2004 Cristal Rosé (magnum)

This recent vertical of Cristal Rosé was remarkable for so many reasons. The wines were absolutely brilliant throughout. Two vintages, the 1995 and 1996, mark the first official releases from Roederer’s new Late Disgorged program. Above all else, though, I was deeply impressed with the singular personality of Cristal Rosé, something that came through loud and clear in every bottle. Although this tasting spanned just nine vintages, Cristal Rosé has built an enviable track record over the years, making it among the most – if not the single most – consistently outstanding Rosé Champagne in the market.

Roederer makes three lines of Champagne. The NV Brut Premier and Vintage Blanc de Blancs constitute the entry-level at Roederer, although the truth is that these wines are of such a consistently high level that they regularly outperform other wines in the same categories. The Brut Premier is the only wine in the range that contains Pinot Meunier and also the only wine where part of the juice undergoes malolactic fermentation, both employed to give roundness, softness and early accessibility. Roederer’s reserve wines are enough for well over 1 million bottles and span a number of years. The Brut Premier typically includes 30% or so reserve wines going back six to seven vintages.

The Vintage and Vintage Rosé are also reliably outstanding. The Vintage is typically 70% Pinot from Verzy and Verzenay and 30% Chardonnay . The Vintage Rosé is 70% Pinot from Cumières and 30% Chardonnay from several villages in the Côtes des Blancs. Lecaillon favors Pinot vineyards with a northern exposure as he feels wines from due south vineyards can be excessively heavy and ponderous. Richness in the Pinots is achieved through Draconian yields that are typically half of those the estate works with in their Chardonnay vineyards.

The top of the line Cristal and Cristal Rosé are two of my favorite Champagnes. Sometimes maligned for their relatively early release and a dosage that is on the higher side, the reality is that both Cristal and Cristal Rosé have a fabulous track record of aging spectacularly well in bottle. My impression is that the vast majority of Cristal and Cristal Rosé is drunk far, far too young. At a recent comprehensive tasting of the 1996s, Cristal and Cristal Rosé were both nothing short of extraordinary. I have rarely been disappointed by older vintages. Cristal is typically 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay from a variety of grand cru villages, while Cristal Rosé is typically 70% Pinot from Aÿ and 30% Chardonnay from Avize and Mesnil. Much of the base wines for Cristal and Cristal Rosé increasingly come from biodynamically farmed vineyards, with the juice fermented in oak vats rather than steel, and with no malolactic fermentation.