Cristal 2005

The wine in this vintage

2005 was a warm vintage that favoured Pinot Noir but demanded care at harvest because of some rain and sanitary problems. Drawing on direct control of its own vineyards, Roederer crafted a Cristal 2005 broader and more generous than usual: ripe yellow fruit, citrus, brioche and sweet spice, supported by a rounded structure and a discreet freshness. Jancis Robinson rated it 18/20 and Wine Enthusiast 97 points. It is still developing, and a few more years in bottle will refine its texture and reveal more complex tones. Pinot Noir gives this edition a fuller, more vinous frame than the classic house profile.

The producer · Louis Roederer

Founded in Reims in 1776 and led by Louis Roederer from 1833, the house is one of the few great Champagne houses still independent and family-owned, run today by Frédéric Rouzaud, a direct descendant, with cellar master Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon. Its defining asset is its own vineyard holding, more than 240 hectares across the Montagne de Reims, Vallée de la Marne and Côte des Blancs, which covers most of its needs and gives complete control of the fruit, with a progressive move to organic and biodynamic farming. The name is inseparable from Cristal, created in 1876 for Tsar Alexander II of Russia in its famous clear, flat-bottomed bottle and offered commercially from 1945. Made only in great years from Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grown in the finest crus, Cristal embodies a luminous, silky style of crystalline purity. Since 1974 it has been joined by Cristal Rosé, born from old Pinot Noir vines in Aÿ.

Critics' scores

• 97 Wine Enthusiast
• 94 Wine Spectator
• 18/20 Jancis Robinson

Technical details

Producer

Louis Roederer

Region

Champagne

Country

Francia

Type

Bollicine

Vintage

2005

When to drink

Not yet at its peak

Critics' average

95.5/100

Sizes

75 cl, Magnum 150 cl, Case of 6 × 75 cl

eWibe code

0640105