LouisRoedererCristalRose2015

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.rrIn 1974, almost 200 years after the establishment of Champagne Louis Roederer and 100 years after the invention of Cristal, Jean-Claude Rouzaud decided to create a Cristal Rosé. To achieve this, he selected old-vine Pinot Noir grapes from the finest Grand Cru vineyards of Aÿ, which are now cultivated according to biodynamic principals. The unique calcareous soil, which gives the grapes an exquisite minerality, enables the vines to attain exceptional fruit maturity complemented by a crystalline acidity. The rosé is produced using the cold maceration technique for 2-4 days. As with Cristal, 20-30% of the wines are vinified in oak barrels and the final blend is matured on the lees for six years in cool dark cellars and rested for eight months after disgorgement. Produced only in the very best years, Cristal Rosé is Louis Roederer’s rarest & finest champagne.rrCristal Rosé is a much smaller production made from just three parcels. Here, the preference is for riper Pinot from the Bonnotte-Pierre-Robert lieu-dit in Aÿ, macerated for about a week and then infused into Chardonnays from Montmartin in Mesnil-sur-Oger and Pierre Vaudon in Avize. Naturally, this approach requires parcels that ripen in a very specific sequence. Here, too, there is no malolactic fermentation.rrWeather: 2015 is remembered for its classic growth cycle. The particularly mild winter gave way to a varied spring with a period of freezing temperatures followed by intense heat. The vines reached full bloom at the usual times, during a sunny and dry month of June. It was a glorious summer with plenty of sunshine and little rain. The ripening of the Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays was given a boost at the end of August by some long-awaited rainfall. The crops were harvested in mid-September under the cool autumnal skies, giving rise to elegant, fresh and fruity wines, worthy of labelling as true “classicsâ€?rrTechnical Information:rVineyards: 100% Grand Cru | Pinot Noir: Aÿ | Chardonnay: Avize, Le Mesnil-sur-OgerrOrigins: 1/2 La Rivière Estate & 1/2 La Côte Estate (Detailed map)rGrape Varieties: 56% Pinot Noir, 44% ChardonnayrLees Ageing: 8 yearsrDisgorged: March 2024rDosage: 7 g/lrMalolactic Fermentation: 0%rWines vinified in oak: 15%rDrink: Now to 2035rrChampagne 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: The 2015 Cristal Rosé is superb. Rich and dense, the 2015 possesses terrific depth and textural resonance from start to finish. Time in the glass brings out notable creaminess and volume. Kirsch, red plum, blood orange and dried rose petal infuse the 2015 with captivating, palate-staining depth.- Tasted by Antonio Galloni