Louis Roederer Cristal Rosé 2015
Pale, luminous pink colour, crossed by a fine effervescence. The nose opens on blood orange and rose petal, then fresh raspberry; on aeration, toasted hazelnut comes through. The attack is delicate, almost caressing; the creamy texture, born of the infusion of pinot noir, remains carried by a chalky…
TOUS LES CHAMPAGNES LOUIS ROEDERERThe expert verdict
The structure of this champagne
TASTING NOTES
Pale, luminous pink colour, crossed by a fine effervescence. The nose opens on blood orange and rose petal, then fresh raspberry; on aeration, toasted hazelnut comes through. The attack is delicate, almost caressing; the creamy texture, born of the infusion of pinot noir, remains carried by a chalky freshness that nothing weighs down: no malolactic fermentation, and a measured dosage of 7 g/L. The finish, long and saline, returns to blood citrus and chalk. To be served at around 10-12°C, in a wine glass rather than a flute. As the cellar master himself says: Cristal Rosé needs a little more time than the white — it will still benefit from a few more years in the cellar.
The composition
Terroirs
The 2015 Cristal Rosé is born of a few precise plots. The pinot noir, 56% of the blend, comes from the Bonotte Pierre Robert, on the slopes of Aÿ, a grand cru of the Marne Valley: a chalky, south-facing slope swept by the wind. The chardonnay, 44%, comes from two grand cru lieux-dits of the Côte des Blancs: Pierre Vaudon in Avize and Montmartin in Mesnil-sur-Oger. 2015 was a sun-drenched vintage — a mild, humid winter, a hot, dry summer with record temperatures, then August rains that produced ripe, juicy, concentrated grapes. The colour is obtained by "infusion": the pinot noir grapes undergo cold maceration for five to eight days, without punching down, to extract fruit and aromas, then ferment with the chardonnay juice. 15% of the wines are vinified in oak barrels, without malolactic fermentation. Disgorged in March 2024, more than eight years after the harvest, and dosed at 7 g/L.
About this house
Founded in Reims in 1776, Louis Roederer is one of the last great Champagne houses to remain family-owned and independent: Frédéric Rouzaud, the seventh generation, now runs it, and Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon signs the wines as cellar master. Its name remains linked to Cristal, created in 1876 for Tsar Alexander II, who wanted a bottle of clear crystal.
Cristal Rosé came a century later: in 1974, Jean-Claude Rouzaud envisioned an "amplified" version of Cristal, drawn from old pinot noir vines on the best slopes of Aÿ. The 2015 offers a sun-drenched yet fresh reading of it, praised by critics: 98/100 from Wine Spectator, 97 from James Suckling and from Vinous.
The perfect pairing
Aperitif
The wine's toasted hazelnut meets the aged parmesan; the chalky freshness cuts through the buttery shortbread and leaves you wanting more.
Starter
A drizzle of oil, a few citrus zests: the saline finish and blood orange notes of Cristal Rosé extend the delicate flesh of the raw sea bass.
Main course
The red fruit of the pinot noir from Aÿ calls for delicate, roasted flesh; the wine's creamy texture pairs with the quail's juices without overwhelming them.
