1995 Louis Roederer Cristal Vinothèque

Disgorged in 2010 and re-launched in September 2017, Roederer's low dosed 1995 Cristal Vinothèque (dosage: six to seven grams per liter) is very intense on the nose and shows lovely maturity. Due to the vintage, which saw some rain in the summer, the Chardonnay part is a bit higher than usual (43% instead of 40%), with just 57% Pinot Noir (from Aÿ). Five percent of the wine was fermented in oak, and 15% underwent malolactic fermentation (only the Pinot Noir though). The palate is rich and vinous but also pure, straight and fresh, finishing with a tight structure, persistent minerality and a yeasty character. Tasted in Reims in May 2018. Since September 2017, there is another Cristal: Vinothèque! With only "a few bottles" released in a few, hand-selected markets, the "other Cristal" is more than the late-release edition of Cristal. In fact, it has been 20 years in the making: 14 years sur latte and seven years sur bouchon. "Twenty or so years is a good time lapse to show the best of Cristal," says cellar master Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon, who adds a significantly lower dosage to the Vinothèque than he did for the original Cristal. The 1995 is the inaugural vintage for both the white and rosé, and it will be followed by the 1996 (in September this year), 1997 and 1999.