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Why Cristal Rosé is a true unicorn Champagne
From the outset, Cristal Rosé stood apart thanks to an innovative approach to vinification known as ‘gentle infusion’ – here, we dive into its history
Pol Roger has its Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill. Laurent-Perrier has Grand Siècle. For Moët Hennessy, think Dom Pérignon. These are the ‘prestige cuvées’, a Champagne house’s ultimate bottlings. The original – and arguably most vaunted – prestige cuvée of all is surely Cristal.
As the creation of Louis Roederer, Cristal was first produced in 1876 as a commission for Tsar Alexander II of Russia. He stipulated that it be presented in a clear glass bottle so he could keep an eye on its contents (the Tsar was a man with many enemies; poisoning was an occupational hazard, as were, say, bombs). Today, the fizz’s signature orange cellophane wrap (introduced to protect the wine from light damage) is the ultimate party accoutrement.
There is, though, a Champagne that trumps even Cristal for wow factor; a cuvée too rare to be sprayed around VIP enclosures. During 20 years in the wine world, including a decade at Decanter magazine, I tasted it only once. First produced almost a century after its older brother, Cristal Rosé celebrated its 50th anniversary last year. And to mark the occasion, I got to taste six – yes, six – vintages of this unicorn wine.
The rosé rendering was the brainchild of Jean-Claude Rouzaud, the sixth generation of Rouzauds to oversee the Roederer house. Having joined the family business in 1967, aged 25, he became winemaker and CEO in 1974 – and swiftly launched Cristal Rosé in the same year.
Rouzaud began, as all great wines emerge, in the vineyard. Whereas most Champagne is a blend of scores – if not hundreds – of different sites, Cristal Rosé is derived from a small selection of Roederer’s oldest individual plot. It is a blend of pinot noir from Aÿ, whose limestone ridges yield well textured, juicy, vibrant concentration, and, by way of contrast, the chalkier, more saline, later-ripening chardonnay of Avize and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger.
From the outset, Cristal Rosé stood apart thanks to an innovative approach to vinification known as ‘gentle infusion’. The process, inspired by Japanese tea masters, extracts pinot noir’s most delicate aromas by pressing the grapes alone, without any mechanical intervention, preserving the purity and complexity of their flavours. While most rosé Champagne sees the pinot and chardonnay vinified separately and then blended together, Cristal is a co-fermentation of the two. “It gives a more precise, elegant wine,” says Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon, Louis Roederer’s long-time cellar and vineyard manager.
Under the stewardship of Lécaillon, this infusion method has been constantly refined and the fermentation phase finessed to addmore aromatic nuance. At its peak, Cristal Rosé marries wonderfully subtle aromas of wild peaches and berries, a pinch of salinity and a silky texture – concentrated yet elegant, delicate yet ageworthy.
Tasting a range of vintages, you understand why the house touts the 2008 as “undoubtedly one of the greatest Cristal Rosés ever created”. The 2012 is richer, riper, creamier and juicier, while the sublime 1995 shows the ageing capacity of the wine, as it develops a more complex, savoury and bready character. (The 2007 is pictured at the top.)
Today, Louis Roederer is one of Champagne’s last family-owned ‘grandes marques’. Headed by Jean-Claude’s son, Frédéric Rouzaud, the seventh generation, it continues to pursue the approach of its founder, a man who was ahead of his time in acquiring his own vineyards so as to control every stage of production.
While many houses rely largely on bought-in grapes, Roederer’s extensive holdings now cover 240 hectares, around half of which have been certified as organic. “Over time, our philosophy has become more like that of a grower,” says Rouzaud. Indeed, some plots used for the white Cristal have been used since the first vintage, in 1876 – almost 150 years ago. In my book, it can keep on going. I feel another anniversary tasting coming on…
CRISTAL Louis Roederer Cristal Brut Rosé Millesime, louis-roederer.com
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