A golden hue with soft, glowing highlights. Fine, steady, gentle bubbles. Powerful and complex on the palate, revealing a mixture of yellow fruit (mirabelle plum), juicy, ripe fruits (nectarine), citrus peel (candied orange) and finely-roasted nuts (hazelnut). The nose is simultaneously powdery and sweet, with elegant, chalky notes. Gentle, tactile and full-bodied on the palate. The bubbles create a gentle, vibrating sensation, then the wine becomes soft, dense and juicy. But it is the chalky freshness that quickly sets the tone: the sweetness becomes energetic and intense, giving the wine an elegant yet powerful texture. Fine, textured tannins reveal a poised and vinous dimension to the wine. The finish is savory and saline.

Cristal 2013 is a great classic in which maturity and freshness are harmoniously interwoven ensuring potential for long aging.

Intense, bright and luminous golden hue. Dynamic effervescence with a continuous stream of fine bubbles. Intense, fragrant bouquet of great purity. Concentrated and candied citrus fruit mingle delicately with notes of grain and lightly roasted almonds. The lovely sensation of big ripe fruit is balanced and lifted by energetic fresh tangy overtones. Fruity palate with a silky texture, complemented by soft bubbles that are perfectly integrated and deliciously elegant. The purity and perfection of the ripe yellow fruit melt into the intense chalky freshness, typical of Cristal, that is both powdery and saline. Dense, juicy, concentrated and long on the mid-palate, thanks to the spicy and sappy structure resulting from partial ageing in large oak vats (foudres). The finish builds to a crescendo, revealing a rich grainy and velvety texture that is wrapped in a long, saline and superbly elegant finish.

Deep yellow hue with a lustrous sheen. Ultra-fine, dynamic bubbles. Intense, concentrated bouquet of yellow fruit (white peach, mirabelle plum) combined with a delicious concentrated toastiness in the form of roasted hazelnut and almond aromas. Perfect, seamless and complex marriage of the almond, wheat and sweet pollen notes from the Chardonnay with the juicy red fruit of the Pinot noir. Concentrated, energetic and vibrant on the palate, starting out as a silky, almost oily, caress, with soft flavors of candied citrus and iodised spices. Then the powdery texture becomes tauter and the pure, precise and chiselled freshness crescendos. The salivating finish is underpinned by slightly oaky, sappy and saline notes that create a simultaneous sensation of delicacy and concentration!

Bright, shiny yellow hue. Magnificent fine, slow moving bubbles. The bouquet is intense, deep and precise, combining scents of white flowers (acacia), concentrated, roasted citrus (lemons), and ripe yellow fruit (peaches, mirabelle plums). After a few minutes, subtle iodised, powdery and roasted overtones emerge, the result of the autolysis of the yeasts during the "sur lattes" ageing process. On the palate, there is an immediate impression, soft and delicate, more accessible than ever! It is like a zabaglione with concentrated, juicy and ripe fruit, the hallmark of the Pinot noirs from the heatwave in 2016 with their soft, caressing texture derives from the chalky soil in which they grow. The bubbles are tactile, perfectly integrated and almost salty. Wheat and oyster shell notes are the signature of the slow and late ripening great Chardonnays. The substance is there, powdery, grainy, and deliciously chocolatey. We are very close to having the "ideal" balance, the wine is crisp, saline and iodised, with a long, chalky, crystalline finish that lingers and builds to a crescendo. The overall impression is one of refinement, sapidity and purity... like the infinite grace of an opera ballerina. Cristal 2016 is pure, delicate, and concentrated. Is it the perfect, eloquent "Grand Cristal" : 50% sun (ripe, juicy Pinot noirs) and 50% soil (chalky, saline Chardonnays). It is similar to the 2002, 2008, and 2012, but with an even longer, more precise and concentrated character. 

Bright colour with amber-yellow highlights. A steady stream of slow-moving, fine bubbles. An intense, concentrated bouquet of fresh yellow fruit (nectarine), citrus (citron) and floral notes (pollen, orange blossom), interwoven with subtle smoky notes and hints of vanilla. The Chardonnay takes the lead, exuding a chalky freshness and a confident energy. Soft hints of cedar and menthol, bergamot and white chocolate also add to the sensation of freshness. On the palate, it is the Pinot that takes the lead – concentrated and wonderfully enveloping, with a viscosity balanced by a fine-grained tannic structure. The bubbles are perfectly incorporated into the wine’s juicy, enveloping body. The white soils show through on the mid-palate, bringing a saline note (oyster shells) that creates a delicious umami character and a mouthwatering finish. A child of the chalk, Cristal 2018 radiates remarkable freshness despite the very sunny vintage. It unfolds smoothly and gracefully, like a great perfume: Chardonnay sets the top notes with lemony, saline freshness, while Pinot Noir provides the base notes with a captivating, powdery texture.