Louis Roederer Cristal Rose 2005

ROBERT PARKER “The 2005 Brut Vintage Rosé is a gorgeous wine blessed with compelling inner perfume, layers of subtle yet expressive fruit and phenomenal balance. Clean, chalky notes frame a precise, crystalline finish. This mid-weight Champagne can be enjoyed on its own or with food. It is a relative bargain considering the quality of what is in the glass and considering the prohibitive pricing of Cristal Rosé. This is Lot L033331G100002, disgorged November 2009. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2020. My visit to these historic cellars earlier in the year was an eye-opening experience. I spent several hours with Chef de Caves Jean-Baptiste Lecaillon tasting through a wide range of 2009s vins claires. The visit was capped off by previews of the 2004 Cristal and the as-yet-unreleased Cristal Rosé. Both were superb. Over the last six months the 2004 Cristal has come together beautifully and is shaping up to be a truly great, monumental Champagne. From top to bottom, this is an impressive set of wines. My only real criticism of Roederer is the estate’s insistence on using lot numbers that resemble missile launch codes in their complexity. Surely something simpler must be possible.”