Roederer/Louis Brut Champagne Cristal 2012 1.5L

98-100 points Essi Avellan, MW: "2012 marks the very first Cristal fully crafted from biodynamically farmed fruit. This difficult growing season managed to turn the challenges into assets. It resulted in a deeply fruity, Pinot driven Cristal that is exceptionally expressive already upon launch. The ripe, sweetly fruity aromatics come with bright red apple and baked apricot hints and even some tropical fruit notes. It feels slightly more Pinot driven that what the 60% share would suggest and Pinot indeed was the years best performer, excelling to chef de cave Lécaillon like no other since 1990. The rounded palate goes hand in hand with the soft nose generating a beautifully textured palate that turns refreshingly saline towards the very finish. Despite its early generosity, no doubt a Cristal built to last. (Nov 2022)"

99 points Anne Krebiehl, MW (Falstaff): "For the first time entirely from certified organic grapes. Mid greenish-yellow hue with silver reflections; persistent, fine bubbly mousse. Typical Cristal nose with white apple, fresh peach, fine biscuit, a touch of orange marmalade, also lime; an attractive bouquet. Very rich, tropical fruit nuances, a little more broad-shouldered than the finely chiselled 2008, supported by lively acidity, mineral and balanced on the finish. Has something immediately appealing, but will still improve with further bottle maturation. Once again a candidate for 'Champagne of the Vintage'. (11/19/20)"

99 points La Revue du Vin de France: "Cristal 2012 is still holding back, like a sprinter ready to take off: the end of the runway is still a long way off. (2021)"

98 points Tyson Stelzer (The Champagne Guide): "(tasted in 2020 in Australia; 60% pinot noir, 40% chardonnay; 32% vinified in oak casks; no malolactic fermentation; 7.5g/L dosage; 100% biodynamic for the first time; a little more oak vinification and less malolactic fermentation and a touch less dosage than the 2008, and we’re back to just six years on lees her). The rise and rise of Cristal over recent decades has been something to behold, and the ever more fanatical approach of Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon and his team has crafted a style that articulates its terroirs and seasons with ever rising dramatic clarity. The latest release captures a season that contrasts great generosity of fully ripe, low-yielding fruit in a dry harvest with profound tension. The power and concentration of epicentre sites across the grand crus are amplified by the definition and richness of biodynamic viticulture. Lécaillon has responded to the richness of the season in the winery, astutely calling on a little more oak vinification and less malolactic fermentation and a touch less dosage than the 2008 that preceded it. The astute decision to release 2008 after 2009 and to skip the lesser 2010 and 2011 season has dictated that we’re back to just six years on lees here. Pinot noir takes a confident lead, defining a core of deep and powerful red fruit presence that builds a wonderfully rich and expansive mid-palate. Chardonnay declares its presence on the close, defining a tail of grand focus and tension. Six years on lees has contributed more toasty, nutty, spicy, honeyed, ginger complexity than usual, making for an effortlessness, a confidence and an allure rarely seen in Cristal of such desperate youth. It holds every detail in suspended animation on a finish of mesmerising line and length. Malic acidity is played tactically to profound effect, ripe and full and yet excitingly tense and energetic, promising great potential – though its flavour spectrum is already advanced, so this will not go down alongside 2008 as a Cristal for the very long haul. Its mineral definition is a triumph, rising to the chalk mandate that defines Cristal, testimony first to the greatest chalk sites, second to the deep and profound reach of old vine roots, and third to the ever-rising impact of biodynamic viticulture. This is a great Cristal by every definition, testimony to a strong season, and profound evidence of the rising success of an ever more fanatical approach in the vines and the wines. (Edition VII; 2024)"

98 points Antonio Galloni (Vinous): "The 2012 Cristal is another absolutely stellar wine this flight of recent releases. Rich, vinous and beautifully textured, the 2012 has been nothing short of magnificent on the three occasions I have tasted it so far. In the glass, the 2012 is radiant and luscious, yet it possesses remarkable transparency and striking aromatic depth. Light tropical notes develop in the glass, giving the 2012 a real feeling of exotic beauty. The 2012 is the first vintage of Cristal done with 100% organically-farmed fruit, an approach introduced gradually starting with the 2007 that has profoundly changes Cristal, especially in its aromatic breadth. Two thousand twelve is the vintage where endless trials and experiments in farming and winemaking are fully realized. The 2012 is just stunning. It’s as simple as that. Dosage is just over 7 grams per liter, the lowest it has even been for Cristal. Drink: 2022-2052. (Dec 2019)"

98 points John Gilman (View From the Cellar): "The 2012 vintage of Cristal is the first to be produced entirely from Demeter-certified, biodynamically-farmed fruit, which is a landmark for Maison Roederer. The 2012 Cristal is its customary cépages of sixty percent pinot noir and forty percent chardonnay and none of the vins clairs went through malo this year, with one-third of the blend barrel-fermented. The wine was finished in 2012 with a dosage of 7.5 grams per liter and offers up a beautiful young nose of pear, apple, fresh lemon, white flowers, a very complex base of chalky minerality, a hint of the caraway seed to come and a topnote of white flowers. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and nascently complex, with a racy girdle of acidity, a rock solid core, impeccable focus and grip, refined mousse and stunning length and grip on the poised and perfectly balanced finish. This is another great vintage of Cristal in the making, but it deserves plenty of time in the cellar to blossom properly. 2030-2100. (Nov 2019)"

98 points James Halliday (Wine Companion): "60/40% pinot noir/chardonnay, 32% vinifed in old oak casks, no mlf, 7.5g/l dosage. Forget the hype of New York, this is a beautiful wine, with a burst of sunbeams in a springtime garden of white flowers. The length of the palate and its aftertaste are magnificent. A total contrast to Krug in style. Special. Closure: Cork. (11/10/20)"

97+ points William Kelley (Wine Advocate): "Aromas of clear honey, crisp green orchard fruit, white peach, pastry cream and dried white flowers introduce the 2012 Cristal, a full-bodied, concentrated and powerful wine that's built for the cellar. Broader, more textural and more muscular than the 2008 Cristal, with seemingly even greater reserves of structuring dry extract, the 2012 is incisive and searingly chalky. This is the first Cristal produced exclusively from organically farmed fruit, and it marks the opening of a new chapter for Louis Roderer. The blend is 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay, vinified without malolactic fermentation and disgorged with 7.5 grams per liter dosage. Chef de Caves Jean-Baptiste Lecaillon has once again excelled himself. Drink: 2022-2050. (12/12/19)"

97 points Wine Spectator: "A classic beauty, fresh-faced and focused today, but with a harmonious grace of form suggesting a long career ahead. There's a creamy, viscous quality to the mousse that swathes the palate, carrying finely detailed flavors of poached quince, Mandarin orange preserves, toasted almond and pickled ginger. Mouthwatering throughout, with a pleasing, soft zestiness to the mineral-laced finish. Drink now through 2035. (12/15/20)"

97 points Jeb Dunnuck: "The first vintage from 100% biodynamically farmed vineyards, the 2012 Champagne Cristal is a brilliant effort based on 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay. Always from the same blocks (45 blocks) and 40-year-old vines, it’s more rounded and supple than the 2008 and has plenty of oomph in its apple blossom, white flower, chalky minerality, spice, and toasted bread aromas and flavors. With gorgeous purity of fruit, a seamless, layered mouthfeel, flawless balance, and a terrific sense of minerality on the finish, this is a beautiful, elegant yet rich Cristal to enjoy over the coming 20 years or so. Drink: 2020-2040. (7/7/20)"