Cristal Vinothèque1996

Cristal Vinothèque pushes back time, giving full expression to its bubbles and its persistence. This champagne thus takes on a new identity, honed by a prolonged ageing process, spanning two decades, "sur lattes", "sur pointe" and then on the cork, and by late disgorgement. This exceptional champagne, replenished by time, faithfully embodies our quest for perpetual freshness.

The result of a bespoke ageing process, the champagne first undergoes a long period of resting on the lees of between 8 and 12 years: this preparatory phase allows the aromas of the champagne to evolve and the structure of the wine to develop complexity.

After riddling, the wine is left sur pointe: this suspends the passage of time and the wine rests for 5 to 10 years.

Then comes the period of resting on the cork: once disgorged, the wine has found its ideal home for resting in the perfect conditions of the Louis Roederer cellars, dug deep into the rock, where it remains for 2 to 6 years. Honed by this period of waiting and resting, guided by the decisions of the cellar master, the wine slowly acquires a lustre. The cellar master therefore gives it a lower dosage (1 or 2 grams less) than the original Cristal creating a champagne that is fresher and more gastronomic.

After all these years spent resting underground, the wine does not show the mark of time; its aromatic notes, at their perfect point of balance, remain fresh and lively. Cristal Rosé Vinothèque exhales the notes of the original Cristal mingled with smokier and fruitier overtones of surprising youthfulness. A subtle combination of the year's sunny maturity and chalky freshness, this creamy, velvety champagne brings us an incredible sensation of lightness and finesse and, of course, superb length.

Cristal Vinothèque is the ultimate Cristal experience, its finest expression and the culmination of our craft. After two long decades spent meditating, it is finally ready to dazzle you. However, it sees no reason to rush and will happily continue to rest for a few more years or even decades, in a cool, dark cellar with its orange cellophane protecting it from light, until you decide that its time has come…