2015 Louis Roederer Cristal Brut

Cristal is the prestige cuvee from Louis Roederer, described by their cellarmaster Jean-Baptiste Lecaillon as "a wine of pure pleasure and a sophisticated gastronomic wine, Cristal is both powerful and delicate, combining subtlety and precision."

It was famously created at the behest of Russian Tsar Alexander II, and the story goes that he needed it be bottled in clear glass so he could see any potential assassin's threat... We do love the gold cellophane wrap.

Released in good years only, a blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay across the three main regions of Champagne, then aged in bottle for six years - this is the pinnacle of Roederer, and one of the few consistent pinnacles of Champagne.

97 points
"Cristal fans will love this as it is, but a year or two more in the bottle will do a lot for the very long mineral finish of this youthful masterpiece."
- James Suckling

97 points & Top 100 Wines of 2024
"There are few Champagne houses over the last decade that have performed as strongly as Roederer. What was always great is now truly exceptional. And in tricky vintages like 2015, meticulous work in the vineyards and serious skill in the cellar come to the fore. This is an imperious Cristal, a cathedral contained in glass, a wine of the kind of beauty and power that haunts dreams."
- Nick Ryan (The Australian)