2016 Cristal: The Best Since the 2008 Vintage
When I read that the team at Roederer were comparing their newly released 2016 Louis Roederer "Cristal" Brut Champagne to the 2008, I have to admit that I was very skeptical. I love it when great wine proves my skeptical heart wrong. Last night, Cinnamon and I drank this great vintage of Cristal with homemade sashimi bowls, and while I was very impressed from just tasting the wine for this video, now I am a complete convert—this is definitely the best Cristal for me since the 2008; it has an energy, a sheen, a brilliance that reminds me so much of that great vintage.
The 2016 Cristal is a blend of 58% Pinot Noir and 42% Chardonnay from mid-slope old vines in the best Crus of the estate of Champagne Louis Roederer. This vintage was selected from 32 of the 45 vineyards that are biodynamically farmed to make Cristal, from the villages of Verzenay, Verzy, and Beaumont-sur-Vesle on the Montagne de Reims, Aÿ in the Grande Vallée de la Marne and Avize, Mesnil and Cramant in the Côte des Blancs. There is no malolactic fermentation, and 69% of the wine is made in temperature-controlled stainless steel, with the rest in wood of various sizes, but mostly large uprights. After over six years of aging on the lees, the wine was dosed at around 7g/l.
This is simply brilliant Cristal, and a grand vin on the world stage. Somehow, Jean-Baptiste Lecaillon has managed to make something that is singing on release and promises an extremely long life in good storage—if you can keep your hands off it. The intricate bouquet has subtle pastry crust, beautiful Meyer lemon, and the elusive hazelnut aroma that I associate with the first village for this wine, the north-facing Grand Cru of Verzenay. In the mouth it has the impossible combination of layered complexity and easy freshness. This is a wine for two people over the course of a meal—the sashimi bowls that we had with it were great, but I can imagine cracked crab working just as well. As for the finish—it was spectacular: expansive, shimmering acidity carrying the deepest chalky minerality out into infinity. This is a great treat, and I feel super lucky to have experienced it.
A toast to you!