Cristal 2007 is Louis Roederer's flagship vintage Champagne from a year the house thinks is underrated. It leans a little more to Chardonnay than usual and is now well into its drinking window.
About This Champagne
2007 started with a warm spring and early budburst, turned cool and damp in summer, then dried out for a good end to ripening. The blend is 58% Pinot Noir and 42% Chardonnay from grand cru sites in the Montagne de Reims, the Vallée de la Marne and the Côte des Blancs. About 15% of the wine was matured in oak with weekly lees stirring, and none of it went through malolactic fermentation. It spent about five years in the cellars, then rested eight months after disgorgement. Dosage is 9.5 g/l. Critics praised its early charm and its chalky tension.
Tasting Profile
- Nose: Williams pear, redcurrant and warm pastry, opening to white chocolate, hazelnut and a smoky note.
- Palate: Concentrated and silky, with ripe fruit, fine bubbles and a salty, chalky edge.
- Finish: Precise and lasting, with toast, citrus peel and a light spicy lift.
Serving & Food
Cool it to 8 to 10°C and serve in a tulip glass. It is in a good place now and should hold for another decade. The chalky edge works with sushi and sashimi, steamed garoupa with soy, or simply grilled lobster.
How to Enjoy
A celebration bottle that is ready to open, or a gift for a friend who prefers fine, mineral Champagne to rich styles.
Product Details
Producer: Louis Roederer
Vintage: 2007
Country: France
Region: Champagne
Grape Variety / Blend: 58% Pinot Noir, 42% Chardonnay
Dosage: 9.5 g/l
Format: 750ml
About the Maison
Louis Roederer traces its roots to a Reims wine business set up in 1776. Louis Roederer inherited the firm in 1833, gave it his name and began buying vineyards at a time when most houses simply bought grapes. That habit shaped everything since: the house now farms roughly 240 hectares across the Montagne de Reims, the Vallée de la Marne and the Côte des Blancs, and it is still independent and family owned, run today by Frédéric Rouzaud.
Cristal was first made in 1876 for Tsar Alexander II, who asked for a flat-bottomed, clear bottle so nothing could be hidden beneath it. It went on general sale after the Second World War. It is made only in years the house thinks worthy, from its own grand cru vineyards, and each bottle is wrapped in gold cellophane to shield the clear glass from light.