2004 Louis Roederer Champagne Cristal Brut - France, Champagne (1/22/2023)
Don’t get me wrong, this was very tasty, and a lovely accompaniment to our gougeres. That said it seemed rather generically rich, and lacked any edges to grab a hold of. Definitely bright and still very fresh, just lacking complexity. I have tried many vintages of Cristal, back through the 1980s, and it just doesn’t resonate for me. If it was $50 I would likely buy it by the truckload for basic pleasure, but once again I don’t see the presige factor with this wine.
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'04s are tough. We had an '08 tonight that was just absolutely stunning.
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I felt the same way about the 1990 all five or six times I tried it. Just not a wine that resonates with me. My wife feels the same way.
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That’s the truth. Thanks for that one.
Happy Birthday, David!
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+1 Happy Birthday, David, and best wishes to you and your father.
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04 generally sucks, with rare exceptions (cdc, salon, cdm)
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2004 is a really good champagne vintage for Chardonnay. The Cristal isn’t ready yet, but in a big 2004 maison horizontal last fall it was one of the most promising wines for the future. The Krug and the Comtes were really good, the Clos de Mesnil was also still extremely structured and promising.
