1999 Champagne Louis Roederer, Cristal, Brut

The exceptional maturity of the harvest lowest acidity since 1959), along with the quality and quantity was reminiscent of great vintages like 1970 and 1982. In the Côte des Blancs, grape harvesting began on 14 September, while in the Marne Valley, Louis Roederer started two days before everyone else. Average degree levels varied between 10 and 12.5 °C, and the grapes were beautifully healthy.

In the Montagne de Reims, everything began on 20 September. During this time, the more abundant plots continued to ripen. Yields from the vineyards of Verzenay and Verzy were close to record levels. As in the Côte des Blancs, weather conditions in August and early September made quality compatible with high yield, thus promising a great vintage. Disgorged 2011. 57% Pinot Noir. Dosage 8 g/l with the same wine.

Lovely richness on the nose with real spread of crème pâtissière but very tight and refreshing too. Very satisfying. At peak and very flattering. Long and fresh. Spreads opulently but not dully across the palate. So complete. Such lovely neatness.

Dosage is 9 grams per liter. Disgorged: 2006.

The 1999 Cristal is very pretty. It’s a rare Cristal vintage with a bit more Chardonnay than the norm. Apricot, spice, ginger, hazelnut and exotic tropical fruits all open with some aeration. The 1999 shows good depth and density, but it is hard to get past some of the angular contours that remain.

Drink 2023 - 2033

From the family collection, disgorged ten years after harvest, slightly lower than original dosage. A warm year, the hottest since 1959 at the time, this has high ripeness and plenty of spice, a touch reductive, gentle citrus peel and some candied tropical fruits, clear chalk, dried honey and brioche too. The palate has a compression to it, smooth and finely layered texture here, some flesh and some succulent texture, generous dried red cherry fruit flavours pressed together with layers of more savoury autolysis. Complex and textural Champagne.

One of the finest Champagnes I have ever brought to my lips, the 1999 Cristal bursts from the glass with fresh hazelnut and apple scents. Elegant, deep, and silky-textured, this medium to full-bodied beauty is immensely concentrated, pure, packed with apple flavors, and astoundingly long in the finish. Louis Roederer does not display a disgorgement date or consumer friendly lot number on its non-vintage Brut. This is regrettable as it has consistently been one of the finer bottlings in this category.