Louis Roederer Cristal

Why we follow Louis Roederer Cristal

The estate

A family-owned Reims house founded in 1776 and run by CEO Frédéric Rouzaud, the seventh generation. Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon has been chef de cave and deputy managing director since 1999. Roederer is unusually estate-based, owning around 240 hectares that supply roughly 70 per cent of its non-vintage and all of its vintage needs, a rarity among the grandes marques.

The vineyards

Cristal is drawn from up to 45 plots across seven Grand Cru sites in the Montagne de Reims, Marne Valley and Côte des Blancs, all farmed biodynamically. Roederer has led the grandes marques on organics and biodynamics, with about half the estate certified organic, half biodynamic, and the remainder converting.

In the glass

The Cristal blend typically runs 55 to 60 per cent Pinot Noir and 40 to 45 per cent Chardonnay, with partial oak for some parcels and a minimum of six years on lees. From the 2012 vintage, Cristal has been made entirely from biodynamically farmed fruit. Cristal was created in 1876 for Tsar Alexander II in a clear, flat-bottomed bottle, so that no bomb could be hidden in the punt. Roederer's decision to avoid malolactic fermentation in warm dry years is part of its freshness-preserving philosophy.

With Lamont’s

Offered through the Private Cellar Selection, generally following the October release. Register your interest and we will contact you when the next allocation is confirmed.