Winery & Vintage Info
A perfect reflection of its terroir, Cristal hails from vineyard plots that have been slowly built up since 1845 and sustainably worked as part of a bespoke viticultural approach. The practices include massal selection, gentle pruning, the use of biodynamic composts and allowing the land to lie fallow for long periods. Louis Roederer also uses methods inspired by the principles of permaculture, in which the ecosystem adjusts its balance and creates a close bond between Man and Nature.
The Cristal identity is unique, original and truly unlike any other in the history of the fine wines from the Champagne region. It is a wine of the soil, a wine of depth, a wine of the land yet turned to the light, reaching for the sky that il almost seems to touch.
Every new vintage reveals the unmistakable Cristal character although through a very different prism each time. A kaleidoscope of flavours and textures, a palette of nuances that is constantly evolving and renewing itself much to the delight of the wine lover who will be surprised yet delighted to discover Cristal in yet another new light.
Perfectly in keeping with the continental trend of the decade, the 2015 vintage thus created wines that were ripe, well-structured and crowned by a bold freshness guided by its white soils. Brought our by Roederer's gentle and virtuous wine growing practices, the purity of the chalk shines through and we are offered a perfect symbiosis of maturity and freshness.
For the first time since 2002, this vintage is sourced from all 45 plots where the vines are over 20 years old and thus eligible for inclusion in the Cristal blend. With its concentrated character, this continental year has given us this exceptional and rare opportunity and today it is simply magical to see the whole Estate reflect the identity of this unique wine: pure fruit, superb finesse and elegant length.
The permanence of Cristal is thanks to its loyalty to the soil. It is a wine that is rooted in the eternal, that of the seasons, a ripening cycle, a heritage and a quest.
