A Feast Fit for a King (Crab) with 2012 Louis Roederer Cristal
Last night, I was treated to an early birthday treat as my friend, Henry, who manages the Fish Market restaurant, called and said that he had fresh king crab for us. Once a year, he gets an allocation aired in from Alaska that has not been frozen, and it is an over-the-top delicacy. We paired it with the most elegant of tête de cuvée Champagnes, the 2012 Louis Roederer “Cristal” Brut Champagne, and I don’t know if my real birthday is going to be able to compete.
Cristal, like all of the vintage-dated wines at Champagne Louis Roederer, is an estate-grown product. All of the vintage Champagnes are managed as separate sub-estates, with viticulture tuned exactly to what Jean-Baptiste Lecaillon, the long-serving chef de cave at Roederer, wants from the finished Champagne. The Cristal estate is the most lavishly tended, and is now farmed entirely biodynamically, with even more stringent attention to detail than their garden-like organic estate sites. The parcels are spread across the best terroir in all of Champagne, only the chalkiest parts and mature vines are used in the best-exposed sites on the mountain of Reims, down the Côte des Blancs, and through the grand valley of the Marne. The 2012 vintage is composed of 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay, and was treated to 32% fermentation in wood vats, with the balance being done in stainless steel. The dosage is low at 7.5 grams per liter.
When we pulled hot dog–sized pieces of crab meat out of the legs of the king crab and poured out glasses of this great Champagne, we knew we were in for a treat. Cinnamon had melted some of her prized Beurre Bordier from Brittany and we had a lovely, crunchy loaf of sourdough bread. The combination more than delivered on the promise. This effortless, elegant Champagne was generous and open without being obvious and deep and complex without seeming like a puzzle. It had golden baguette aromas; a supple, silky, creamy texture; and a finish that was so fresh that it was hard to get to the end of without going in for more. The rich, lobster-like king crab brought out the chalk in the wine, and the wine brought out nutty qualities in the crab. It is a night I won’t forget.
As I have said before about Cristal many times, it is a fabulous wine to cellar. The great news with this 2012 is that you don’t have to wait… But if you can, you will be rewarded with even more complexity, even more supple texture, and an even longer finish.
A toast to you!
- Gary Westby