Cristal Late Release 2008
To celebrate the 150th anniversary of Cristal and the 250th anniversary of the founding of the Champagne House, Champagne Louis Roederer is unveiling a new, emblematic expression of its iconic cuvée: Cristal Late Release. For the occasion, this rare cuvée, drawn from Champagne Louis Roederer’s private collection, bears the signature of the exceptional 2008 vintage.
CRISTAL LATE RELEASE, MAGNIFICENT IN ITS DEPTH AND RADIANCE, A CHAMPAGNE ICON
In the beginning, there was Cristal...
The crown jewel of the Louis Roederer Champagne House, Cristal is the child of the chalk. Shaped by time, this exceptional champagne reveals the purity of a white soil beneath an eternal, luminous sky. Created in 1876 at the behest of Alexander II of Russia, with the rosé version appearing in 1974, this champagne is produced only in years when the grapes reach perfect ripeness.
Today, Cristal is synonymous with haute cuisine, discerning connoisseurs and the most prestigious gastronomic occasions.
From Cristal to Cristal Late Release
An attitude, a style, a champagne - Cristal is all of these things. This legendary wine, which has stood the test of time, is now reinventing itself after 150 years, ever more refined and revealing an infinite spectrum of nuances.
Powdery, chalky and bright, this champagne is a masterpiece of artisanal, haute-couture viticulture. In its Late Release version, Cristal reveals another facet of its character, having reached the height of maturity after 20 years of ageing.
Cristal Late Release is a natural extension of our iconic cuvée. Born in an exceptional year, this vintage champagne reveals greater textural depth and a delectable maturity, delivering an elevated drinking experience.
Cristal Late Release: a new expression of time
An expression of Louis Roederer’s “Laboratory of Time,” Cristal Late Release explores new facets of its personality. Preserving the purity, tension and salinity of its chalk terroir, it offers a new interpretation of these defining qualities. The identity of the vintage - always an exceptional year - is faithfully preserved, with all its characteristics revealed with grace and precision.
Carefully preserved for nearly two decades in the cool darkness of Louis Roederer's cellars, under perfect temperature and humidity conditions, this vintage champagne is a wine of remarkable maturity, nourished by prolonged ageing sur lattes. The 2008 vintage rested for 13 years before its disgorgement and dosage. Cristal Late Release is then aged under cork for a further four years in the Louis Roederer cellars, allowing its texture to refine and its flavours to harmonise.
The prolonged ageing concentrates the wine’s textures and aromas, adding a tactile dimension: a radiant depth that extends and beautifully refines the signature of the original Cristal.
There is then a fleeting moment of grace - that moment of perfect balance when “perfumes and colours and sounds correspond”; a profound harmony, a multifaceted sensory experience that echoes Baudelaire’s ideal, where the wine reveals itself in its most perfect expression.
A rare alchemy of nature and savoir-faire, brought to its apotheosis.
Cristal over time:
a vision in motion
Cristal Late Release marks a new milestone in the quest for the ultimate fine wine, opening unexpected horizons and ushering in a new expression of drinking pleasure. Born from an iconic cuvée, refined by 150 years of history and perfected by the cellar master's virtuosity, this timeless champagne is now at its fullest expression.
