Cristal. Louis Roederer the original prestige cuve in Champagne, created in 1876 exclusively for Tsar Alexander II of Russia in a flat-bottomed clear crystal bottle an innovation that allowed the Tsar’s security detail to see that no explosive device had been hidden beneath the bottle and commercially released to the public in 1945.

Louis Roederer founded his eponymous Champagne house in 1776, and Cristal’s 1876 creation for the Russian Imperial Court predates every other prestige cuve by decades. The flat-bottom clear crystal bottle is a direct legacy of the Tsar’s security requirement and has become Cristal’s defining visual signature the clear glass allowing the golden liquid to be visible in a way that colored glass bottles do not permit.

The liquid is a blend of grand cru Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from Roederer’s estate vineyards, aged a minimum of 5 years on lees before disgorgement, with a small proportion of Roederer’s reserve wines from previous vintages added for complexity and consistency.

Tasting Notes

• Nose: Stone fruit, hazelnut, brioche, white flowers, citrus zest
• Palate: Silky, rich, creamy, dried fruit, mineral, brioche
• Finish: Very long, complex, elegant minerality

Specs

• House: Louis Roederer, Reims, Champagne, France (est. 1776)
• Style: Brut Champagne Grand Cru Pinot Noir and Chardonnay
• Aging: Minimum 5 years on lees
• Bottle: Flat-bottomed clear crystal original 1876 Tsarist design
• Size: 750ml

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Frequently Asked Questions

• Why does Cristal have a flat bottom? When created for Tsar Alexander II in 1876, the flat-bottomed design prevented explosives from being hidden under the bottle a security requirement from the Tsar’s protection detail following assassination attempts. The design became Cristal’s trademark.
• How does Cristal compare to Dom Prignon and Belle poque? Cristal emphasizes minerality and structure from its grand cru estate vineyards more austere and age-worthy than Belle poque’s delicate florality or Dom Prignon’s richness. Cristal is generally considered the most powerful and age-forward of the three prestige cuves.

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