The Unveiling of Cristal 2008

 

Paris, 24 May 2018

 

Created in 1876 for Tsar Alexander II, Cristal was the world’s first Cuvée de Prestige. Crafted from Grands Crus from the Montagne de Reims, the Vallée de la Marne and the Côte des Blancs, and the result of a unique savoir-faire and devotion, this rare champagne is the jewel in the Louis Roederer crown.

Symbolic of the perpetual quest for excellence that define Roederer today led by Frédéric Rouzaud, Cristal is also radically different to any other champagne on the market.

At Louis Roederer, the appearance of new vintages gently marks the life of the Champagne House but does not transform it. However, the unveiling of Cristal 2008 last night at the Palais de Tokyo in Paris opens a new chapter in the fascinating life of this flagship cuvée.

A vintage of purity and freshness

Although the vintage alone does not make the wine, it does add its nuances, but the unique character of this Cristal 2008 was born from a meeting with its terroir, thanks to the meticulous and dedicated work of Roederer’s wine growers.

The exceptional chalky soils at the origin of this champagne have greatly contributed to the texture and precision of this 2008 which sits among the great vintages for freshness and purity, alongside the 1988 and the 1996.

A late revelation

As the Cristal 2008 showed impressive personality, Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon, Cellar Master, decided to extend its ageing to ten years. This has endowed this vintage with remarkable maturity and contributed to its surprising and exacting temperament.

About Louis Roederer

Founded in 1776 in Reims, Louis Roederer is an independent family-run champagne house managed by Frédéric Rouzaud. In addition to producing Louis Roederer and Cristal champagnes, Louis Roederer also owns Deutz champagne, Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande (a Pauillac Grand cru classé), Château Haut-Beauséjour and Château de Pez (Saint-Estèphe) and Maison Descaves, in Bordeaux; Domaines Ott* in Provence, Delas Frères in the Rhône valley, Roederer Estate, Scharffenberger and the Anderson estate in California, and Porto Ramos Pinto in Portugal.