1989 Louis Roederer Cristal
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Tasting notes
Hints of caramel, orange peel, apricot jam and spice run through the 1989 Cristal. Ample, creamy and generous, the 1989 is in great shape today. The slightly forward aromas and flavors suggest the 1989 has arrived at a plateau of maturity. I would prefer to drink it over the next decade or so, although the wine has more than enough density to hold for many years. I have had fresher bottles of the 1989, but this is a fine showing just the same. The 1989 is always a silky, gracious and totally understated Cristal, as it is once again today. “Nineteen eighty-nine was a riper year, and therefore more Pinot-driven, with about 63-64% Pinot in the final blend than the more typical 60%” adds Lécaillon. (AG)
Critic scores
Average Score
Jancis Robinson MW
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
More reviews and scores
The 1989 Roederer Cristal was the most understated of these three wines. It showed incredible clarity and depth, with superbly well-delineated, floral notes intertwined with ripe fruit. It was hauntingly beautiful and a reminder that Cristal is a wine that blossoms with bottle age.
Massive scale. Very, very ripe nose but with great tension on the palate. Much more acidity and nerve than the 1990. Chardonnay much in evidence. See comments below on the relative merits of these two vintages in Champagne. (JR)