2008 Louis Roederer, Cristal 1x150cl

JancisRobinson.com 18

Disgorged in 2018, dosage 8 g/l. 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay, 20% of the cuvée is fermented in oak. Eight years spent on the lees. Less complex than the magnum. But still lacy and tightly laced with real intensity. But a little looser-textured than the magnum. [18/11/2021]

Anticipated maturity: 2018-2030

Robert Parker 98

Disgorged in September 2017 with 7.5 grams per liter dosage, the 2008 Cristal was produced from 37 of the 45 parcels that are candidates for inclusion in this cuvee—some 40% of which were farmed organically back in 2008—and it’s a blend of 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay. The finest young Cristal in decades, the wine wafts from the glass with a pure and vibrant bouquet of crisp orchard fruit, clear honey, warm brioche, citrus zest and white flowers. On the palate, it’s full-bodied, intense and incisive, with superb concentration, racy acids and a long, searingly chalky finish. Pristinely balanced, there are some 500,000 bottles of this legend-in-the-making. [10/08/2019]

Anticipated maturity: 2022-2050