1995 Louis Roederer Cristal Vinothèque Rosé
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Tasting notes
The 1995 Cristal Rosé Vinothèque (magnum) is soft, silky and very easy to enjoy. A Champagne with striking aromatic presence and no hard edges, the 1995 is all about subtlety, nuance and understatement. The pedigree and structure of the greatest vintages isn’t there, but in exchange the 1995 is wonderfully alluring and simply impossible to resist. This magnum is a late disgorgement from 2007. Longer aging on the lees naturally adds texture, which led Chef de Caves Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon to opt for 6.5 grams per liter, very low by Roederer standards.
Critic scores
The Wine Advocate
Jancis Robinson MW
More reviews and scores
Magnum. No MLF. 55% Pinot Noir. Eight years stored ‘sur latte’ (on their side) and eight ‘sur pointe’ (upside down) then disgorged. Glorious easy and round with great freshness. Very lively. (JR)
Decided to do exactly the same ageing as for the white. Grapes from four particularly ‘fleshy’ parcels: two parcels of Pinot Noir from Aÿ, and Chardonnay from Mesnil and Avize. Not a trace of blue in this! No extraction, but a real ‘infusion’ of flavours. Pinot juice is run off and 45% Chardonnay juice added, then alcoholic fermentation as a white wine (ie not red wine added to white wine). No skin contact. Pale orange matches lettering on label exactly. Broad and round and super-Pinot-fruity nose. Very clean and fresh. Neat and very sprightly. No apparent age. Though there is depth on the palate. Long and satisfying. Colour only from the early juice stage. Love the rose-petal flavour! (JR)
Very complete and very complex, offering well integrated, ripe pinot-noir fruit with an array of sweet flowers, ripe cherries and wet chalk. A gently sapid fruit texture on the palate, as well as composed, smooth and seamless textural charm. Beautiful balance of sweet fruit and acidity here. Very long, the soft, sweet tannins holding a darker, nutty finish. In a great drinking zone now.