1999 Champagne Louis Roederer, Cristal Rosé, Brut

Rich and dense and round. It has an alluring sweetness and is so flattering.

Drink 2022 - 2035

Still incredibly youthful and primary, the 1999 Cristal Rosé offers plenty of power, but it is clearly much less refined than the other wines in this tasting, tough company, it must be admitted. Still, the 1999 looks like it will drink well for many years even if it is a bit compact and rough around the edges next to the other wines in the range. With time in the glass, hints of game, smoke and wild flowers with distinctly Pinot-leaning inflections add character.

This recent vertical of Cristal Rosé was remarkable for so many reasons. The wines were absolutely brilliant throughout. Two vintages, the 1995 and 1996, mark the first official releases from Roederer’s new Late-Disgorged program. Above all else, though, I was deeply impressed with the singular personality of Cristal Rosé, something that came through loud and clear in every bottle. Although this tasting spanned just nine vintages, Cristal Rosé has built an enviable track record over the years, making it among the most – if not the single most – consistently outstanding Rosé Champagne in the market.

Drink 2015 - 2024

Dark pink. Rich and complex on the nose, showing an array of red berries, cherry pit, fruitcake and pungent rose scents. Fresh, strikingly pure and spicy, with vibrant cherry and raspberry flavours deepened by notes of floral honey and nutmeg. This has real size and a rich, chewy texture but it's also impressively balanced, with equal parts finesse and power. Finishes with an exotic spicy note and superb length.

To make this rosé, Pinot Noir from two of Roederer’s parcels in Aÿ was lightly macerated before being blended with two grand cru parcels of Chardonnay. The result is a pale, elegantly fragrant Champagne, marked by a silky refinement and a subtle, detailed complexity. Like the 1999 Cristal blanc, this rosé feels broader and more generous than the original release, although it remains tense and energetic on the finish, infused by prominent notes of chalk.

Drink 2020 - 2030

The complexity of chocolate, toasted almonds, praline, burnt toffee, mushrooms, and earth here is stunning. There’s a beautiful, spiced cherry-biscuit edge, too. The palate has a suave, supple and silky feel with such fleshy depth and drive. So melted together in flavours, so succulently textural and full of dried-strawberry flavour. Long with plenty of time ahead. Disgorged in 2014 after seven years sur latte and seven years sur pointe. 

Drink or hold