Louis Roederer - Cristal Rose Champagne 2013 (Pre-arrival) (1.5L)
Price: $1245.00
| Producer | Louis Roederer |
| Country | France |
| Region | Champagne |
| Varietal | Chardonnay |
| Vintage | 2013 |
| Sku | 2800065 |
| Size | 1.5L |
Wine Advocate: 100 Points
The 2013 Cristal Rosé from Louis Roederer is one of the most complete wines to be found in Champagne in this vintage so utterly pure and precise that I would run the risk of exhausting superlatives trying to express its clarity. Displaying a pale hue it soars from the glass with a bouquet of kaleidoscopic complexity featuring notes of tangerine zest raspberry and rose petals mingling with peeled almonds and spices. Enjoyed from magnum disgorged in February 2024 the wine?s persistent palate offers a bright vibrant core of fruit refined mousse and fine-boned structure with racy and fresh acidity and a long chalky finish. ?With 2013 I was confident from day one which was not the case with 2008? recalls Jean-Baptiste Lecaillon and the result in the glass precludes any argument about it?the 2013 Cristal Rosé is a wine that?s structurally complete deep and multifaceted even more spectacular than the white 2013 Cristal. When I asked William Kelley why he gave 99 points to 2013 if he rated the 2008 Cristal Rosé with 100 he for a moment insisted to me that it was the other way around. This report covers the recent and forthcoming releases from Louis Roederer tasted with Jean-Baptiste Lecaillon in Reims earlier this year. Among these is the new Collection 245?a refined introduction to the house's evolving style it's a reimagined cuvée that has replaced their Brut Premier. The focus of this wine has now shifted to highlighting the base vintage rather than producing a consistently uniform style year after year. Other featured wines include the latest Blanc de Blancs Brut Vintage and Brut Vintage Rosé and various vintages of Cristal and Cristal Rosé. Among these is an embarrassment of riches from which to select such as the precise and incisive 2016 Cristal as well as the extraordinarily pure 2013 Cristal and 2013 Cristal Rosé. Both 2013 releases are now available in magnums (spoiler: they are even more complete than the standard-size bottles combining intensity with a graceful texture). The Coteaux Champenois continues its upward trajectory and the 2022 vintage shaped by a warm and dry growing season is well worth seeking out as well. It is difficult to pinpoint what is most impressive about Cristal?the fact that these Champagnes are crafted from meticulously farmed vineyards or that they are produced in volumes that proves high quality is not exclusive to small growers but can also be achieved on a larger scale. Cristal and Cristal Rosé based on organically certified farming since 2012 continue to deliver outstanding performances maintaining their reputation as two of the finest cuvées in the Grande Marque category. While I generally favor a lower dosage?since it can occasionally assert itself on the finish particularly as the wine warms?Lecaillon emphasizes that this very dosage is what will sustain these Champagnes far into the future. Notably the dosage has been reduced in recent years and contemporary vintages exhibit greater clarity than ever before. Under the stewardship of Jean-Baptiste Lecaillon who oversees both winemaking and viticulture Roederer has embarked on what could be described as a viticultural renaissance which for Roederer means pursuing massal selection harvesting fully ripened fruit planting fruit trees and encouraging biodiversity in and around their vineyards all with the goal of leaving the land in better condition than when they found it. Of Roederer?s 242 hectares which supply most of their needs an impressive 50% is now certified organic and is also managed following biodynamic practices. The only cuvée that includes some purchased fruit is the NV Collection. It's worth noting however that Cristal Rosé is sourced from only four lieux-dits while Cristal is informed by approximately 45 plots. The story of each wine is told in greater detail in the accompanying tasting notes. For more in-depth information on Cristal and the maison?s methodology I recommend referring to William Kelley?s article "Champagne: Louis Roederer?s Cristal 1996-2012" in the March 2020 Week 1 issue of?The Wine Advocate. Published: Apr 10 2025ire.
Vinous: 99 Points
?Tasted from magnum the 2013 Cristal Rosé is ravishing. Dense creamy and powerful the 2013 captures all the qualities of the vintage specifically the interplay of rich fruit from the warm summer and cooler inflections from a year that started late and ended late with a rare October harvest. Today the 2013 is deep and beautifully seamless but it is also young ? far too young to be at its best. Dosage is 6.5 grams per liter a bit less than for the standard bottlings a decision taken to balance longer aging on the lees and a bit more residual sugar that is always left in the magnums after fermentation. Readers who can find the 2013 in magnum will experience one of the greatest thrills in wine.?
Jeb Dunnuck: 98 Points
?If you're a Champagne lover and this doesn't do it for you I don't know what will. A magical Champagne that's just about as good as it gets the 2013 Cristal Rosé reveal a lighter salmon hue to go with a rich yet also subtle nose of orange blossom white flowers toasted brioche and chalky minerality. It takes some coaxing but is incredibly complex aromatically and offers more spice dried strawberry and library book-like nuances as it sets in the glass. Richly textured on the palate it's medium to full-bodied and has surprising opulence as well as a great mid-palate all of which are balanced by a vibrant spine of acidity. It starts out seemingly soft and easygoing yet changes with air and it possesses an incredible mix of suppleness texture and precision that is something to behold. It can be drunk today or cellared for 20 or 30 years possibly even longer.?
James Suckling: 98 Points
?Aromas of strawberry iron orange peel and brioche follow through to a full body with gorgeous fruit and sweet tannins that layer the wine. Strawberry-patisserie undertones. Rather juicy and chewy with very round fine tannins. Savory flavorful and lightly spicy. Caressing finish with lots of fruity flavor and dryness. Drink now or hold.?
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