Champagne Louis Roederer Cristal Brut featured image
Champagne Louis Roederer Cristal Brut 2016
Vintage
2016
Region
Champagne
Country
France
Style
Sparkling
Grape Varieties
Chardonnay, Pinot Noir
ABV
12.5%
Dietary
Vegetarian
Sustainability
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Champagne Louis Roederer
Champagne Louis Roederer is one of Champagne’s most respected independent family-owned houses, founded in 1776 and based in Reims. Now led by seventh-generation Frédéric Rouzaud and Cellar Master Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon, Louis Roederer is known for Cristal, Cristal Rosé, Vintage and Collection expressions, crafted from the three signature grapes: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Meunier. Backed by an exceptional estate vineyard base across the Montagne de Reims, Vallée de la Marne and Côte des Blancs, Champagne Louis Roederer offers a benchmark expression of Champagne rooted in precision, sustainability and long-term vineyard ownership.
Read MoreViticulture
Cristal Brut 2016 is sourced from 32 vineyard plots across Verzenay, Verzy, Beaumont-sur-Vesle, Ay, Avize, Mesnil-sur-Oger and Cramant. The blend is 58% Pinot Noir and 42% Chardonnay, combining ripe, structured Pinot Noir with chalky, saline Chardonnay. These grands terroirs bring the balance of sun and soil that defines Cristal: ripe, juicy fruit from Pinot Noir and crystalline freshness from Chardonnay grown on chalk-rich sites.
Vinification
Cristal 2016 is composed of 58% Pinot Noir and 42% Chardonnay. A total of 31% of the wines are vinified in oak, with no malolactic fermentation, preserving freshness, precision and chalk-driven tension. The dosage is 7g/l. Cristal is aged for six years in Louis Roederer’s cellars and rested for a further eight months after disgorgement, developing depth, integration and fine autolytic complexity.
2016
The 2016 vintage was defined by marked weather variation. Spring was cool, wet and relatively late, while summer was warm and dry, with a heatwave in late August. Dry, sunny conditions during harvest proved highly beneficial to ripening. Pinot Noir developed intense fruit and silky texture, while Chardonnay remained chiselled and saline. Harvest took place from 15 September to 1 October 2016.
Tasting Note
Bright, shiny yellow in hue with fine, slow-moving bubbles. The nose is intense and precise, with acacia, roasted lemon, peach and mirabelle plum, followed by iodine, powdery and roasted notes. The palate is soft, concentrated and refined, showing ripe Pinot Noir fruit, chalky texture and tactile, almost salty bubbles. Wheat and oyster shell notes add depth. The finish is long, saline, crystalline and remarkably pure.
Food Pairing
Pair with caviar, oysters, turbot, lobster, roast chicken, scallops, white truffle, Comte, delicate mushroom dishes or fine seafood tasting menus.
Bottle Shots - Champagne Louis Roederer Cristal Brut 2016
