Louis Roederer, Cristal Brut Champagne 2015, [Pre-Arrival]

98 points Wine Enthusiast
"From vineyards that are run organically, this iconic Champagne's latest iteration is as beautiful as ever. Textured, with a mineral undertow, the wine is just beginning to soften and show a balanced maturity."

98 points Wine & Spirits
"Ripened to fragrant white-peach flavors in the heat of the 2015 vintage, the biodynamically farmed fruit for Cristal transforms that ripeness into a delicate juiciness, the wine both luscious and youthfully concentrated, almost severe in its structure. None of the wine undergoes malolactic conversion, and a quarter of the base wine ages in oak; particularly in this vintage, Cristal is built for the long haul, rather than for drinking on release. Spicy and sub-tle, this wine's earthiness is incipient, not yet revealed, like a groundnut — not the peanut, but the native-American tuber with a flavor that might literally be described as a pomme de terre (an apple of the earth). Sophisticated and layered, this wine hums with a quiet energy."

97 points James Suckling
"For the warm and dry vintage this has tremendous freshness and elegance. The complex nose of citrus blossom, mint, lemon and lime zest opens up slowly as this aerates in the glass. The wine’s ample structure is still quite firm, which is a vintage characteristic, the mousse very fine but also very lively for an eight-year-old champagne. Cristal fans will love this as it is, but a year or two more in the bottle will do a lot for the very long mineral finish of this youthful masterpiece. A cuvee of 60% pinot noir and 40% chardonnay, picked from all 45 Cristal vineyard plots. Tasted at the Cristal vertical tasting at the champagne house on July 6th, 2023. Drink from release."

Jancis Robinson
"Launched in April 2023.
Creamy and welcoming on the nose. Flattering texture and lots packed in there. As usual, such a baby at this early stage! Some smokiness and a lot of dry savour. Tight-knit and introvert. Wait! Such a shame it has to be released so early … 17.5++/20 points."

Vinous Reverie Notes
A perfect reflection of its terroir, Cristal hails from vineyard plots that have been slowly built up since 1845 and sustainably worked as part of a bespoke viticultural approach. The practices include massal selection, gentle pruning, the use of biodynamic composts and allowing the land to lie fallow for long periods. Louis Roederer also uses methods inspired by the principles of permaculture, in which the ecosystem adjusts its balance and creates a close bond between Man and Nature. 
The Cristal identity is unique, original and truly unlike any other in the history of the fine wines from the Champagne region. It is a wine of the soil, a wine of depth, a wine of the land yet turned to the light, reaching for the sky that il almost seems to touch. Every new vintage reveals the unmistakable Cristal character although through a very different prism each time. A kaleidoscope of flavours and textures, a palette of nuances that is constantly evolving and renewing itself much to the delight of the wine lover who will be surprised yet delighted to discover Cristal in yet another new light.
Perfectly in keeping with the continental trend of the decade, the 2015 vintage thus created wines that were ripe, well-structured and crowned by a bold freshness guided by its white soils. Brought our by Roederer's gentle and virtuous winegrowing practices, the purity of the chalk shines through and we are offered a perfect symbiosis of maturity and freshness.
For the first time since 2002, this vintage is sourced from all 45 plots where the vines are over 20 years old and thus eligible for inclusion in the Cristal blend. With its concentrated character, this continental year has given us this exceptional and rare opportunity and today it is simply magical to see the whole Estate reflect the identity of this unique wine: pure fruit, superb finesse and elegant length. The permanence of Cristal is thanks to its loyalty to the soil. It is a wine that is rooted in the eternal, that of the seasons, a ripening cycle, a heritage and a quest.