Personal advice
Cristal 2008 is still very young but appears to have all the components to become the benchmark for the perfect Cristal. Chef de Cave Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon at least considers it to be so. It matches his ideal: The mineral freshness and energy are exceptional. Other great Cristal vintages like 2002 and 2012 do not have it with this intensity.
In recent years, Louis Roederer has made great progress in the vineyard. The conversion to organic viticulture is accompanied by even more intensive vine care. All measures must be taken quickly. There is no option to solve problems chemically later.
Cristal is produced 100% from Louis Roederer's own Grand Cru plots. Up to 45 parcels are available for selection. In the 2008 vintage, the grapes were perfect everywhere, but 35 parcels were chosen for the cuvée. The 60% Pinot Noir from very mineral-rich sites in Verzenay, Verzy, and Beaumont-sur-Vesle shapes Cristal, but Aÿ also contributes to the blend.
Other houses like Bollinger and Pol Roger use more grapes from warmer Pinot Noir sites, which play hardly any role in Cristal with only three small parcels in Aÿ.
The 40% Chardonnays come from Cramant, Avize, and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger. The Chardonnay contributes lemon aromas and acidity. About a quarter of the wines were aged in oak barrels.
On the nose, lemon, candied citrus fruits, apricot, peach, tropical fruits, honey, brioche, almond, toast, mineral, and floral notes appear. The palate is intense, concentrated, with vibrant acidity; marked by pronounced minerality and salinity that provide freshness and enormous length.
Cristal is the fruit of a special vintage. Flowering suffered coulure, and millerandage occurred, resulting in many small berries. In Pinot Noir, this is an underestimated quality factor. The summer was dry but mostly cloudy and cool. Continuous sunny weather in September ensured perfectly ripe grapes.
A glance at the Alfavin cellar
A glance at the Alfavin cellar
A glance at the Alfavin Cellar