The 2009 Cristal is a beauty, with incredible richness as well as elegance, which are the hallmarks of this cuvée. Always a rough blend of 60/40 Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from estate vineyards, it has a toasty, yet pure bouquet of stone fruits, rising bread, white flowers, and toasted bread, as well as a terrific sense of chalky minerality. While it’s not built around sheer richness and power (à la Krug), it’s perfectly balanced, has a fine, fine mousse, and shines for its class and purity. Bravo!

The 2009 Cristal is a wine of pure and total sensuality. There are no hard edges or angular contours. Instead, the solar energy of the year is front and center. Even with all that intensity, the 2009 is impeccably balanced from start to finish. The 2009 is one of the most forward, sensual Cristals in recent memory. It has always been quite seductive, as it is today. Its resonant, engaging personality is impossible to resist. (AG)

The latest incarnation of this famous Champagne now comes from Roderer's own vineyards, a good portion of which are run on biodynamic lines. This still-young wine has great depth and richness, a beautiful balance between ripe fruit and crisp texture that make it alive, crisp and bright. As it matures, it will deepen and become even more intense. *Ranked #36 Top Cellar Selection of 2016* (RV)