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.

The 2005 Louis Roederer Cristal is a Champagne blend from France’s renowned Champagne region, produced by Louis Roederer. This vintage, bottled with a cork closure and an alcohol content of 12%, has garnered significant attention from wine critics for its standout qualities, especially considering the challenges of the 2005 harvest year.

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate rated the 2005 Cristal with a score of 93. William Kelley praised it for offering "aromas of crisp orchard fruit, nectarine, freshly baked bread and subtle hints of honeycomb," highlighting its "medium to full-bodied, elegantly fleshy and incisive" nature, with "racy acids and a pearly mousse" leading to a "long, chalky finish" (Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 3/15/2022).

Wine Spectator awarded it a slightly higher score of 94, describing it as "vibrant and mouthwatering," with a rich array of "patisserie pear and apple fruit, candied lemon zest, pastry dough, and marzipan notes" on a "finely detailed texture" that imparts "a great deal of finesse." The finish was noted for its "smoky mineral note" (Wine Spectator, 10/1/2012).

Vinous rated the 2005 Cristal with an impressive score of 96. Antonio Galloni noted its "depth, density and textural resonance," with lingering flavors of "apple tart, chamomile, dried flowers, pear, and brioche." Galloni highlighted the wine's unique round and supple feel due to the high amount of Aÿ Pinot, which ripened under more favorable conditions (Vinous, 12/6/2023).

Wine Enthusiast gave the highest praise with a score of 97, describing this Cristal as bringing "a perfect balance of richness and age-worthiness," full of "apple flavor" with an "almost imperceptible" mousse. They suggest it will age well over five years or more (Wine Enthusiast, 12/1/2012).

John Gilman, from View From The Cellar, also rated it 97, calling it "a legend in the making" with a bouquet of "apple, pear, chalky soil tones, incipient nuttiness, citrus peel, smoke, a touch of lavender, and peach blossoms." He emphasized its potential for extended aging, predicting it will blossom between 2019 and 2060 (View From The Cellar, 6/1/2014).

James Suckling gave it an outstanding score of 99, lauding its "fabulous nose with great blood orange intensity" and "whiplash vibrancy" on the palate. He described it as having a "dangerous freshness" for its age and an "extremely long finish" (jamessuckling.com, 8/4/2023).

Overall, the 2005 Louis Roederer Cristal is celebrated for its complexity, finesse, and aging potential, making it a notable vintage in spite of the challenging growing conditions of the year.