2014 Louis Roederer Cristal Brut, Champagne

A dazzling, vibrant Champagne, the 2014 impresses with a stunning combination of fruit density and linear energy that brings to mind a hypothetical blend of 2012 and 2008. At times, the bubbles feel totally wrapped up in waves of creamy, resonant fruit to the point the mousse is barely perceptible, especially with aeration. The flavors are bright and finely sculpted, leaning very much into the citrus, floral and mineral end of the spectrum. The 2014 Cristal is a riveting Champagne. Don’t miss it.

98 points Antonio Galloni vinous.com February 2022

Medium straw-yellow colour, with a super-complex bouquet that summons nougat, almond-iced pastries, peanut brittle and lemon juice. A hint of milk powder. The palate is searingly intense and powered by vivacious lemony acidity, while the creaminess of the mousse is exquisite. The finish is very long and refined, the texture creamy and seamless in its effortless flow. A wonderful wine, but the acidity is challenging solo and it really cries out for food, even something as simple as oysters. I'd give it more time to lose its austerity. (60% pinot noir, 40% chardonnay. 32% vinified in oak. No malolactic. Dosage 7 grams/litre.)

98 points Huon Hooke therealreview.com 1 February 2022

Every glass of wine is a story and when it comes to the Cristal, the story is being continually added to with every vintage.

The 2014 is an exercise in patience. 60% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay with no malolactic fermentation, no chaptalisation and a dosage of 7g/l. Older oak was used to really stretch the palate of this taut, tight and nervy wine and the dosage was more to calm this exuberant wine rather than add sweetness. Jean-Baptiste actually recommended that at this stage in its life, taste it every day over a 5 day period to get the merest glimpse of what lies ahead.

The fruit was picked later in the season of 2014 than usual. Still, the low potassium levels of the vineyard leant a fresh and racy salinity to the wine that could easily be mistaken as high acidity. The extra hang time gives complexity and flavours of ripe peaches, fresh strawberries, toast, hazelnuts and vanilla. Chardonnay is particularly pertinent to the bubble development resulting in an elegant, precise, vivid and graceful wine.

In a recent conversation with Roederer’s Cellar Master Jean-Baptiste Lecaillon, I asked him where the intersection of art and science lay for him as he often waxes lyrical about poetry and art as much as the making of the wine itself. You may have learned from my previous reviews that I too tend to get very whimsical and poor Gary gets blamed for my talk of couture dresses and all things diaphanous or sparkly. Jean-Baptiste said that the vineyard was planted the same year that Baudelaire composed Les Fleurs du Mal. Baudelaire always insisted that the collection was not a “simple album” but had “a beginning and an end,” each poem revealing its full meaning only when read in relation to the others within the “singular framework” in which it is placed. I think that Cristal carries some of that with it, each vintage is its own piece but also tells a story when placed alongside the other vintages. It also tells the tale of the world around it, grapes, vineyard management, climate change and more all become woven into the tapestry of the wine.

With this, it seems the poetry and artistic delight that comes through with each vintage will continue in my reviews because it seems that this is something that J-B himself is creating. By taking the materials that he is presented with he is continually turning them into something that commands as much attention and excitement as a Met Gala gown.
97 Points – WineFront, Mar-22, Drink  2022 - 2045