LouisRoedererCristal2009Jeroboam

As the largest independent family-managed Champagne producer, Louis Roederer rank amongst the region’s absolute finest. Established in 1776, the House today is managed by seventh generation family member Frédéric Rouzaud alongside long-time Chef de Cave and Champagne legend Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon. They own an astounding 242 hectares of vineyards many in chalk rich Grand Cru villages covering two-thirds of their grape requirements. Roederer have become pioneers in biodynamic farming & by 2012 all 78 hectares the “Cristal Estatesâ€?are farmed using biodynamic methods. By 2021 Roederer have 115 hectares certified organic. All the grapes in Cristal & other vintage cuvee’s come from their own vineyards. The estate is made up of 410 plots which are fermented separately in one of the 450 stainless steel tanks in their Reims cellars. In 2020 Roederer replaced Brut Premier with “Collectionâ€?allowing each years non-vintage blend to be identified and “re-engineeringâ€?the non-vintage cuvee to maintain freshness in the light of global warming on the Champagne region. Today Cristal is, widely recognised as the world’s most awarded prestige cuvée champagne.rrIn 1876, Russia’s Tsar Alexander II, a long-time lover of Louis Roederer wines, asked the producer to create a special cuvée for his personal use which was unique in both its style and bottle design. Dissatisfied with standard champagne bottles that concealed the beautiful colour and effervescence from the eye, he requested that his personal cuvée be served in transparent crystal glass bottles, easier to spot poison andwith a flat bottom to foil the insertion of explosives by would-be assassins. Thus, Louis Roederer selected the best vines from seven Grand Crus on his estate and Cristal, the first prestige cuvée, was born. Today some 45 plots make up the “Cristal Estatesâ€?and each vintage can sometimes be made up of all plots or as is normal often a few plots don’t make the final blend.rrWeather: The 2009 vintage was a continental, sunny year with a real winter that was very cold and dry followed by a glorious sun-filled summer and almost no rain in August and September. The harvest was incomparable in terms of quality and produced consistent, fresh and crunchy grapes.rrTechnical Information:rVineyards: 100% Grand Cru (Detailed map)rGrape Varieties: 60% Pinot Noir, 40% ChardonnayrLees Ageing: 6 years rDosage: 8 g/lrDisgorged: 2016rDrink: Now to 2035+rrChampagne in clear bottles must be stored in complete darkness, it spoils quickly if exposed to any light source. Cristal is supplied in yellow wrapping (not shown in photo) do not remove it and ideally place in a box.Read MorerrTasting Note: A golden hue with a fine stream of bubbles. The nose has hints of citrus and candied apricots. On the palate a toasted nuttiness combines with seductive hints of vanilla. This is a champagne full of energy in its youthful stage, but with bundles of possibility if left to develop. Incredible ageing potential.rrLouis Roederer Cristal 2009 does not come in a branded gift-box