Roederer, Louis - Champagner Cristal brut 2009

JAMES SUCKLING: "A very rich and full-bodied Cristal that harks back to 2006 or 1989 in style. It's round and rich, which underlies the ripeness of the vintage. Lots of dried-apple and pineapple character with bread dough and flan flavors. The bubbles are so fine you almost don't notice them. Very vinous style. Drink now."

DECANTER: "Translusent, shimmering gold indicates a wine of poised ripeness; beautiful scents of orange blossom merge with sense of great chalky terroir. The purity and sublime texture of the mouthfeel owes a lot to non-malolactic winemaking which maintains freshness after the uninterrupted warmth of summer to harvest end. Also it also shows the essential true fruit now and for 20 years to come. Long lingering finish. A great supremely elegant Champagne. Dosage 8 g/l"

JEB DUNNUCK: "The 2009 Champagne Cristal is a beauty, with incredible richness as well as elegance, which are the hallmarks of this cuvée. Always a rough blend of 60/40 Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from estate vineyards, it has a toasty, yet pure bouquet of stone fruits, rising bread, white flowers, and toasted bread, as well as a terrific sense of chalky minerality. While it’s not built around sheer richness and power (à la Krug), it’s perfectly balanced, has a fine, fine mousse, and shines for its class and purity. Bravo! It’s going to keep for another two decades."

WINE ENTHUSIAST: "The latest incarnation of this famous Champagne now comes from Roderer's own vineyards, a good portion of which are run on biodynamic lines. This still-young wine has great depth and richness, a beautiful balance between ripe fruit and crisp texture that make it alive, crisp and bright. As it matures, it will deepen and become even more intense. Drink now if you must, but preferably wait until 2019. "

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "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."

FALSTAFF: "Helles Goldgelb, Silberreflexe, zartperliges Mousseux. Mit etwas Brioche unterlegte feine gelbe Apfelfrucht, unterlegt von Nuancen von Limetten und Orangenblüten, facettenreiches, mineralisches Bukett. Straff, sehr puristisch, weiße Kernobstnuancen, lebendig strukturiert, elegant, zeigt im Finale eine dezente Fruchtsüße, exzellente Länge, sicheres Reifepotenzial.2

WINE SPECTATOR: "This elegant Champagne is bright, with well-cut acidity married to a fine and creamy mousse and flavors of currant, toast, smoke-tinged mineral, white cherry and mandarin orange peel, followed by a fresh, lingering finish. Drink now through 2027."

JANCIS ROBINSON: "Disgorged in 2016, dosage 8 g/l. 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay, 16% of the cuvée is fermented in oak. Six years spent on the lees. Big and less precise than the 2012 and 2013. A little sweet and broad. Released before the 2008. Just a little loose."