2007 Cristal

The 2007 Cristal has been nothing short of magnificent on the two occasions I have tasted it so far. I often feel Cristal is released too early, as the wines often start to show the full breath of their pedigree several years later, when many other houses are just beginning to release their own tête de cuveés. That is not at all the case with the 2007. In fact, I can't remember tasting a young Cristal with this much intensity, power and pure voluptuosness.

The 2007 is the first Cristal made with biodynamically grown fruit, which accounts for 20% of the final blend, equally divided between Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. According to Chef de Caves Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon, biodynamic farming allows him to pick the Chardonnay a bit riper than in the past and also yields wines with far more aromatic complexity. Because wines from biodynamically grown fruit tend towards reduction in the cellar, those lots are given quite a bit more aeration during fermentation. Roederer will release the 2009 Cristal next year, ahead of the 2008. The 2009 was made from 50% biodynamic fruit, so it will be interesting to see where this road leads. Innovation in Champagne is often associated with smaller, more artisan growers, but Roederer shows the grower and grand marque cultures can in fact coexist. The simple fact is that Roederer and Lécaillon have very few peers in Champagne today. Readers might also enjoy this recent vertical of Cristal Rosé going back to 1976.