2009 Cristal
By Louis Roederer
2009 Cristal from Louis Roederer
Exhibit 'A' of subtlety meeting audacity in a spellbinding dance across the palate, the 2009 Cristal from Louis Roederer manages to encapsulate the character of an intriguing vintage. This exquisite release arose from a year marked by warm, dry conditions during the vital ripening months for grapes, and it's a testament to Roederer's adroit artistry in the vineyard and cellar.
Decoding the Drama of 2009
The anticipation surrounding the 2009 vinification was palpable, a year noted for its summer warmth which reached unusual levels in Champagne. This nurtured grapes with tremendous maturity, full-bodied potency and phenomenal freshness—a combination which sets this vintage apart.
The 2009 Cristal seizes hold of this unique climatic narrative, embedding it within each bead of its effervescent mantle. Yet, it never loses sight of its noble heritage or Louis Roederer's unwavering devotion to quality and precision.
Palette Unveiled: Structured Complexity meets Multilayered Grace
Olympian in its balance, the 2009 Cristal's bouquet unfurls with precision and rhythm—the gilded touch of honeyed brioche, citric bursts of lemon peel, and an undercurrent of minerality—ripples of complexity that zing and zip on a bedrock of profound depth.
The mouthfeel is an orchestration of structured power tempered by elegance. The enduring finish speaks not only to its ageworthy structure—an aspect much prized by wine investors—but also to the laser-focused directionality that weaves a gossamer skein around the potent force latent within these golden droplets.
Capture the Essence: Invest in Timeless Elegance
An extraordinary investable opportunity for oenophiles with a discerning eye for both quality and potential returns, the 2009 Cristal is an exemplar of Louis Roederer's craftsmanship. A significant proof point that even in challenging vintages, committed winemakers can skillfully orchestrate a symphony from their vines. Each sip echoing both timeless elegance and its distinctive crescendo—the nuances of a warmer year—a fitting ode to Champagne's resilience amidst ever-changing climatic variables.
Do more than taste excellence—own it. In crystalline precision, captured within each flute pour—the 2009 Cristal from Louis Roederer offers you that chance.
Current market price
£2,140.00
12x75cl
Highest score
95
POP score
142.67
Scores and tasting notes
The 2009 Cristal is a blend of Grands Crus from the Montagne de Reims, the Vallée de la Marne and the Côte des Blancs (a total of 33-34 parcels of which 40% were farmed biodynamically). Like the 2008 Cristal, the 2009 also blends 60% Pinot Noir with 40% Chardonnay, and 16% of the wine was vinified in oak casks. No malolactic fermentation was done. The 2009 was aged for six years in the cellars and was disgorged in March 2016 with a dosage of eight grams per liter. Released two years ago, the 2009 is just starting another, more "Burgundian" life. Tasted in May 2018, the bouquet was pretty reductive, with flinty and toasty/nutty notes and some potted ginger flavors. Full-bodied, round and rich on the palate, this is a stunningly pure, fresh and salty 2009 that is driven by its chalky terroir and the lingering salinity. Is it really 2009? It is ripe, yes, but driven by the strength of chalk. The finish is pure, clean, fresh, very complex and long yet delicate and endlessly salty. However, two years after disgorgement, the 2009 Cristal is closing down and in a pretty reductive stage right now. Tasted May 2018.
Stephan Reinhardt - The Wine Advocate, 18 June 2018