Louis Roederer - Cristal Late Release 2008 - 75cl

Louis Roederer’s Cristal Late Release 2008 is a great vintage champagne, brilliantly combining precision, depth and aromatic expression. Its long ageing on lees gives it a remarkable texture and rare complexity.

Tasting

Appearance

The wine reveals a bright yellow hue, enhanced by subtle amber highlights. The effervescence is distinguished by very fine, regular and delicate bubbles.

Nose

The aromatic bouquet opens with chalky and powdery notes, mingled with aromas of ripe citrus fruit and almond. It then evolves towards scents of harvest fields, lightly roasted cocoa bean and toasted hazelnut, all underlined by beautiful floral and vegetal freshness.

Palate

The attack is very fresh and remarkably precise. The texture is at once creamy, saline and deep, carried by perfectly integrated bubbles. The long, mineral finish lingers on noble bitters, accompanied by touches of cedar, undergrowth and Havana tobacco.

The Estate

Founded under its current name in 1833 in Reims, Maison Louis Roederer is one of Champagne’s emblematic houses. Today led by Frédéric Rouzaud, representing the sixth generation of the family, this independent house stands out for its vast 242-hectare vineyard.

A pioneer in environmental practices, the House has committed much of its land to organic and biodynamic viticulture. Complete mastery of its own vines, combined with historic expertise, enables Louis Roederer to create cuvées of exceptional precision.

The Vineyard

The grapes come exclusively from 37 Grand Cru parcels. This Champagne terroir is spread across La Rivière, La Montagne and La Côte, including prestigious crus such as Verzenay, Verzy, Beaumont-sur-Vesle, Aÿ, Avize, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger and Cramant.

The vines thrive on chalky soils that encourage deep rooting. For this edition, around 40% of the grapes come from parcels cultivated according to biodynamic principles.

The 2008 Vintage

The year 2008 was marked by a cool summer, which helped preserve remarkable freshness in the grapes. Harvest took place from 15 September to 1 October 2008, producing a dense, powerful and highly concentrated crop.

Vinification and Ageing

Cristal Late Release 2008 is crafted through meticulous vinification. Around 20% of the wines are aged in oak foudres, while malolactic fermentation is carried out on only 19% of the wine.

With a dosage of 8 g/L, this cuvée benefited from exceptionally long ageing on lees for 12 years and 9 months before being disgorged on 16 March 2022.

Grape Varieties

60% Pinot Noir

40% Chardonnay