1996 Louis Roederer Cristal
Buying options
Tasting notes
Still pale straw. Really exciting interest on the nose. Hints of gingerbread and electricity(!). Such creamy texture and some baked apples but real grip and tension. This is just coming into its own – demonstrating how long one should ideally wait for Cristal… Great undertow of both fruit and structure.
Critic scores
Average Score
Richard Juhlin
The Wine Advocate
More reviews and scores
The 1996 Cristal is another highlight in a tasting full of thrilling wines. Cristal is all about finesse, nuance and understatement, all of which come through in spades here. Hints of apricot jam and wild flowers are laced into the soft, super-expressive finish.
It is, of course, insane to drink this wine this early. I quake at the thought of how much Cristal is going to be stolen from the cradle at nightclubs and fashionable restaurants in the rich parts of the world. I was almost ashamed when I—for professional reasons, of course—popped the cork. The entire register is certainly here already, but everything is so incredibly shy and subordinate to the high acidity. Buy all you can find and leave it forgotten for the time being in some dark corner of the basement. Having said that, certain bottles are already deliciously honeyed. Decanting is recommended at least up until 2004. Richard Juhlin, Champagne Club
Even though Cristal is typically very appealing upon release, the truth is that it needs serious cellaring to reveal its pedigree. Several recent bottles have been breathtaking. The aromatics, fruit and acidity are all beautifully woven together in this fabulous Cristal. Antonio Galloni, Wine Advocate November 2010
About the producer
Champagne Louis Roederer remains one of the last independent, family-run Grande Marque Champagne houses. It is best known for creating the first prestige cuvée and one of the region’s most celebrated wines, Cristal.