2002 Louis Roederer Cristal

Champagne Blend - 6L
Reg: $9,500.00
$7,750.00
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REVIEWS

W&S 100 JS 98 VN 98 WE 98 DC 97 JG 97 JR 96 JD 96 WA 96 JL 95 WS 92
W&S 100

Wine & Spirits, December 2009

If a wine could ever make you want to pull the top down on your '68 Ferrari convertible, rip off the rearview mirror and take off, this is it. It has a different kind of energy than the '02 Cristal Rosé, which is more...
JS 98

jamessuckling.com, September 2019

A re-release of the original 2010 disgorgement. Super fine, super fresh and super savory aromas of chalky stones with hints of flowers, white almonds, lemon peel and grapefruit. The palate has intense, mouth-filling...
VN 98

Vinous, December 2023

The 2002 Cristal is just entering its first plateau of maturity. Ripe, exotic and striking, the 2002 is all class. Apricot jam, ginger, spice, dried flowers and mint open first as the 2002 shows off its alluring...
WE 98

Wine Enthusiast, December 2008

This is an exceptional wine, as is the vintage. The fruits—grapefruit, crisp red apple—balance with a ne yeasty character. There is a great depth of avor, the fruits going in a pure line of freshness. The one problem is...
DC 97

Decanter, June 2023

Twenty years is a sweet spot for Cristal said Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon during the Decanter masterclass in New York and this 2002 didn't disappoint. Floral notes and touches of iodine on the nose give both an appealing...
JG 97

View From The Cellar, September 2013

It had been four years since I last had a bottle of the 2002 Cristal, and time has seemingly not even touched this magical vintage of Cristal and the wine still is begging for another five years in the cellar to really...
JR 96

Jancis Robinson's Purple Pages, November 2012

55% Pinot Noir, 45% Chardonnay. Straw. Very mineral and focused on the nose. Sharp as a spear. Yet with great delicacy. So tightly laced! Really tastes as though it is only just becoming drinkable. Really tight and...
JD 96

jebdunnuck.com, December 2017

The 2002 Cristal is one seriously big, huge even, Champagne, and while this cuvee normally shows a seamless, elegant style, the 2002 vintage’s fruit profile dominates this wine. Toasted bread, oak spice, orchard fruits...
WA 96

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, March 2020

Tasted from the original 2009 disgorgement, the 2002 Cristal is a broad, vinous wine, bursting with aromas of honeyed yellow orchard fruit, warm butter, brioche and fresh peaches. On the palate, it's full-bodied, textural...
JL 95

TheWineCellarInsider.com, December 2013

Even better than I remembered it, after the brioche, vanilla, caramel, citrus peel, lemon, butter and floral nose, the wine felt great with the right amount of sparkle, fruit and freshness. Read more...
WS 92

Wine Spectator, January 2009

A suave customer, with hints of citrus, berry and coffee. Harmonious and refined, with freshness and a bright structure. The finish shows a lot of potential, with a mouthwatering aftertaste. Better than previously...

WINE DETAILS

Color & Type Sparkling
Varietal Champagne Blend
Country France
Region Champagne
Vintage 2002
Size 6L
Percent alcohol 12%
Closure Cork

In 1845, at a time when majority of winemakers were buying the grapes rather than cultivating their own, Louis Roederer took a visionary approach. Wanting to master every aspect of the wine’s creation, he acquired several Grand Cru vineyards in Verzenay. Since then, every Louis Roederer vintage originates exclusively from their own vines. Its tete-de-cuvee, Louis Roederer Cristal, is among the finest Champagnes in the world.

The estate, which originally comprised 100 hectares acquired in 1850, now extends over 240 hectares, carefully chosen from the best terroirs of the Montagne de Reims, the Cote des Blancs, and the Vallee de la Marne. The estate cultivates 3 traditional grape varieties: Chardonnay for its minerality, finesse, and elegance; Pinot Noir’s solid constitution which adds structure to the blends and prepares the wine for aging; and Pinot Meunier whose adaptability brings harmony and softness to certain cuvees.

The Louis Roederer House has remained an independent, family-owned company and is now managed by Frederic Rouzaud, who represents the seventh generation of the lineage.

Roederer’s most famous wine was created in 1876 to satisfy the demanding tastes of Tsar Alexander II. Particularly fond of the House’s wine, the emperor asked Louis Roederer to reserve the best cuvee for him every year. To distinguish this cuvee, this exceptional champagne came in a flat-bottomed, transparent lead-crystal bottle. The new brand was named after this precious material, which is particularly transparent and luminous.

Produced only during the best vintage years, when the Chardonnay (around 40%) and Pinot Noir (around 60%) grapes have attained perfect maturity, Cristal is aged for 6 years in Louis Roederer’s cellars and left for a further 8 months after degorgement.

Cristal is a remarkably balanced and refined champagne whose length is inimitable. It has a silky texture and fruity aromas, complemented by a powerful mineral quality with white fruit and citrus notes. Cristal is a wine that keeps well: it can be aged for over twenty years without losing its freshness and character.