Average rating 4.9/5 stars across all Google and external reviews
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Bought directly from Louis Roederer's UK agent MMD, the bottles are stored in bond at London City Bond Eton Park, in ideal conditions at a constant 13°C. For same-day deliveries, small quantities are kept in our office cellar, where the temperature is maintained between 11–13°C. We source all our bottles directly from the Maison or their official UK office, eliminating the risk of poor storage. This is crucial, as champagne quality is highly sensitive to heat: temperatures above 18°C accelerate maturity significantly, which compromises quality.
As the largest independent family-managed Champagne producer, Louis Roederer rank amongst the region's absolute finest. Established in 1776, the House today is managed by seventh generation family member Frédéric Rouzaud alongside long-time Chef de Cave and Champagne legend Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon. They own an astounding 242 hectares of vineyards many in chalk rich Grand Cru villages covering two-thirds of their grape requirements. Roederer have become pioneers in biodynamic farming & by 2012 all 78 hectares the “Cristal Estates” are farmed using biodynamic methods. By 2021 Roederer have 115 hectares certified organic. All the grapes in Cristal & other vintage cuvee’s come from their own vineyards. The estate is made up of 410 plots which are fermented separately in one of the 450 stainless steel tanks in their Reims cellars. In 2020 Roederer replaced Brut Premier with “Collection” allowing each years non-vintage blend to be identified and “re-engineering” the non-vintage cuvee to maintain freshness in the light of global warming on the Champagne region. Today Cristal is, widely recognised as the world's most awarded prestige cuvée champagne.
In 1876, Russia's Tsar Alexander II, a long-time lover of Louis Roederer wines, asked the producer to create a special cuvée for his personal use which was unique in both its style and bottle design. Dissatisfied with standard champagne bottles that concealed the beautiful colour and effervescence from the eye, he requested that his personal cuvée be served in transparent crystal glass bottles, easier to spot poison and with a flat bottom to foil the insertion of explosives by would-be assassins. Thus, Louis Roederer selected the best vines from seven Grand Crus on his estate and Cristal, the first prestige cuvée, was born. Today some 45 plots make up the "Cristal Estates" and each vintage can sometimes be made up of all plots or as is normal often a few plots don't make the final blend.
Weather: The 2002 vintage shaped up magnificently over the spring, with no significant frost and near-perfect flowering. Then followed a summer marked by long, sunny periods interspersed with regular cloudy and rainy spells. The vines were in good health and the dehydration of the grape berries helped them reach new heights of ripeness. Generally considered one of the best harvests in the last twenty years.
Technical Information:
Vineyards: 100% Grand Cru (Detailed map)
Grape Varieties: 55% Pinot Noir, 45% Chardonnay
Lees Ageing: 7 years
Disgorged: 2010
Dosage: 9 g/l
Drink: Now to 2035
Champagne in clear bottles must be stored in complete darkness, it spoils quickly if exposed to any light source. Cristal is supplied in yellow wrapping (not shown in photo) do not remove it and ideally place in a box. Read More
Tasting Note: All the exceptional characteristics of the 2002 vintage have been captured perfectly in this magnificent Cristal. Generous and lush, revealing the perfect balance between concentration and finesse, freshness and vinosity, intensity and refinement. In three words: this is proud, rich and luxurious. A brilliant yellow colour with light amber highlights and a beautiful fine mousse. The nose is intense and delicate revealing a clean and well-blended mixture of flavours of honey, cocoa, lightly toasted hazelnuts and candied citrus fruit. A savoury explosion of ripe fruit reveals white chocolate, caramel and Danish pastry notes, typical of Cristal. Its silky, concentrated texture relies on its intense, powerful and vinous structure but maintains refinement. The palate builds up to attain a delicious sensation of well-blended harmony of flavours. Louis Roederer Cristal 2002 is probably the best Cristal vintage ever released.
As the largest independent family-managed Champagne producer, Louis Roederer rank amongst the region's absolute finest. Established in 1776, the House is currently managed by seventh generation family member Frédéric Rouzaud alongside long-time Chef de Cave and Champagne legend Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon. Today, Champagne Louis Roederer own an astounding 240 hectares of vineyards in the very best locations that cover two-thirds of their grape requirements and are pioneers in biodynamic farming, having converted a total of 50% of its holdings to accommodate production using biodynamic methods. Their portfolio begins with Brut Premier, one of Champagne's most seductive non-vintage cuvées and ends with Cristal, perhaps the world's most recognised prestige cuvée champagne.
Top quality grapes are the cornerstone of Roederer's style and account for their characteristic purity and elegance. Their portfolio begins with Brut Premier, one of Champagne's most seductive non-vintage cuvées and ends with Cristal, perhaps the world's most recognised prestige cuvée champagne. Created in 1876 for Tsar Alexander II of Russia, the iconic Cristal is the essence of Roederer, matched only in decadence and luxury by its pink equivalent, Cristal Rosé.
Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon 1999 - Current | Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon has been the Chef de Cave at Louis Roederer since 1999, making him one of the youngest to hold the position in Champagne. He joined the company in 1989 and has played a significant role in shaping the house's style and approach to winemaking, particularly in the area of organic and biodynamic practices. He was instrumental in the transition of Louis Roederer to biodynamic farming, which now covers a large portion of their vineyards. Lécaillon's background in viticulture and oenology from the École Nationale Supérieure d'Agronomie in Montpellier, France, has been instrumental in his success. His work has had a significant impact on the renowned Cristal cuvée. Lécaillon's work at Roederer Estate in Tasmania and Anderson Valley, California, has provided him with a broad understanding of winemaking in different regions. Since taking the position, he has become the youngest Chef de Cave in Champagne.
Expert Reviews
97/100
Antonio Galloni
“The 2002 Cristal is now entering its first plateau of maturity, which makes it a terrific Champagne for drinking now. Hints of apricot, brioche, lemon confit, honey, hazelnut, baked apple tart and spice give the 2002 striking layers of nuance. Rich and generous, the 2002 show plenty of the natural opulence of the year and yet retains terrific freshness as well. As always, Cristal is a blend of Pinot from Ay, Verzenay, Verzy and Beaumont sur Vesle, and Chardonnay from Mesnil, Cramant and Oger. Dosage is 9 grams per liter. This is the original 2010 disgorgement. What a wine. ”
19/20
Jancis Robinson MW
“Magnum. Late release of the original cuvée. Disgorged 009. These magnums were put aside because so many of his peers thought Cristal 2002 was released too young. Many said it wasn’t that great a vintage initially. Richer nose – so much richer than the Cristal 2008! Lemon posset. Concentrated and quite denser. Heavier glasses than in the tasting room made the wine feel a bit heavy initially. Quite exceptionally persistent. Great undertow. In bottles Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon sees a strong vanilla note, because of light overripeness – very rare in Champagne. ‘Usually I pick a week after everyone else but in 2002 I picked a week earlier.’ He still picks later than most, even with biodynamics, ‘because still people pick on numbers.’”
18.5/20
Jancis Robinson MW
“No malo. First time the house has re-released a Cristal. ‘When we launched this wine we were told it was very good but too young.’ So it’s a re-release in 2018 of some of the original-disgorgement wine (disgorged 2009) that was stored in the Vinothèque – 12 m down, very dark, very humid – for nine years after the original release. No selection of parcels in 2002, but all of the estate. Will probably happen again in 2018. 60% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay again. Very strong acceleration of ripeness at the end of the season. Strong cool winds so lots of concentration after dehydration. So they picked a week before the official date (which you can do if you can prove you have at least 10% potential alcohol). This is more 2002 than Cristal. Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon sees vanilla, thanks to dehydration. Deep straw-gold. Very rich nose. Very sumptuous. Broad and dry finish but with massive density. Some meatiness on the nose and then richness on the palate. Much more resolved than it used to be. Drink 2016-2032”
97 → 99/100
Essi Avellan MW
“Medium-deep developing colour. Soft, open and inviting nose with plenty of character, baking spices, peach with charred and salty mineral notes. Intensity, power and expression, it has got it all. Long and charged with energy. This has plenty of time to go but has opened up nicely. A super Gold at the 2014 CSWWC in 75cl bottle and in magnum the Supreme World Champion Sparkling Wine in 2016 (98 p)! One of the all-time best Cristals.”
18.5/20
Jancis Robinson MW
“Disgorged 2007. 60% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay. No malo. Still tense and chalky on the nose. Real finesse and ballerina-like. Lifted. Still very tense. Very neat. According to Lécaillon, all 2002s have some vanilla flavour. Still extremely youthful. Drink 2020-2040”
96/100
Andrew Jefford
“The impressive energy and strike evident in all of Roederer’s young wines is beginning to soften and ease in this 15-year-old Cristal: now a limpid morning gold, with lifted, allusive scents in which the pretty (wild flowers) and the profound (leaf and mushroom) are mingled. It’s complete and intense yet still lively and springy on the palate — a satin pillow stuffed with flavoury feathers. There’s plenty of oak at Roederer, but most of it is used for reserves, so this is principally a steel wine — which in truth needs time for full articulacy. Early days for this great vintage. ”
96/100
Richard Juhlin
“My expectations were not entirely fulfilled on first tasting. Aristocratic and sublime, of course, but not as full-bodied as regular vintage wine. Retasting it recently, it was wonderfully honeyed and elegant, but be patient for further evolution.”
96/100
Giles Fallowfield
“Lively and fresh, but more open immediately showing greater richness, generosity and fruit intensity. Dense and concentrated with lovely balance and a long finish. Will age well.”
99/100
James Suckling
“An exceptional vintage with the same piercing drive and precision as the scintillating 1996. Intensity and fine concentration are the hallmarks of this fine Champagne; chalky aromas, fine citrus and tight, minerally restraint, some quite concentrated stone fruits here, peach and nectarine, really assertive, some flint and mineral too. The palate is needle-like in its precision, piercing acidity and fine floral notes, clean and long. Not one to be missed. A concentrated vintage with wind dehydrating the grapes ahead of harvest. An exotically flavoured, yet tightly structured Cristal.”
96/100
Antonio Galloni
“The 2002 Cristal is just now beginning to enter a plateau of early maturity. The ripeness and exuberance is on full display, but the 2002 needs quite a bit of air to fully open up and show its personality. Today, the 2002 is racy and intense to the core, with fabulous balance and plenty of the vintage's trademark opulence. What a gorgeous Champagne this is.”
19/20
Jancis Robinson MW
“55% Pinot Noir, 45% Chardonnay. Straw. Very mineral and focused on the nose. Sharp as a spear. Yet with great delicacy. So tightly laced! Really tastes as though it is only just becoming drinkable. Really tight and fresh and tense. Admirably different. Very long. Beautifully constructed. 19/20 points.”
100/100
Wine & Spirits
“If a wine could ever make you want to pull the top down on your '68 Ferrari convertible, rip off the rearview mirror and take off, this is it. It has a different kind of energy than the '02 Cristal Rosé, which is more ethereal, like strawberries at the right hand of some ancient Gallic god. This is more insolent, brash, earth bound. All the scents and flavors seem to emanate from limestone, as does the acidity, which hits at the front of the mouth and powers through the wine with the kind of solar energy that lifts mist off the white chalk on a cool morning in Cramant. The wine goes on for miles. It's already irresistable, and will only improve with ten, 20, 30 and 40 years of age.”
96+/100
David Schildknecht
“Roederer’s 2002 Cristal is still in its infant, fresh stage. Subtle notes of pears, flowers, spices, mint, minerals and oak are woven into a cashmere-like frame of extraordinary grace and elegance. This beautifully-sculpted Champagne possesses notable clarity but with the additional depth of fruit that is characteristic of this vintage. It is a gorgeous, seductive Cristal of the highest level. In 2002, Cristal is 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay with 10 grams of dosage. 20% of the wine was fermented in oak. This is Lot : L030351A107809. This bottle was disgorged in June 28th, 2007. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2032.
Roederer is one of the most impressive estates in Champagne. Few houses have managed to reconcile this level production in a negociant operation while achieving such a consistently outstanding level of quality across the entire range. Roederer owns 214 hectares of vineyards, which is enough to meet 65-70% of the house’s needs. The vintage wines are made from 100% estate-grown fruit, while the NV wines are made with the addition of roughly 45% purchased fruit. Generally speaking, malolactic fermentation and oak aging are used to a higher degree for the NV range than for the vintage wines. Dosage varies as well, and ranges from 11-12 grams for the entry-level wines to 9-10 for the tete de cuvee Cristal. Unfortunately because if its rabid following the vast majority of Cristal is drunk upon release, which is ironic, if not downright tragic, considering Cristal is a wine that starts peaking around age 15-20, and that can last much longer under ideal storage conditions. With Cristal, Chef de Caves Jean-Baptiste Lecaillon aims to make an ageworthy Champagne that is fresh and floral when young, but that is also capable of considerable development with bottle age, qualities the finest Cristals have in spades. In the best vintages one tank of Cristal Rose is also made that features the exquisite Pinot Noir of Ay. Unfortunately Roederer does not provide disgorgement dates for its wines, but the bottles have codes that can be traced back to dates at the winery. It would be great to see this venerable property add a simple disgorgement date, at least for their top wines, considering the significant financial investment required to purchase them.”
A memorable evening at Louis Roederer earlier this year saw us taste the new vintage releases from 2013, preview Cristal 2012 and Cristal Rosé 2012, and sample the upcoming magnum launches from the Cristal Vinothèque programme. This one's not to be missed!
A fascinating article detailing the often too difficult task of discerning information about a specific bottle of non-vintage champagne was recently published by Jancis Robinson MW on her website. She argues in favour of producers making information more available.
Earlier this year, we tasted a range of 2018 vins clairs with winemakers at fifteen different houses in Champagne. Thanks to exceptional weather throughout the year, some have been calling it 'the vintage of the century' and expectations are already sky-high. But just how much potential does 2018 have?
Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon recently presented a fascinating masterclass at 67 Pall Mall entitled 'Fighting for Freshness', in which he explained the challenges facing winemakers as they battle to cope with riper grapes and higher alcohol levels in a warming climate.
Not many are as excited as Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon about 2018s potential, a year he describes as having "the density of 2002 and the precision of 2008." During our visit, we also tasted the latest Cristal Vinothèque's and a mind-blowing pair of Cristal magnums.
Last week's Louis Roederer Cristal Vertical Tasting compared every vintage of Cristal produced this century, from 2000-2009. Guests also tasted the two latest vintages of Cristal Rosé, and Cristal 2006 from both bottle and magnum. Read the full write-up here.
Legendary Chef de Cave Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon took us on a remarkable tour of the 2017 vintage, sharing trials on organic and biodynamic farming. We also tasted a mesmerising range of champagnes, including Cristal Vinothèque 1995.
Our Prestige Cuvée vs Vintage Champagne tasting with Jancis Robinson MW at 67 Pall Mall on Wednesday evening was a roaring success. Read our review, see the results and browse the pictures.
Is there a better way to spend a Sunday evening than dinner with Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon at the Louis Roederer family mansion? We tasted new Cristal 2008 and the exclusive late-release Cristal Vinothèque 1995.
Jancis Robinson MW, accompanied by The Finest Bubble journeyed to Champagne at the end of August to visit nine champagne houses. Read her in depth report.
Last week, the Gold and Silver medal results for the 2017 CSWWC were announced. We discuss the noteworthy winners and exciting future releases entered and highlight the best performing Houses and vintages.
In the first of our Vins Clairs 2016 articles, we recount our visit to Louis Roederer to taste the 2016 base wines. Chef de Cave Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon had a lot to say about both the present and the future...
An experience worthy of sharing, very recently I journeyed to France with Louis Roederer to explore the magnificent vineyards and all things Louis Roederer. Find out more
