The first Cristal made entirely from biodynamically farmed Roederer vineyards, in the format that ages it best. One magnum, and when it is gone it is gone.
Cristal was created in 1876 for Tsar Alexander II, who wanted a champagne in clear glass with a flat bottom so no bomb could be hidden in the punt. The clear bottle and the gold cellophane survive; so does the principle behind it, which is that Louis Roederer makes Cristal only from its own grand cru vineyards and only in years it considers worthy. The 2012 is the vintage where that principle went furthest: it is the first Cristal grown entirely on biodynamically farmed estate land.
The blend is 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay. Malolactic fermentation is blocked, which keeps the acidity taut and the fruit precise rather than creamy. Around a third of the base wines are vinified in oak, adding texture without flavouring the wine. It then spends a minimum of six years on its lees, and a further eight months settling after disgorgement and dosage. Dosage is 7.5 g/L — dry, but not austere.
Vinous
James Suckling
Wine Enthusiast
Wine Advocate
A magnum holds 1.5 litres — two bottles — but it is not simply twice as much wine. The same amount of air sits under the cork as in a standard bottle, spread across twice the volume, so the wine oxidises more slowly and the bubble stays finer for longer. Champagne houses have known this for a century: the magnum is the format they keep for themselves. For a vintage like 2012, built for the long haul, it is the right glass to be in.
Equal to two 75cl bottles.
A table of six, generously.
Less air per unit of wine.
A single magnum in stock.
Warmer than you think. Ice-cold mutes it.
A flute hides everything this wine does.
Or aged Comté, or simply on its own.
The pairing this wine was built for.
| Wine | Louis Roederer Cristal Brut 2012 |
| Format | Magnum, 1.5 litres |
| Region | Champagne, France |
| Blend | 60% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay |
| ABV | 12% |
| Dosage | 7.5 g/L — Brut |
| Malolactic | Blocked |
| Oak | Around one third of base wines |
| Lees ageing | Minimum six years |
| Viticulture | Biodynamic, Roederer-owned grand cru parcels |
1.5 litres, exactly two standard 75cl bottles, or roughly twelve flutes.
It is the first Cristal produced entirely from biodynamically farmed fruit, all of it from vineyards Louis Roederer owns and works itself.
Yes. It has had its minimum six years on lees plus further time in bottle, and it is drinking now. In magnum it will also hold and develop for many years yet.
The space under the cork is the same as in a standard bottle, but the wine beneath it is twice the volume. Less air per unit of wine means slower development and a finer mousse for longer.
A white wine glass rather than a flute. A flute concentrates the bubbles but hides the aroma, which is most of what you are paying for.
Yes. Gift packaging and a handwritten message can be added at checkout.
