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Normally $450. - 96/100 from Parker. A key event in the success of Roederer was breaking the Russian market, as achieved by the elder Louis Roederer. As a result the blue-blooded Russians found themselves partial to the odd glass of Roederer Champagne, so much so that Tsar Alexander II requested that a special cuvee be created; one fitting to grace the table of a royal family. And so Louis Roederer II produced Cristal, regarded by many as the first prestige cuvee. What made this sweet blend so distinctive was the packaging, being bottled in clear crystal rather than ordinary glass. "The estate's 2004's had been recently disgorged at the time of my visit. An explosion of fruit emerges from the 2004 Cristal, making a strong and very positive first impression. This is a wine of incredible finesse, length and balance that promises to develop beautifully over the next several decades. Today the 2004 comes across as more linear than the 2002. It should fill out nicely in bottle, although my sense is it will always remain a more focused, pointed vintage. The 2004 Cristal is 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay. " 96/100 R.Parker
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