Louis Roederer Champagne Cristal 2008 750 ml

Cristal is Louis Roederer's prestige cuvée, first created for Tsar Alexander II and still bottled in its signature clear glass with gold cellophane wrapping to protect the wine from light. The 2008 vintage is widely regarded as one of the finest of the decade, made from Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grown in Roederer's own biodynamically farmed vineyards in Champagne. Expect a tightly wound, mineral-driven wine on release — citrus and white flowers with a chalky backbone — built to age and open further over years in the cellar. It's a vintage-dated, collectible champagne rather than a house's everyday non-vintage pour. Serve it well chilled in a white wine glass rather than a narrow flute, to let the aromatics open.

How to drink Cristal 2008

Use a wider white wine glass instead of a flute — Cristal's aromatics need the surface area to open, and a flute concentrates the bubbles at the expense of the nose. Pair it with delicate seafood or simply drink it on its own as an occasion wine.

Brut