Champagne Cristal Brut 2012 Mathusalem (600cl)
The 2012 Champagne Cristal Brut by Roederer is a sparkling white champagne from Champagne, crafted under the Cristal cuvée and classified as a Champagne Grand Cru. Its blend combines Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, in an indicated proportion of 55 to 60% Pinot Noir and 40 to 45% Chardonnay. Jancis Robinson awards it 18/20 and recommends drinking from 2020 to 2034; James Suckling rates it 95/100. Critics describe an ample and structured champagne with a long, linear finish.
La bouteille proposée
- Size
- Methuselah (600cl)
- Label Condition
- Perfect
- Fill Level
- Perfect
- Capsule Condition
- Perfect
Identité du vin
Cépage et assemblage
- Grape Variety
- Chardonnay, Pinot Noir
Roederer
Louis Roederer is a Champagne house based in Reims, founded in 1776 under the name Dubois et Fils. Remaining under family control and run by the Rouzaud family, it manages a vast vineyard spread across the Montagne de Reims, the Marne Valley and the Côte des Blancs. Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon is the cellar master and head of winemaking.
- Owner
- Famille Rouzaud
- Maître de chais
- Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon
- Surface (ha)
- 250.00 ha
- Production (average bottles per vintage)
- 3 800 000 bouteilles/an
Histoire du domaine
The company was founded in Reims in 1776 by Pierre-Joseph Dubois and his son under the name Dubois et Fils. In 1833, Louis Roederer inherited the business from his uncle, gave it his own name and began to expand its export operations. From the 1830s onwards, Hugues Krafft’s commercial efforts played a key role in establishing the house on the Russian market. In the mid-19th century, Louis Roederer also developed his own vineyard to ensure greater control over his supply of grapes. In 1852, the house moved to Boulevard Lundy in Reims, where buildings and cellars carved into the chalk were constructed. In 1876, Louis Roederer created Cristal for Tsar Alexander II of Russia. Following the untimely death of Louis Roederer II in 1880, his sister Léonie Olry-Roederer became the owner of the brand and the estates. Her son Louis-Victor, followed by her brother Léon Olry-Roederer, subsequently ran the house; on Léon’s death in 1932, his wife Camille Olry-Roederer took over the reins. Jean-Claude Rouzaud, Camille Olry-Roederer’s grandson, inherited the business in 1979 and expanded the family group. His son, Frédéric Rouzaud, has been at the helm of the house and the group since 2006. Since 2000, Louis Roederer has been applying practices to its vineyards inspired in particular by organic, biodynamic and regenerative agriculture; Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon is now the cellar master.
Cristal
Created at the request of Tsar Alexander II, Cristal is presented by Louis Roederer as the first prestige cuvée in the history of Champagne. Sourced from the estate's finest chalky plots, it is only produced when the vintage's maturity reaches the desired level. Its extended bottle aging and aging potential are central elements of its identity.
- Origin of the cuvée name
- The name Cristal refers to the transparent bottle specially designed for this cuvée, featuring a flat bottom.
- Cuvée creation year
- 1876
- Style of the cuvée
- A vintage champagne for long aging, seeking the balance between power and delicacy, precision, vinous depth, textural finesse, and chalky freshness.
- Position within the range
- Prestige cuvée and historical flagship of Louis Roederer, at the very top of the Maison's range.
Histoire de la cuvée
Louis Roederer created Cristal in 1876 at the request of Tsar Alexander II of Russia. The cuvée was given a distinctive, transparent, flat-bottomed bottle. It became the historical flagship of the Maison and subsequently gave birth to several complementary expressions, notably Cristal Rosé, Cristal Vinothèque, and Cristal Late Release.
