Limited Stocks. Price £450.00. Late Release: It is always fascinating to re-discover vintages of Cristal that have been left to mature in the cellars after being disgorged 9 years after its disgorgement date, this Cristal has taken on a whole new dimension and the finish reminds us of a fine white from our neighbour Burgundy. Impressive and extremely seductive! Tasting Notes: The nose is flawless, aromatic, intense, deep and dense. It reveals an exceptionally rich and complex bouquet dominated by fruity, zesty and roasted aromas combined with enticing notes of vanilla and a hint of truffle. This wine coats the palate with its texture and volume on entry to the palate and offers a concentrated mouthfeel underpinned by a smooth effervescence. But there is definitely a little extra something on the finish: exceptional finesse, a chalky freshness and a menthol touch which give it such intensity on the finish, the signature of a fine white wine. Everything is as it might be imagined of a wine of this calibre! Elegant, harmonious, full-bodied, energetic and precise. Winemaking: Cristal is the flagship cuvée from Louis Roederer. Created in 1876, it is composed of Grands Crus from the Montagne de Reims, the Vallée de la Marne and the Côte des Blancs. Cristal 2002 was aged on its lees for 6 years before being matured for a further 9 years in bottle after its disgorgement in 2009. The dosage is 9 g/l. Vintage 2002: An extraordinary year with all the qualities of an exceptional vintage in Champagne: consistently warm temperatures yet without excessive sunshine or heat, a particularly mild winter, slightly less rainfall than average during the growing cycle (20% less), cool nights and a cool, dry northeast wind in August and September. These exceptional conditions resulted in optimum ripeness levels in the grapes and good concentration of flavour. The harvesting began on the 12 September for the Chardonnays which were displaying an average sugar concentration of over 11% in natural alcohol. Technical Information: 40% Pinot Noir, 60% Chardonnay 17% vinified in oak casks No malolactic fermentation