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Champagne Louis Roederer Cristal Rosé 2014
France Champagne
99 Points Owen Bargreen
Tasting Notes
Pink hue with slightly coppery tints. Dynamic bubbles forming a lingering bead. Pure, precise and dazzling bouquet. The intense Pinot noir aromas take us back to the harvest time with its pure, ripe and concentrated fruit: zesty red berries (red currants, wild raspberries, blackcurrants) and raspberry liqueur. Then come sweet spice and smoky notes with a hint of reduction (smoky, spicy) from the Pinot noir with its notes of undergrowth. Concentrated and broad on the palate, where the red fruit (strawberries, raspberries) is concentrated into a firm, dense texture that reveals itself in two stages that reflect the year's extremes: Initially the texture is silky and broad on entry (the final ripeness) and then followed by a firm and intense freshness (the cool summer). We have a sensation of concentration, of a whirlwind of flavors that burst delicately and gradually like salt bubbles on the palate. The saline, iodine impression combines with the smoky notes and acidity to create umami and an infinitely flavorsome finish.
Champagne Louis Roederer Cristal Rosé Vinothèque 1995
France Champagne
100 Points JamesSuckling.com
Tasting Notes
Light pink hue flecked with copper tints. Fine, elegant sparkle. The nose is both delicate and intense, a kaleidoscope of fresh fruit (strawberry, vineyard peach and Morello cherry) and dried fruit and nuts with hints of lightly roasted chestnut. Fruit still dominates after a few minutes (blackcurrant and raspberry) and is joined, this time, by light resinous and iodized notes, typical of autolysis in champagne. The palate is delicate, fresh and finely wrought. It begins with an explosion of citrus (blood orange, tangerine and yuzu) in a coating of sweet, juicy fruit reminiscent of gingerbread and honey. The chalky and saline freshness traces out a precise, slender chassis and gives the impression of great elegance. The finish is fuller, with a firm structure, punctuated by notes of citrus peel.
Champagne Louis Roederer Cristal Rosé Vinothèque 1996
France Champagne
100 Points JamesSuckling.com
Tasting Notes
Light rose gold hue with delicate copper tints. The bubbles are fine, steady and remarkably delicate. Complex bouquet combining dried fruit, hazelnuts and cocoa beans with intense, concentrated notes of lemon. A long period of lees ageing has imparted notes of sugared almonds and roasted pine nuts. The nose reveals delicate, velvety red fruit notes and a hint of raspberry liqueur. On the palate the wine is generous, serene and silky-smooth. The freshness of the limestone comes to the fore and transforms the texture into a veritable kaleidoscope of sensations and aromas. Roasted, smoky and almost malty notes blend with a profound freshness and intense, concentrated yet delicate notes of lemon and umami.
Champagne Louis Roederer Cristal Rosé Vinothèque 1999
France Champagne
97 Points JamesSuckling.com
Tasting Notes
Fresh pink hue with golden tints. Fine, even and almost glowing effervescence with golden-tinged bubbles. Delicate floral notes and a hint of sweetness (hawthorn) and fresh zesty red fruit (redcurrant) accompanied by roasted and powdery notes (cocoa). The bouquet is discreet and incredibly fresh for a wine with 20 years of age. After aeration, the wine’s bouquet becomes deeper revealing a chalkier, juicier character with smoky notes yet without a single wrinkle! The attack is creamy and velvety smooth. The texture dominates and creates a sensation of richness that gently yet completely coats the palate. The bubbles unfurl, attenuated by the soft and evanescent texture. A nectar-like density reveals the sunny maturity of the year, but the limestone freshness then takes over and prolongs and elongates the mouthfeel resulting in a sensation of lightness and finesse, characteristic of Cristal Rosé.
Champagne Louis Roederer Cristal Rosé Vinothèque 2002
France Champagne
100 Points JamesSuckling.com
Tasting Notes
Lovely, slightly coppery, shimmering rose petal hue. An even flow of ultra-fine bubbles. The bouquet is bursting with freshness! We have an astonishing impression of a sea breeze wafting in delicately concentrated fragrances of zesty red and citrus fruits. After a few moments, all the complexity of the great Ay Pinot noirs is revealed to us: petals, peonies, cocoa beans, concentrated red fruit liqueur (raspberry), smoky notes, gingerbread, praline and cedar... accompanied by a few scents of undergrowth. Dynamic, concentrated and fresh on the palate. We still have that predominant freshness, but this time it's provided by the red fruit (zesty pomegranate). Then come the substance and the bubbles, tactile, delicately silky and bewitching, gradually revealing the flavoursome length typical of Cristal rosé. We have a veritable sensation of great lusciousness and vitality underpinned by a sweet/ saline/powdery finish.