Wine.com - Buy wines, wine clubs, gift baskets and more  
Wine.com - Buy wines, wine clubs, gift baskets and more
sign up for exclusive offers  sign up for savings | new shipping options | your account | track your order | customer care 
  SHIP TO
Proceed to Checkout view your cart
Louis Roederer Cristal Brut 2002
Louis Roederer Cristal Brut 2002

Click for larger view

Louis Roederer Cristal Brut 2002


Vintage

from Champagne, France

bubbly, sparkling & champagne
great wine gifts
collectible wine
Wine & Spirits 100 point ratingWine & Spirits 100 point rating
Wine Enthusiast 98 point ratingWine Enthusiast 98 point rating
The Wine Advocate 96 point ratingThe Wine Advocate 96 point rating
Connoisseurs' Guide 96 point ratingConnoisseurs' Guide 96 point rating
ratings pedigree (past vintages):
2000
Wine & Spirits Wine & Spirits 95 point ratingWine & Spirits Wine & Spirits 95 point rating
1999
The Wine Advocate The Wine Advocate 98 point ratingThe Wine Advocate The Wine Advocate 98 point rating
The Wine Advocate The Wine Advocate 98 point ratingThe Wine Advocate The Wine Advocate 98 point rating
Wine & Spirits Wine & Spirits 95 point ratingWine & Spirits Wine & Spirits 95 point rating
1997
International Wine Cellar International Wine Cellar 94 point ratingInternational Wine Cellar International Wine Cellar 94 point rating
Wine & Spirits Wine & Spirits 92 point ratingWine & Spirits Wine & Spirits 92 point rating
1996
The Wine Advocate The Wine Advocate 95 point ratingThe Wine Advocate The Wine Advocate 95 point rating
The Wine Advocate The Wine Advocate 95 point ratingThe Wine Advocate The Wine Advocate 95 point rating
Wine & Spirits Wine & Spirits 95 point ratingWine & Spirits Wine & Spirits 95 point rating
1995
Wine & Spirits Wine & Spirits 95 point ratingWine & Spirits Wine & Spirits 95 point rating
Wine Enthusiast Wine Enthusiast 92 point ratingWine Enthusiast Wine Enthusiast 92 point rating
Wine Enthusiast Wine Enthusiast 92 point ratingWine Enthusiast Wine Enthusiast 92 point rating
1994
Wine Enthusiast Wine Enthusiast 92 point ratingWine Enthusiast Wine Enthusiast 92 point rating
Wine Enthusiast Wine Enthusiast 92 point ratingWine Enthusiast Wine Enthusiast 92 point rating
1993
Wine Spectator Wine Spectator 90 point ratingWine Spectator Wine Spectator 90 point rating
1990
Wine Spectator Wine Spectator 94 point ratingWine Spectator Wine Spectator 94 point rating
1989
Wine Spectator Wine Spectator 92 point ratingWine Spectator Wine Spectator 92 point rating
1988
The Wine Advocate The Wine Advocate 95 point ratingThe Wine Advocate The Wine Advocate 95 point rating
Price: $289.00 $179.99
Save $109.01 (38%)
  Buy Now
Buy A Case Now
Limit 12 bottles per customer
map the vineyardmap it 
send to a friendsend to a friend 
Print Cellar Notesprint cellar notes 
write a reviewwrite a review 
Add to wine listadd to wine list 
Item No. 95156 
winemaker's notes:

Cristal, the jewel and tête de cuvée of Champagne Louis Roederer, was created in 1876 for the Tsar Alexander II of Russia. It remains faithful to its origin, inspired by elegance and purity. Cristal is produced with regimented standards of winemaking that require a rigorous selection of crus, vintages, grapes, and wine.

Cristal is produced using only the finest vintages from crus guaranteed to originate from the Louis Roederer vineyard. All the exceptional characteristics of the 2002 vintage have literally been captured in this Cristal 2002, which is generous and lush, revealing perfect balance between concentration and finesse, freshness and vinosity, intensity and refinement. In three words: proud, rich and luxurious.

Cristal 2002 is brilliant yellow with light amber highlights and has a beautiful mousse with fine cordon of persistent and regular bubbles. The nose is intense and delicate, revealing a clean and well-blended mixture of flavors of honey, cocoa, lightly toasted hazelnuts, candied citrus fruit. A savory explosion of ripe fruit on the attack, the wine reveals red fruit, white chocolate, caramel and Danish pastry, typical of Cristal. Its silky, concentrated texture relies on its intense, powerful and vinous structure, but maintains refinement. The palate builds up to attain a delicious sensation of well-blended harmony of flavors. A fresh finish with a hint of bitterness makes it almost crunchy.

critical acclaim:

"If a wine could ever make you want to pull the top down on your '68 Ferrari convertible, rip off the rearview mirror and take off, this is it. It has a different kind of energy than the '02 Cristal Rose, which is more ethereal, like strawberries at the right hand of some ancient Gallic god. This is more insolent, brash, earth bound. All the scents and flavors seem to emanate frm limestone, as does the acidity, which hits at the front of the mouth and powers through the wine with the kind of solar energy that lifts mist off the white chalk on a cool morning in Cramant. The wine goes on for miles. It's already irresistible, and will only improve with ten, 20, 30 and 40 years of age."

100 Points

Wine & Spirits

"This is an exceptional wine, as is the vintage. The fruits—grapefruit, crisp red apple—balance with a fine yeasty character. There is a great depth of flavor, the fruits going in a pure line of freshness. The one problem is that it is much too young, the result of the demand from the market for the next vintage. Age this wine for at least four years."

98 Points

Wine Enthusiast

"Roederer's 2002 Cristal is still in its infant, fresh stage. Subtle notes of pears, flowers, spices, mint, minerals and oak are woven into a cashmere-like frame of extraordinary grace and elegance. This beautifully-sculpted Champagne possesses notable clarity but with the additional depth of fruit that is characteristic of this vintage. It is a gorgeous, seductive Cristal of the highest level. In 2002, Cristal is 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay with 10 grams of dosage. 20% of the wine was fermented in oak. "

96 Points

The Wine Advocate

"55% Pinot Noir; 45% Chardonnay. Its Pinot Noir portion notwithstanding, this wine has a crisp, chalky, lightly citrusy, lightly toasty aroma that is more than a little bit suggestive of an elegant Blanc de Blancs. And perhaps that is its secret. It is an incredibly refined yet deep wine whose suggestions of roasted soy and caramel are kept as complex nuances within a well-filled, refreshing, crisp set of flavors and a graceful, lengthy aftertaste. It occupies a comfortable middle ground between the quiet refinement of Dom Perignon and the bold approaches of the top Bollinger and Krug wines."

96 Points

Connoisseurs' Guide

"A suave customer, with hints of citrus, berry and coffee. Harmonious and refined, with freshness and a bright structure. The finish shows a lot of potential, with a mouthwatering aftertaste. Better than previously reviewed. Drink now through 2030."

92 Points

Wine Spectator

user reviews & lists:
number of reviews: 4 view all
number of lists: 3
3 out of 4 people would buy this wine again.
Rating Histogram:
 (3)
 (0)
 (0)
 (0)
 (1)
user reviews:
Create a review and share your thoughts with other customers.
  Not all it's portrayed to be - 9/1/2010
I would not buy this wine again
I expected a completely different taste. I honestly don't see why all the rappers are so crazy and obsessed with this champagne. I would rather drink drink a bottle of isopropyl alcohol rather than this champagne. I will never purchase again.

 
Comments(0)


  Celebration - 8/5/2010
I would buy this wine again
We had Cristal, along with caviar, the night we sold the house we lived in. It took 7 months of arbitration to do it, but we did it. The Cristal was great. Note the less than critical palate.

 
Comments(0)


Terry H - Russellville, AR (read all my reviews)
  really worth it! - 6/28/2010
I would buy this wine again
I bought this for my boyfriend's birthday gift having never tasted it and we LOVED it. I would buy this again. It's truely worth the price.

 
Comments(0)


user wine lists:
The top 3 most viewed lists that include this wine.

WWH113589_2002
Sign up and Save  
We'll email your welcome offer
right away!


Unlimited Shipping all year, just $49
Social:   Our Community | Blog | Facebook | Twitter
Copyright (c) 1999-2010 Wine.com, Inc. All rights reserved. Wine.com and logo are trademarks of Wine.com, Inc.


close
Legend
red wine
red
wine wine
white
pink & rosé wine
rosé
bubbly: sparkling & champagne
sparkling & Champagne
Kosher wine
Kosher
A Kosher wine begins like every other - as grapes on a vine. Once they reach the winery for crushing, the wine is under strict rabbinal supervision.
Screw Cap wine
Screw Cap
Many studies report and winemakers agree that screw caps protect wine better and preserve its flavor more effectively than cork. More importantly, screw caps eliminate cork taint caused by TCA, a compound which develops in a small percentage of corks and ruins the taste of wine.
Green wine
Green Wines
Wines that use sustainable, organic and/or biodynamic practices in the vineyard and/or winemaking process. We rely on a number of U.S. and International certifications to qualify wines "green."
Collectible wine
Collectible
These wines will improve from additional bottle age, when properly stored, and may show the greatest potential to increase in value.
Great Wine Gifts
Great Wine Gifts
These selected wines make impressionable gifts for wine enthusiasts and oenophiles alike.
Boutique Wines
Boutique Wines
These wines are made in limited quantities and are typically produced from single vineyard sources or made by small, artisanal wineries. While the winery may produce larger quantities, we limit wines with this designation to a 1,000 case production.
Watch the Video
Watch the Video
As always, Wine.com aims to give you the most information on a wine that we can, which is why we are thrilled to offer you video to enhance your wine knowledge and introduce you to some of our favorite wine experiences.
close
About Professional Ratings

These wine ratings are based on a 100-point quality scale, and are selected by each publication's unique criteria. Some wine ratings are expressed as ranges. When this occurs we will list the highest score in the range and note the full range within the tasting note.

While ratings may influence your decision, the ultimate judgment is your palate.

Wine Spectator Rating  
Wine Spectator
The Wine Advocate Rating  
Robert Parker's
 The Wine Advocate
Wine & Spirits Rating  
Wine & Spirits
James Halliday Rating  
James Halliday,
 Australian Wine Companion
Connoisseurs Guide  
Connoisseurs' Guide
International Wine Cellar Rating  
Stephen Tanzer's
 International Wine Cellar
Wine Enthusiast Rating  
Wine Enthusiast
The Wine News  
The Wine News
Burghound.com Rating  
Allen Meadows'
 Burghound.com
 
PinotReport Rating  
PinotReport
Wine.com is not sponsored by, affiliated or associated with PinotReport, Burghound.com, Wine Spectator, Wine Enthusiast, The Wine Advocate, Wine & Spirits, International Wine Cellars, Connoisseurs' Guide, The Wine News, or the Australian Wine Companion
close
Please login or create an account to create a wine list.
close
close