Louis Roederer 2008 Cristal Brut 1.5L

Louis Roederer's 2008 Cristal is a Champagne of unparalleled elegance and finesse. With its striking golden hue, it beckons with an alluring nose, offering a bouquet of white flowers, citrus zest, and notes of freshly baked pastries. On the palate, it reveals the perfect balance between youthful vitality and mature complexity, with vibrant flavors of lemon, white peach, and a touch of honeyed richness. This Champagne dances across the taste buds with remarkable precision and finesse, framed by a backbone of crisp acidity. The finish is nothing short of extraordinary, leaving a lingering impression of purity, minerality, and a whisper of toasted almonds. Louis Roederer's 2008 Cristal is a testament to the art of Champagne-making, a vintage that will continue to evolve and captivate for decades to come.

Robert Parker - 98 Points

"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 cuvée—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."

Antonio Galloni - 99 Points

"The 2008 Cristal is one of the most complete, most dazzling Champagnes I have ever tasted. A stunning wine from any and all perspectives, the 2008 simply has it all. Spherical in construction, with superb persistence. The 2008 takes hold of all the senses and never gives up. One of the many things that makes the 2008 special is a combination of ripe fruit and bright, piercing acidity. Marzipan, lemon confit, dried flowers and orchard fruit all build into the explosive, resonant finish. “We learned from the mistakes of 1996, when we picked more on acid than ripeness, as was the norm in Champagne back then” Chef de Caves Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon told me recently. “In 1996, the best fruit turned out to be the last picks, where the fruit was physiologically ripe. Today, we aim to pick all our fruit with that criteria.”"