1982 Louis Roederer Cristal
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One of my all time favorites, the 1982 Cristal is magnificent. Fresh, nuanced and exceptionally beautiful, the 1982 remains one of the all-time great Cristals. Apricot, almond and chamomile nuances suggest the 1982 is just starting to turn the corner into its plateau of maturity. This bottle lacks a bit of excitement, but, then again, the 1982 Cristal is not exactly the sort of wine I get to taste on a regular basis, so it is possible this is not the best showing. Hopefully, I will get a chance to taste it again soon. Even so, well-stored bottles will drink well for another decade-plus. “In my opinion, 1982 is the first vintage of climate change in Champagne,” Lécaillon explains. “Sugars were higher than we were used to seeing. As a comparison, the 1981 Cristal is also concentrated, but it is concentrated by low yields. In 1982, we had high yields and elevated ripeness, meaning it was the sun that ripened the fruit.”
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Robert Parker
Jancis Robinson MW
More reviews and scores
Power, intensity and phenolics are the signatures of the 1982 Cristal. One of my personal favorites, the 1982 is bright, tense and vibrant to the core. I very much like the sense of energy here. The aromatics could be a touch more precise in this bottle, but the trademark 1982 structure is very much on display. The 1982 remains one of my all-time favorite Cristals.
The 1982 Cristal is one my favorite wines from Roederer and it was stunning on this evening. Sublime aromatics melded into a magnificent, towering expression of fruit as this gorgeous wine opened up in the glass.