Wine Advisor
Louis Roederer, Cristal Rose Brut 2004
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Stephan Reinhardt
With red berry and currant aromas on the pure and salty, complex and delicately vinous nose, the 2004 Cristal Rosé is a juicy but structured, vibrantly fresh and energetic cuvée with very fine tannins, great lightness, finesse and elegance. Tasted in New York, November 2018.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The estate's 2004's had been recently disgorged at the time of my visit. An explosion of fruit emerges from the 2004 Cristal, making a strong and very positive first impression. This is a wine of incredible finesse, length and balance that promises to develop beautifully over the next several decades. Today the 2004 comes across as more linear than the 2002. It should fill out nicely in bottle, although my sense is it will always remain a more focused, pointed vintage. The 2004 Cristal is 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay. In 2009 dosage was 9-10 grams per liter, down from the 12 or so grams that was customary five years ago. This bottle was disgorged in January 2009.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2004 Brut Cristal has put on quite a bit of weight since I first tasted it earlier this year. It is a powerful, structured Cristal layered with considerable fruit. Chardonnay seems to play the leading role in 2004, at least today. Cristal is often accessible young, but that is far from the case here. This is a serious, painfully young Cristal that will require considerable patience. Readers who are willing to spend some time with the wine today will find a super-impressive, complete Cristal. The 2004 Cristal is 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay. This is Lot L033331E100008, disgorged January, 2010. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2034. My visit to these historic cellars earlier in the year was an eye-opening experience. I spent several hours with Chef de Caves Jean-Baptiste Lecaillon tasting through a wide range of 2009s vins claires. Readers may want to take a look at my feature on www.erobertparker.com for more on those wines. The visit was capped off by previews of the 2004 Cristal and the as-yet-unreleased Cristal Rose. Both were superb. Over the last six months the 2004 Cristal has come together beautifully and is shaping up to be a truly great, monumental Champagne. From top to bottom, this is an impressive set of wines. My only real criticism of Roederer is the estate’s insistence on using lot numbers that resemble missile launch codes in their complexity. Surely something simpler must be possible. Importer: Maisons Marques & Domaines USA, Inc., Oakland, CA; tel. (510) 587-2000
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
Still a baby, the 2004 Cristal Rosé has begun to put on considerable weight over the last few years, which only serves to balance the focus and tension that have always been present. Even at eleven years of age, the 2004 Cristal Rosé remains tightly wound and a touch austere at times. Hints of orange peel, white pepper and cranberry add an exotic flair on the deeply expressive finish. Readers who can find the 2004 should not hesitate, as it is simply stunning by any measure.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2004 Cristal Rosé, from magnum, is less expressive than the Cristal. Today it is too soon to tell how much of that may be attributable to the larger format. The 2004 Cristal Rosé is 70% Pinot from Aÿ and 30% Chardonnay from Avize. This remains a very tight, mineral-driven Cristal Rosé that will require significant bottle age. A final burst of floral red berries on the finish bodes well for the future. Today I prefer the Cristal over the Cristal Rosé, but time will ultimately tell how these wines develop. I recently tasted the 1996s and it is now appears the Rosé has moved ahead, if very slightly, from the Cristal. The 2004 Cristal Rosé was disgorged in December 2009 and dosage was 9 grams per liter.
About the Producer
When he inherited the Champagne House in 1833, the aesthete and entrepreneur Louis Roederer took a visionary approach to enriching his vines, aiming to master every stage of the wine’s creation. He forged the wine’s unique style, character, and taste. In the mid-nineteenth century, Louis Roederer acquired some of Champagne’s grand cru vineyards—an approach that contrasted sharply with contemporary practices.. While other Houses bought their grapes, Louis Roederer nurtured his vineyards, familiarized himself with the specific characteristics of each parcel, and methodically acquired the finest land. Louis Roederer’s guiding principle was that all great wine depends on the quality of the soil, a passion for tradition, and an astute vision of the future; the fame and reputation of the House of Louis Roederer was firmly established. His heir, Louis Roederer II was equally enlightened and adopted his father’s conscientious approach to the production of champagne, patrimonial estate management, and instinctive audacity.
