A limited number of Cristal Vinothèque bottles were therefore aged “sur lattes” for around ten years. Their “dosage” was lower than usual, but just enough to allow them to make the trip through time comfortably. These very carefully prepared bottles were then cellar-aged in the Vinothèque, on their corks, for another ten years or so. The time had come to send Cristal lovers the message that, deep down in the Louis Roederer cellars in Reims, there is a small Vinothèque, where beauty knows no bounds.
2000 was a chaotic, difficult and very rainy year. A succession of storms were accompanied by destructive hailstorms, the worst of which was in the Montagne de Reims on 2 July. Summer saw oceanic weather conditions and gave rise to a very classic style of wine: smooth, lush, elegant and precise. These seductive and discreetly powerful wines show the beauty of the Chardonnay varietal at its finest.
Cristal Vinothèque 2000 celebrates the remarkable adventure of just a small number of bottles, laid down for 20 years in the Louis Roederer cellars, in the quest for perfect balance. This cuvée was aged for 11 years “sur lattes ” followed by 5 years “sur pointes ” and benefitted from a further 4 years rest after disgorgement.
Warm yellow hue with a deep core. Beautifully formed threads of bright, lively and ultrafine bubbles. The nose offers up juicy, crunchy notes of yellow fruit, toasted hazelnuts, honey, almonds and nougat. The restraint and delicacy of its aromas prevail, this Cristal needs to be understood in order to fully appreciate its nuances. The texture caresses the palate in gentle waves. The bubbles blend harmoniously into the wine's fabric and discreetly complement its everlasting, chalky freshness. This is a wine that is both generous and ripe yet remarkably restrained. The extraordinary finish is characterised by a powdery, saline freshness which gives it a light, ethereal and silky structure. Perfection.
Disgorged four years ago, with four grams per liter dosage, after a decade sur lattes and six years sur pointes, the 2000 Cristal Vinothèque bursts with notes of golden orchard fruit, mandarin, white flowers and iodine. Full-bodied, ample and powerful, with a deep and layered core, lively acids and a beautifully pearly mousse, it's a long, sapid Champagne that's showing very well today. As Lecaillon observes, the Vinothèque is the house's riposte to "everyone who says Cristal is released too young—with the Vinothèque releases, we've exaggerated the aging process to make Cristal more powerful and more dramatic." And this release is certainly a formidable effort in a vintage impacted by hail in the Montagne de Reims.-William Kelley
Louis Roederer is a Champagne house in Reims, best known for its flagship wine, Cristal. The house, established in the late 18th Century, is still family-owned, and produces a house style with equal amounts of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, with a small amount of Pinot Meunier.
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