2013 Louis Roederer, Cristal

Cristal was created in 1876 to satisfy the demanding tastes of Tsar Alexander II, who insisted on having the best cuvée Champagne from France. Today, Louis Roederer Cristal Brut Champagne remains one of the most renowned wines in the world and serves as the flagship offering in the Roederer portfolio. The 2013 vintage lives up to its regal status, earning a 98-point rating from wine critic James Suckling, while John Gilman called it, “This is a very beautiful vintage of Cristal and a very, very worthy follow-up to the stellar 2012 version!” The 2013 growing season had a challenging start. Then summer arrived in glorious style with copious sunshine, high temperatures, and minimal rain, ideal for ripening chardonnay (40) and pinot noir (60). The freshness of the biodynamically-farmed fruit shines through, in part, because 2013 Cristal did not undergo malolactic fermentation. As a result, the final product is full and rich with an acid-rich frame that bodes well for long-term cellaring. Strawberries, green apples, brioche, pear, brioche, flower blossoms, and crushed rocks form the nose with underpinnings of salinity. Every aspect exists in equilibrium, giving 2013 Cristal a harmonious balance. Wine critic William Kelley noted, "Less introverted than its 2012 predecessor, readers won't regret trying a bottle of the 2013 Cristal young—even if I'd recommend forgetting some for a decade too.