Louis Roederer Champagne Cristal 2008
Disgorged in October 2016, this will be the first Cristal to be released 10 years from harvest when it is offered in 2018. So fresh and tense and minerally with extremely exuberant chardonnay notes on the nose of white peach, lemon and yellow grapefruit, and hints of almost brambly aromas. The yeast character is also super fresh, and there are subtle woody notes, with a hint of vanilla bean and light spices. The palate is super long, and very pure, powerful and focused. Pinot noir is a strong core and the chardonnay sits at the edge offering lemon and white nectarine sorbet flavours. This will be at its best from 2025. 100 points