As one of the world’s most collectible Champagnes, Louis Roederer's iconic Cristal is an enduring treasure for every type of wine drinker. As Champagne’s first tête de cuvée, its celebrity is well-earned, but for all the mystique and grandeur, the wine itself is a masterpiece of immense patience and supreme terroir.

From Russia with Love: The Origins of Cristal's Prestige

Since its inception in 1876, Louis Roederer's prestige cuvée Cristal has secured its place as one of Champagne's most coveted and mythical wines. Before hip-hop and fashion trends steered a modern audience toward the striking golden icon, Russia was the original trendsetter — Cristal Champagne was first created exclusively for Russian Tsar Alexander II, upon his request. With political instability and constant fear of assassination haunting him, Alexander requested the bottle be shaped flat on the bottom (without a punt, within which a bomb might be smuggled in) and clear (to keep weapons from concealment). By the early 20th century, with the Russian Revolution and the Depression severely affecting business, the Roederer Estate went into a steep decline. It was a make-or-break moment for the firm, which was shrewdly propped up by 4th generation Camille Olry-Roederer who made the bold decisions needed to push through the toughest years and re-establish their brand on a global scale. It was in this fateful era in which Cristal Champagne was finally released to the public.

Cristal's Hidden Virtue

While vibrant and immensely satisfying in its youth, with extended cellar age Cristal truly blossoms to reveal extraordinary depth. One of the many overlooked pleasures in life is aged Champagne, a delicacy overlooked by the “carpe diem'' crowd. Delayed gratification is not always an important goal when there’s ready access to a beautiful bottle of Champagne, but Cristal Champagne can be worth the wait if you’re up to the challenge. The immense complexity that can come with 10-20 years of patience can result in layers of brioche, dried fruits, and chalky minerality, with surprising persistence on the palate. It’s an experience worth seeking out and embracing whole-heartedly.

Cristal Champagne: Special Bottles for Special Occasions

Explore the range of Cristal styles we are offering today, including the 2009 Cristal which is singing with lush fruit expression, the more chiseled and energetic 2015 Cristal, which Lisa Perrotti-Brown ensures will “undoubtedly reward the patient with a richer, toastier, more obvious and opulent style,” and the copper-hued 2013 Cristal Rosé, which Wine Advocate describes as “full-bodied, layered multidimensional…amply cloaked in exuberant, expressive and notably concentrated fruit.”