the impression of natural depth. The textures are silky, velvety, and almost luscious; they provide perfect overtones to the wine’s freshness in a luscious and sensual ensemble. Powdery and salty nuances stimulate the edges of the tongue, adding a precise and energetic quality. And the final phase of the tasting is predominantly an impression of refinement and lightness.

Cristal Brut 2006

Region AOC Champagne

Grape Varieties 55% Pinot Noir
45% Chardonnay

Tasting note

Glistening colour with light amber highlights, with soft bubbles in a fine, slow and steady flow. There is a rich bouquet with confit lemon and orange, white flowers (lilies) and lightly roasted nuts (hazelnuts and almonds). On airing, the dominant fruitiness becomes intense: a sabayon of vine peaches, apricots, melon and mango. The texture is incredibly concentrated, like biting into a ripe, fleshy fruit. The palate is enveloped by juicy, creamy, silky fruit, which makes way for a pure, sharp, graceful freshness. Ripeness, softness and concentration arise from freshness and mineral quality, transforming the ripe fruit into a slightly sharp citrus flavour; the warmer notes make way for flowers, citrus zests and nuts. There is a lasting impression of harmony: the aromas, flavours, slight bitterness and freshness intermingling to form a perfectly integrated yet complex whole. A few hints of tatin tart and pastries add to the already complex range of aromas.

Cristal Rosé 2009

Region AOC Champagne

Grape Varieties Pinot Noir: 55%
Chardonnay: 45%

Tasting note

Elegant and profound with dark berries, forest fruits and ripe Morello cherry on the nose, reminiscent of concentrated, tangy jam. The immediate effect on the palate is velvety, silky and enchanting – characteristic of the great Pinot Noir from Aÿ, simultaneously intense with a tight strructure, all the while remaining delicate, subtle and etherial.

Cristal Rosé 2007

Region AOC Champagne

Grape Varieties 56% Pinot Noir
44% Chardonnay

Tasting note

A light pink with a regular and persistent stream of extremely delicate and dynamic bubbles. A fresh bouquet with intensity and refinement, and an initial impression of ‘saltiness’: a blend of petals and dried flowers delicately spiced (white pepper) and blood orange zest. There is a sensation of the fullness and vivacity of a fine end to the summer, profiting from the warmth of the last rays of sunshine, giving concentration and energy. The lightly toasted almond notes add to the sweetness. There is an intense and concentrated blend of fruit on the palate, and the attack is high in energy. The tannins delineate the precise and pure contours of the wine’s solid structure. The persistent freshness, enhanced by the right dosage, provides a long finish and reveals almost Bourguignon grainy tannins.

Cristal Rosé 2006

Region AOC Champagne

Grape Varieties 60% Pinot Noir
40% Chardonnay

Tasting note

Salmon pink hue with bright golden tints, there is a persistent stream of fine bubbles and a summery bouquet of fresh fruit, balancing sweetness and acidity (red currants and peach). The Pinot Noir’s concentration and maturity adds distinctive notes of ‘fruit liqueur’ (raspberry) and aromas of roasted almonds and gingerbread. The attack is voluptuous—it is both intense and amazingly light; a concentrated blend of fruit based on chalky freshness and firm, but well-integrated tannins that strengthen the wine’s precision and appeal. The ensemble is very harmonious, beautifully integrated, and gives an impression of natural fullness, which is both refined and profound. Cristal Rosé 2006 is a perfect evocation of the ripe fruit of the 2006 vintage gathered from the chalky terroirs of the Cristal Rosé vineyards.

Brut Nature 2006

Region AOC Champagne

Grape Varieties Chardonnay
Pinot Noir
Pinot Meunier

Tasting note

Golden colour and scent of golden fruits and smoky, yeasty notes.  Although dry, has a creamy textured palate with great depth of flavours – ripe fruits, slightly toasted hazel nuts, hint of spice and finally a lovely mineral and citrus freshness lifting the finish.

Rosé Vintage 2012

Region Champagne, France

Grape Varieties 63% Pinot Noir
37% Chardonnay

Tasting note

Exceptionally fine, lively sparkle forming even, persistent streams of bubbles.

Intense bouquet of ripe wild strawberries, pink grapefruit and candied orange, accompanied by subtle notes of orange blossom and Madagascar vanilla.  The bouquet is very inviting and develops slowly to reveal  deep, sweet character.

The beautifully balanced palate boasts silken ripe fruit and zesty citrus over a vibrant and chalky palate with hints of liquorice spice.  The wine is elongated by a persistent fresh, almost effervescent chalky finish with subtle notes of hazelnut and cocoa beans.

Due to the decision not to carry out the malolactic fermentation, it has retained a remarkable freshness.

Rosé Vintage 2011

Region AOC Champagne

Grape Varieties 63% Pinot Noir
37% Chardonnay

Tasting note

Light, golden pink in colour with fine, delicate bubbles and aromas of red fruits, cocoa and dried flowers. On the palate there is an immediate concentration of flowers and blood orange, bringing a sensation of luxurious richness as well as tangy freshness.

Rosé Vintage 2010

Region AOC Champagne

Grape Varieties 62% Pinot Noir
38% Chardonnay

Tasting note

Delicate pink colour with slight blue hints & lively stream of fine bubbles. The pure, precise bouquet mingles sweet honeysuckle and lily with bright red fruit and mandarin zest, combined with typical Louis Roederer smokiness and ripeness. Precision and purity are echoed on the palate with a crunchy, mature attack of Pinot Noir, accompanied by freshness from the Chardonnay. After aeration, flavours of ripe, juicy fruit blend in a texture that is both smooth and fresh. Finesse and elegance with a long finish.

Rosé Vintage 2009

Region AOC Champagne

Grape Varieties 62% Pinot Noir
38% Chardonnay

Tasting note

A salmon pink colour with golden tints, produces a persistent stream of delicate bubbles. It has an intense fruitiness with a blend of red fruits (Morello cherry), blood oranges, and peach, with slightly candied notes. Nuances of pastries emerge with some delicate autolysis. The attack is round and fruity, marked by grapefruit and citrus zest. Its full body and density are sustained by the almost limestone freshness: the freshness and texture blend to give the wine its persistence. The effervescence integrates well into the juicy and concentrated envelope produced by the exceptionally mature flesh of the Pinot Noir fruits. Fine notes of lightly roasted cocoa beans add generosity and create a sensation of harmony.

Brut Vintage 2009

Region AOC Champagne

Grape Varieties 70% Pinot Noir
30% Chardonnay

Tasting note

Champagne gold in colour with energetic and dazzling effervescence. A complex and delicate bouquet with aromas of red and orchard fruits, a nutty smokiness and a hint of sun-warmed pebbles.

The immediate impression is velvety, creamy and elegant on the palate with a mineral freshness and vertical structure very typical of Pinot Noirs from Verzenay. A deep, robust and complex juice whose sun-drenched richness is counterbalanced by the salty freshness of the terroir.

Brut Vintage 2008

Region AOC Champagne

Grape Varieties 70% Pinot Noir
30% Chardonnay

Tasting note

Golden colour with sparkling tints that are illuminated as the bubbles rise. It has a bouquet that is particularly characteristic of the great Pinot Noir grapes from Verzenay/Verzy; it contains ripe fruits: white fruit (Pear Williams) and vineyard peach combined with more acid citrus zest notes. There are also notes of dried fruit prolonged by toasted notes, resulting from ageing in French oak tuns and autolysis. A dense, round, and voluptuous mouth, which is characteristic of Louis Roederer’s calcareous clay Vintage estate. The fruity notes are juicy and full-bodied, and become red (fig) and even floral with hints of rose. This is followed by acid flavours of citrus, spices, fresh wood, and black chocolate. The wine’s appeal is its lively and invigorating taste: it is structured and has a wonderful purity. The density and the fruitiness of the wine complements—in the fullest sense of the word—the freshness, elegance, and length. The 2008 Vintage is an intense and lively wine of the highest quality, embodying the fruitiness and power of this great vintage.

Brut Vintage 2007

Region AOC Champagne

Grape Varieties 70% Pinot Noir
30% Chardonnay

Tasting note

The bouquet is rich and heady, with a complex succession of juicy pears, red fruit (light raspberry liqueur) and hazelnuts, with even hint of lightly roasted cocoa alongside warm notes of pastries and vanilla. The bite is an explosion of flavours and silky substance. The juicy, fleshy fruit reinforce the soft smooth caress of the Pinot Noir – all with an overwhelming freshness that is wholly part of the wine’s texture, establishing great harmony. The subtle, controlled woodiness adds sweetness, reinforcing the lightly roasted and vanilla flavours – without dominating the Pinot Noir fruit, which remain the focal point of this blend. A fine expression of the ‘measured’ power of the Pinot Noir, in a subtle balance of smoothness and richness, instinctively balanced by freshness and lightness.

Blanc de Blancs 2010

Region AOC Champagne

Grape Varieties 100% Chardonnay

Tasting note

Yellow-gold in colour with subtle green tints and a subtle, smooth effervescence. An intense bouquet of golden plum and tangy mango, candied lemon, flowers (mimosa) and buttery pastries. A light aeration reveals hints of sugared almonds (ground almonds), white chocolate with a slight vanilla edge and baked apples.The expectation is for a substantial and voluminous follow-up – but instead the initial intensity subsides revealing the precision, purity and chalky, mineral freshness of the grand Avize Chardonnays.

Blanc de Blancs 2009

Region AOC Champagne

Grape Varieties 100% Chardonnay

Tasting note

Flavours of citrus peel, white and yellow fruits (pear, peach) cocoa bean and finely ground hazelnuts. Sweet density and maturity are dominant, combined with slightly tart nuances, followed by toast and brioche variations. The finish is long and fresh.

Blanc de Blancs 2008

Region AOC Champagne

Grape Varieties 100% Chardonnay

Tasting note

The Blanc de Blancs is a pure, taut and bright wine. Its contrasting tones range from an intense, chiseled acidity to the supple lightness of notes of fresh hazelnuts, almonds, and white flowers with accents of acacia, broom, and honeysuckle. The 2008 is characterised by discreet elegance and its harmonious blend of substance and freshness.