2015 Cristal Rosé

56% Pinot Noir, 44% Chardonnay. Hot, dry year. To be released November 2025 with the next one, 2016, to be released in 2027 'because Cristal Rosé needs a bit more time than the white', according to chef de cave Lécaillon. This is a completely different blend from the white Cristal, with south-facing plots in Aÿ providing the backbone. Roederer have many plots in Aÿ and are busy replanting some with their beloved mass-selection plants from their nursery. A blend from three plots in Aÿ, one in Avize and one in Le Mesnil. La Villers is important with chalk just a metre below the surface (2 m for the Brut Nature vineyard). Made pink by the infusion method invented by Rouzaud Sr whereby the early-picked Pinot Noir is co-fermented with Chardonnay juice to bring freshness to the cold soak. No chaptalisation. No malo. No oak for Aÿ Pinot Noir which they regard as their Musigny (as opposed to Chambertin in Verzenay) but 15% oaked fruit overall. Pale salmon. Fragrant, floral, flattering with a dry finish after an exceedingly rich nose and a little chew. After a lovely friendly start there is lots of grip and this is glorious wine that is clearly set for a long life. In my experience Cristal Rosé can last and last.

Disgorged in March 2024 with a dosage of seven grams per liter, the 2015 Cristal Rosé has turned out very well. As always, it originates from the south-facing yet windswept slopes of Aÿ, where Pinot Noir thrives, and is complemented by Chardonnay from Avize and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, imparting freshness and lightness to the infused Pinot Noir. The wine unfurls from the glass with a bouquet of orange zest, red currant, raspberry and spices interwoven with citrus notes. On the palate, it is medium to full-bodied, fleshy and intense, brimming with bright acidity and ample dry extract, culminating in a long, saline-tinged finish. The 2015 rendition is neither as tightly coiled as the 2013 nor as concentrated as the 2012, yet it exhibits the hallmark precision expected from this house—shaped by intelligent viticulture and a cellar master who refuses to rest on his laurels. True to tradition, it is crafted without malolactic fermentation, a choice that aligns with Roederer’s approach to dosage.

The 2015 Cristal Rosé is superb. Rich and dense, the 2015 possesses terrific depth and textural resonance from start to finish. Time in the glass brings out notable creaminess and volume. Kirsch, red plum, blood orange and dried rose petal infuse the 2015 with captivating, palate-staining depth. Cristal Rosé is certainly one of the very finest wines in this uneven vintage. I find it a touch more complete than the Blanc. Of course, the volume for the Rosé is much smaller, but the best sites clearly had the potential to be quite successful. The blend is 56% Pinot Noir from Bonotte Pierre Robert (Aÿ) and 44% Chardonnay from Montmartin (Mesnil-sur-Oger) and Pierre Vaudon (Avize).