Louis Roederer Cristal Brut 2006
- Decanter
-
Suckling
James -
Spectator
Wine -
Parker
Robert -
Enthusiast
Wine
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Glistening color with light amber highlights, indicating a year of very fine ripeness. Soft, almost timid bubbles, in a fine, slow and steady flow. There is a rich bouquet with confit fruit (lemon, orange), white flowers (lilies) and lightly roasted nuts (hazelnuts and almonds). On airing, the dominant fruitiness becomes intense, almost explosive: a sabayon of vine peaches,apricots, melon and mango. The mouth features a rounded, complex ballet of fruit. The texture is incredibly concentrated, giving the impression of biting into a ripe, fleshy fruit. The palate is enveloped by this depth of juicy, creamy, silky fruit, which soon makes way for a pure, sharp, graceful freshness. A transition follows from ripe fruit to a clear, light, delicate environment. Ripeness, softness and concentration arise from freshness and mineral quality, transforming the ripe fruit into a slightly sharp citrus flavor; the warmer notes make way for flowers, citrus zests and nuts. After this rapid succession of flavors, there is a lasting impression of harmony: the aromas, flavors, slight bitterness and freshness come in just the right proportions, intermingling to form a perfectly integrated yet complex whole. A few hints of tatin tart and Danish pastries add a final touch to the already complex range of aromas.
Blend: 55% Pinot Noir, 45% Chardonnay
Professional Ratings
-
Decanter
Fantastic from the start. A colossal power of beautiful rumbling Pinot maturity. It's like chewing on the ripest grapes from Ay and Verzenay. At the same time ultra stylish: unmistakable Cristal essence of peach and mango sweetness, pineapple, coconut, vanilla, sprightly acidity and citrus blossom. Many similarities with 2002 but with a clearer Pinot touch.
-
James Suckling
Deep maturing nose with plenty of ripe pear and apricot, plus a whiff of smoke. This is a big and powerful champagne with notes of spice and grapefruit alongside some red berry fruit from pinot noir. Long chalky finish that’s more vibrant than the first impression suggests. Tasted at the Cristal vertical tasting at the champagne house on July 6th, 2023.
-
Wine Spectator
This elegant version shows beautiful texture and a sense of finesse despite the underlying power of vibrant acidity and smoky minerality. The palate offers a finely layered mesh of blackberry, poached pear, almond pastry, lemon zest and pickled ginger flavors.
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2006 Cristal shows rich and ripe (tropical) fruit on the nose along with delicate brioche notes. Round and textured on the palate, this is a generous but fresh, fine and salty Cristal with a very long and greatly finessed finish. Tasted in New York, November 2018.
-
Wine Enthusiast
Although it is still young, this vintage of Cristal promises great things. There’s an impressive balance between ripe fruit and crisp acidity, rich and food friendly, but also a fine apéritif. Apricot and grapefruit flavors are round and rich, but with considerable minerality as well.
Other Vintages
2015-
Enthusiast
Wine -
Spirits
Wine & -
Suckling
James -
Spectator
Wine -
Dunnuck
Jeb -
Parker
Robert - Decanter
-
Spectator
Wine -
Dunnuck
Jeb -
Enthusiast
Wine -
Wong
Wilfred -
Suckling
James -
Parker
Robert - Decanter
-
Companion
Australian Wine -
Suckling
James -
Spirits
Wine & - Decanter
-
Dunnuck
Jeb -
Spectator
Wine -
Parker
Robert
-
Enthusiast
Wine -
Wong
Wilfred -
Spectator
Wine -
Parker
Robert -
Spirits
Wine & -
Suckling
James
-
Enthusiast
Wine - Decanter
-
Parker
Robert -
Spirits
Wine & -
Suckling
James -
Spectator
Wine
-
Dunnuck
Jeb -
Suckling
James -
Enthusiast
Wine - Decanter
-
Wong
Wilfred -
Parker
Robert -
Spectator
Wine
-
Wong
Wilfred -
Suckling
James -
Enthusiast
Wine -
Spirits
Wine & -
Spectator
Wine
-
Suckling
James -
Enthusiast
Wine -
Spirits
Wine & -
Spectator
Wine -
Parker
Robert
-
Enthusiast
Wine -
Parker
Robert -
Spirits
Wine & -
Suckling
James -
Spectator
Wine
-
Spirits
Wine & -
Suckling
James -
Enthusiast
Wine -
Parker
Robert -
Guide
Connoisseurs' -
Spectator
Wine
-
Parker
Robert -
Spirits
Wine &
-
Parker
Robert -
Spirits
Wine & -
Enthusiast
Wine
-
Parker
Robert -
Spirits
Wine &
-
Parker
Robert -
Spirits
Wine & -
Enthusiast
Wine
-
Spirits
Wine & -
Enthusiast
Wine
-
Enthusiast
Wine
-
Spectator
Wine
- Decanter
-
Parker
Robert -
Spectator
Wine
-
Spectator
Wine
-
Parker
Robert
Uncompromising Quality
Champagne Louis Roederer was founded in 1776 in Reims, France and is one of the rare family owned companies, which is still managed by the Roederer family. In 1833, Louis Roederer inherited the company from his uncle and renamed the company under his namesake. Under his leadership, the company rapidly grew while remaining true to their philosophy of uncompromising quality. Today, the company is under the helm of Jean-Claude Rouzaud and his son Frédéric who continue to place quality before quantity.
First-Rate Vineyards
Champagne Louis Roederer is one of the only French champagne producers to own nearly 75 percent of the grapes in the most desirable vineyards in the Champagne. The property is located on 450 acres in the finest villages of Montagne de Reims, Côtes des Blancs, and Valleé de la Marne. Each region is selected to produce Chardonnay and Pinot Noir with the elegance needed for perfectly balanced champagne. The Louis Roederer vineyards rate an average 98 percent based on France’s statutory 100-point classification scale.
The reserve wine is then tasted and graded by a team of Roederer specialists. They choose as many as 40 different wines from several lots for the blend. For the final touch, the wine is then added in order to enhance the cuvee and guarantee consistency while retaining the champagne's characteristics.
Representing the topmost expression of a Champagne house, a vintage Champagne is one made from the produce of a single, superior harvest year. Vintage Champagnes account for a mere 5% of total Champagne production and are produced about three times in a decade. Champagne is typically made as a blend of multiple years in order to preserve the house style; these will have non-vintage, or simply, NV on the label. The term, "vintage," as it applies to all wine, simply means a single harvest year.
Associated with luxury, celebration, and romance, the region, Champagne, is home to the world’s most prized sparkling wine. In order to bear the label, ‘Champagne’, a sparkling wine must originate from this northeastern region of France—called Champagne—and adhere to strict quality standards. Made up of the three towns Reims, Épernay, and Aÿ, it was here that the traditional method of sparkling wine production was both invented and perfected, birthing a winemaking technique as well as a flavor profile that is now emulated worldwide.
Well-drained, limestone and chalky soil defines much of the region, which lend a mineral component to its wines. Champagne’s cold, continental climate promotes ample acidity in its grapes but weather differences from year to year can create significant variation between vintages. While vintage Champagnes are produced in exceptional years, non-vintage cuvées are produced annually from a blend of several years in order to produce Champagnes that maintain a consistent house style.
With nearly negligible exceptions, . These can be blended together or bottled as individual varietal Champagnes, depending on the final style of wine desired. Chardonnay, the only white variety, contributes freshness, elegance, lively acidity and notes of citrus, orchard fruit and white flowers. Pinot Noir and its relative Pinot Meunier, provide the backbone to many blends, adding structure, body and supple red fruit flavors. Wines with a large proportion of Pinot Meunier will be ready to drink earlier, while Pinot Noir contributes to longevity. Whether it is white or rosé, most Champagne is made from a blend of red and white grapes—and uniquely, rosé is often produce by blending together red and white wine. A Champagne made exclusively from Chardonnay will be labeled as ‘blanc de blancs,’ while ones comprised of only red grapes are called ‘blanc de noirs.’