Spiced cherries, crushed raspberries and dried cranberries greet the nose with herbal, earthy aromas just underneath. Medium-bodied with tart fruit, cinnamon candy, mint and bay leaves on the palate. Nervy acidity and plums with more spices and dark cherries in the finish.

Very floral, with aromas of violets, rose petals, orange peel, cloves and cocoa. On the palate, flavors of rich black cherries and black licorice, with espresso, earth and dark chocolate in the finish. Succulent, juicy acidity and fine tannins.

The 2013 Cristal (magnum) is outrageously beautiful. A Champagne of stature and pure breeding, the 2013 is so impressive from the big bottle. There is a timelessness to Cristal in magnum that is so special in how the wine ages at the most gradual pace. The purity of the fruit is striking, as is the added touch of mid-palate richness from extended time on the lees in magnum. Sweet floral and chalk notes run through a core of layered citrus and orchard fruits, all framed by the silkiest of contours. Disgorged 2024.

The 2022 Domaine Anderson Estate Chardonnay is soft on the mouth with bright acidity. Medium-bodied orchard fruits mingle well with nutty and tropical undertones on the palate.

Roederer’s 2018 Brut Nature Blanc is stellar. That is evident from the very first taste. There is something different about the 2018, a level of dimension and complexity that supersedes anything Roederer has achieved with this cuvée in previous releasees. Much of that comes down to changes in élevage. Early vintages were made using a similar approach as with the other Roederer Champagnes. Wines were taken off the lees in December and then bottled around March/April. That resulted in Brut Natures that were a bit austere in feel. For the 2018, Chef de Caves Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon opted to extend time on lees until spring, while also doing some stirring during that time to build texture, and then bottling in June, almost as if he was making a still wine. Bottling was done with 5/5.5 atmospheres of pressure, a bit less than for most Champagnes, which softens the mousse. But these are technical details. Where the 2018 truly shines in tasting. White flowers, lemon peel, chalk, slate and mint all race across the palate. This is Brut Nature, so bottled with no dosage, but that is not as evident here as it has been in previous editions, where the wine has at times felt a bit stark, no pun intended. The 2018 is a field blend of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Meunier, picked the same day and co-fermented. This is the first vintage that includes a tiny amount of Pinot Blanc (1%), which presages future vintages where the field blend will include Arbanne, Petit Meslier and Pinot Gris as well. The 2018 is the best Brut Nature yet. I loved it.