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Cristal, Louis Roederer 2005

Tasting Notes

The 2005 Cristal stands out for its exceptional inner perfume and elegance. Soft, delicate and pretty, the 2005 is a relatively immediate Cristal with all of the signatures very much in the right place. The 2005 doesn't have the opulence of the 2002 nor the focus of the 2004, but it is a very pretty, if somewhat small-scaled version of this iconic Champagne. I would drink the 2005 while the 2002 and 2004 age. Although Cristal has an impeccable track record when it comes to aging, personally I would not push it with the 2005. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2020.

Roederer fans will find plenty of delicious wines in this lineup. Best of all, many of the best wines this year won't break the bank. Unfortunately I did not taste Roederer's NV wines, as the house does not list disgorgement dates or base vintages on their labels. Still, there are few estates in Champagne that are so consistently outstanding across their entire range.

93
Antonio Galloni, RobertParker.com, November 2012

Rich, indulgent, baked character on the nose. Long, toasty palate. Certain minty freshness. Understated as yet.

17.5
Richard Hemming MW, JancisRobinson.com, June 2012
Please note that these tasting notes/scores are not intended to be exhaustive and in some cases they may not be the most recently published figures. However, we always do our best to add latest scores and reviews when these come to our attention. We advise customers who wish to purchase wines based simply on critical reviews to carry out further research into the latest reports.