2002 Champagne Louis Roederer, Cristal, Brut

This is the original 2009 disgorgement. Dosage is 9 grams per liter.

The 2002 Cristal is just entering its first plateau of maturity. Ripe, exotic and striking, the 2002 is all class. Apricot jam, ginger, spice, dried flowers and mint open first as the 2002 shows off its alluring personality. Pretty floral accents, apple tart and brioche build with time in the glass, bringing out added dimensions of freshness and energy. The 2002 was fabulous when I first tasted it just prior to release, and has consistently been outstanding. It is a rare Cristal made from all 45 parcels that comprise the estate, a telling sign of the high level of the vintage across the board.

Drink 2023 - 2043

A re-release of the original 2010 disgorgement. Super fine, super fresh and super savoury aromas of chalky stones with hints of flowers, white almonds, lemon peel and grapefruit. The palate has intense, mouth-filling, lemon-curd flavour. Very powerful, very concentrated and very expressive. Smooth finish that’s full of life, leaving a bright, white cherry note.

Drink in 2022

Magnum. Disgorged in 2008, dosage 9 g/l. 60% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay. 17% of the cuvée is fermented in oak. Five years spent on the lees. ‘In 2002 I did nothing – just blended the usual Cristal plots’, said Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon.

Deep dark straw. Very complex and this seems really quite aged. Mature white-burgundy sensation. Complex and savoury. Really exciting. Maybe not the most persistent Cristal in this vertical tasting, but really exciting.

Drink 2012 - 2026

Tasted from the original 2009 disgorgement, the 2002 Cristal is a broad, vinous wine, bursting with aromas of honeyed yellow orchard fruit, warm butter, brioche and fresh peaches. On the palate, it's full-bodied, textural and mouthfilling, rendering the fine-boned chalky structure and textural finesse that distinguish this quintessentially elegant style of this cuvée in a broader-shouldered, more enveloping register. The 2002 is beginning to enter its plateau of maturity and is drinking beautifully today, though it still has many years ahead of it.

Drink 2019 - 2039