Rich,
Sorry, but I don’t recall the last time I had '97 Cristal. Based on the vintage I’d be surprised if it wasn’t ready to drink.
For me Clos des Goisses would be a contender. Very good Champagne from '80, '93, and '99 but for me, just decent in '97, '98 and '00. The unique vineyard location gives them an advantage in many off vintages and potentially hinders them in the better ones.
Good enough for me! Thanks Ray!
The menu
A drift here, but made me this of a question about the 2000 Clos des Goisses. Some years back, Bordeaux Index sold this undisgorged, meaning you could reach out and have yours disgorged anytime you wanted. We were thinking of doing it in 2020, as a nice round number. Any thoughts on when might be best? I bought some because, I admit, I thought it was a cool idea more than because I love the wine.
I would reach out to Charles Philipponnat. Super nice guy and he surely will give you better insight than anybody else.
Just don’t tell him I said the 2000 Goisses isn’t so great 
Great suggestion. Thanks!
Ray-
Fabulous notes as I’m a big Cris fan and appreciate the need to really age them. I drank a well stored 79 last winter and the memory of that is indelible!!
Tremendous consistency and step up in quality for Cristal beginning in the 90’s and even more so with better vineyard management through the early 2000’s especially for all the other Roederer wines.
As to Goisses 2000, mine from Rare Wine company from the original disgorgement have seen better days but I went back and purchased 2013 disgorgement of 2000’s and those are drinking beautifully now, and agree re Charles.
Well, I’m not Ray, but I had a '97 about 3 years ago and it was still pretty young.
Thanks Eric!