Hi-Time's 12 Champagnes of Christmas
This iconic Champagne, first made in the 19th century for the Tsar of Russia, is a magical amalgamation of wines from Roederer's best organically farmed plots in Avize, Cramant, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, Verzenay, Verzy, Beaumont-sur-Vesle, Aÿ and Mareuil-sur- Aÿ. While we can never remember having had a mediocre bottling of Cristal, this 2016 is destined to be one for the ages as the following notes make clear.
WINE SPECTATOR 96+ POINTS - "The finest rendition since 2013, the 2016 Cristal has turned out beautifully. A vintage that Lecaillon describes as “difficult in the vineyards but beautiful in the cellar,” it had suffered slightly in reputation due to the gloomy mood during the challenging growing season, but the results are indeed impressive. The fifth edition produced entirely from organically farmed and certified fruit, and heavily based on Pinot Noir, the 2016 represents the contemporary quality of Cristal, combining the concentration of 2002 with the precision and cut of 2013. Disgorged in July 2024 with a dosage of seven grams per liter, it opens in the glass to reveal a bouquet of lemon zest, white flowers and peeled almond, framed by youthful reduction. On the palate, it is bright and electric, with a pure core of fruit, pinpoint mousse and a textural attack, concluding with a long, saline finish. Drink it alongside the 2015, and it will illuminate its clarity and integration."
DECANTER MAGAZINE 97 POINTS - "Cristal 2016 represents a return to purity and classicism for this cuvée, even seen through the lens of 2016's ripe, generous nature. It is discreet in youth, cloaking its ripeness in long, chalky, stony energy. Gentle mandarin, pale apricot and raspberry fruit sit under slowly maturing notions of floral honey and tight, smoky charm. An airy, flowing delicacy and persistence lifts this above some other expressions of this year. It's a hugely promising Cristal, likely to stand as tall as the sought-after 2012 and 2013 releases."
WINE ADVOCATE 97 POINTS - "The 2016 Cristal is a taut, incisive rendition of this benchmark bottling, unwinding in the glass with youthfully reserved aromas of citrus oil, white flowers, wet stones and subtle hints of sweet, buttery pastry. Medium to full-bodied, chiseled and racy, it's almost as electric as the brilliant 2013, with serious concentration, a pure core of fruit, chalky structuring dry extract and a long, intensely mineral finish. Given its tightly wound profile, my advice is to forget it in the cellar for a few years and work on the more open, outgoing 2014 in the meantime."
Jean-Baptise Lecaillon described 2016 as a complicated season, much like 2021 and 2024 (so far). Heavy pressure from downy mildew in spring and powdery mildew in summer made for low yields and caught some growers unawares, perhaps explaining why this vintage is a notable omission from a number of houses' portfolios. An August heat wave made for ripe Pinot Noir, with thick skins, contributing density and extract; and so, to temper that, Lecaillon and his team included a touch more Chardonnay than usual, fully 42% versus a more habitual 40%. That Chardonnay, somewhat reductive in profile, amplifies the 2016 Cristal's taut, chiseled profile. Only 32 of the 45 parcels that are candidates for inclusion in Cristal's blend made the final cut; but neither the Montagne de Reims nor the Vallée de la Marne predominate, as both had their contribution to make. The result is a classic in the best sense of the term, and one that will offer a long and broad drinking window.
This iconic Champagne, first made in the 19th century for the Tsar of Russia, is a magical amalgamation of wines from Roederer's best organically farmed plots in Avize, Cramant, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, Verzenay, Verzy, Beaumont-sur-Vesle, Aÿ and Mareuil-sur- Aÿ. While we can never remember having had a mediocre bottling of Cristal, this 2016 is destined to be one for the ages as the following notes make clear.
WINE SPECTATOR 96+ POINTS - "The finest rendition since 2013, the 2016 Cristal has turned out beautifully. A vintage that Lecaillon describes as “difficult in the vineyards but beautiful in the cellar,” it had suffered slightly in reputation due to the gloomy mood during the challenging growing season, but the results are indeed impressive. The fifth edition produced entirely from organically farmed and certified fruit, and heavily based on Pinot Noir, the 2016 represents the contemporary quality of Cristal, combining the concentration of 2002 with the precision and cut of 2013. Disgorged in July 2024 with a dosage of seven grams per liter, it opens in the glass to reveal a bouquet of lemon zest, white flowers and peeled almond, framed by youthful reduction. On the palate, it is bright and electric, with a pure core of fruit, pinpoint mousse and a textural attack, concluding with a long, saline finish. Drink it alongside the 2015, and it will illuminate its clarity and integration."
DECANTER MAGAZINE 97 POINTS - "Cristal 2016 represents a return to purity and classicism for this cuvée, even seen through the lens of 2016's ripe, generous nature. It is discreet in youth, cloaking its ripeness in long, chalky, stony energy. Gentle mandarin, pale apricot and raspberry fruit sit under slowly maturing notions of floral honey and tight, smoky charm. An airy, flowing delicacy and persistence lifts this above some other expressions of this year. It's a hugely promising Cristal, likely to stand as tall as the sought-after 2012 and 2013 releases."
WINE ADVOCATE 97 POINTS - "The 2016 Cristal is a taut, incisive rendition of this benchmark bottling, unwinding in the glass with youthfully reserved aromas of citrus oil, white flowers, wet stones and subtle hints of sweet, buttery pastry. Medium to full-bodied, chiseled and racy, it's almost as electric as the brilliant 2013, with serious concentration, a pure core of fruit, chalky structuring dry extract and a long, intensely mineral finish. Given its tightly wound profile, my advice is to forget it in the cellar for a few years and work on the more open, outgoing 2014 in the meantime."
Jean-Baptise Lecaillon described 2016 as a complicated season, much like 2021 and 2024 (so far). Heavy pressure from downy mildew in spring and powdery mildew in summer made for low yields and caught some growers unawares, perhaps explaining why this vintage is a notable omission from a number of houses' portfolios. An August heat wave made for ripe Pinot Noir, with thick skins, contributing density and extract; and so, to temper that, Lecaillon and his team included a touch more Chardonnay than usual, fully 42% versus a more habitual 40%. That Chardonnay, somewhat reductive in profile, amplifies the 2016 Cristal's taut, chiseled profile. Only 32 of the 45 parcels that are candidates for inclusion in Cristal's blend made the final cut; but neither the Montagne de Reims nor the Vallée de la Marne predominate, as both had their contribution to make. The result is a classic in the best sense of the term, and one that will offer a long and broad drinking window.
