Louis Roederer Cristal Brut 2015

PRODUCTION

ORIGINS:

1/3 “La Rivière” vineyards 1/3 “La Montagne” vineyards 1/3 “La Côte” vineyards

MAIN CRUS:

Verzenay, Verzy, Beaumont-sur-Vesle, Ay, Avize, Mesnil-sur-Oger, Cramant

GRAPE VARIETIES:

60% Pinot noir

40% Chardonnay

WINE IN OAK: 32%

MALOLACTIC FERMENTATION: 0%

DOSAGE: 7g/l

VINTAGE

A "weather waltz", and one with clear, sharp contrasts! The spring was sunny and dry and ended with a heatwave in June; summer was autumnal, cool and rainy; September was hot, sunny and very dry… weather we would usually associate with the month of August. The ‘key’ to the vintage lay in the soils as well as in the work carried out by the winegrowers. The good drainage properties of the chalk on the lower-middle part of the hillside helped us greatly by allowing the excess water from the summer to drain away which limited any excess vigour in the vines. These factors were complemented by our increasingly eco-friendly viticultural practices which allow us to take our quest for grapes of perfect balance and maturity even further.

TASTING NOTES

Intense, bright and luminous golden hue.

Dynamic effervescence with a continuous stream of fine bubbles.

Intense, fragrant bouquet of great purity. Concentrated and candied citrus fruit mingle delicately with notes of grain and lightly roasted almonds. The lovely sensation of big ripe fruit is balanced and lifted by energetic fresh tangy overtones.

Fruity palate with a silky texture, complemented by soft bubbles that are perfectly integrated and deliciously elegant. The purity and perfection of the ripe yellow fruit melt into the intense chalky freshness, typical of Cristal, that is both powdery and saline.

Dense, juicy, concentrated and long on the mid-palate, thanks to the spicy and sappy structure resulting from partial ageing in large oak vats (foudres).

The finish builds to a crescendo, revealing a rich grainy and velvety texture that is wrapped in a long, saline and superbly elegant finish.