Louis Roederer’s Cristal Champagne has a long and storied history featuring everything from monarchs to extravagant hip hop and rap artists. Originally crafted at the behest of Tsar Alexander II of Russia, it has also enjoyed intense popularity as the beverage of choice for rap stars and other musical luminaries.

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Cristal was first created by Louis Roederer for Alexander II in 1876. As Russia became less stable and Alexander feared assassination, the Tsar asked specifically for a clear bottle so he could detect any poison. The flat bottom was also a requirement because the Russian royal was worried someone might hide something lethal inside the ‘punt’ (the large indentation at the bottom of a wine bottle). These two customizations also gave Tsar Alexander assurance that the wine was coming from his cellar. Of course the wine had to have excellent taste as well and the Roederer family obliged, sourcing only 100% estate grown fruit from the oldest vines growing in the chalkiest soil. The style was to be elegant, concentrated and fine---ideal for a royal palate. The aesthete and entrepreneur Louis Roederer took a visionary approach to enriching his vines, aiming to master every stage of the wine’s creation. He forged the wine’s unique style, character, and taste. In the mid-nineteenth century, Louis Roederer acquired some of Champagne’s grand cru vineyards—an approach that contrasted sharply with contemporary practices. While other Houses bought their grapes, Louis Roederer nurtured his vineyards, familiarized himself with the specific characteristics of each parcel, and methodically acquired the finest land. Louis Roederer’s guiding principle was that all great wine depends on the quality of the soil, a passion for tradition, and an astute vision of the future; the fame and reputation of the House of Louis Roederer was firmly established. His heir, Louis Roederer II was equally enlightened and adopted his father’s conscientious approach to the production of champagne, patrimonial estate management, and instinctive audacity. In the 1920s, the future heir to the House of Louis Roederer, Léon Olry-Roederer consecrated his efforts to creating a highly balanced wine—a consistent and delicate blend of several vintages, to ensure that the wine would always be of the highest quality. This wine would form the basis for the later Brut Premier. This fine blend greatly contributed to the renaissance of the House of Louis Roederer. After his death, from 1933 onwards, the winery was managed by his strong-minded widow, Camille, who ran the Champagne House with formidable intelligence and singular dynamism. Camille loved horse racing and owned one of the most famous stables in the world; she was also an enlightened patron and embraced the more festive and pleasurable aspects of champagne. Camille Olry-Roederer held many receptions in the family’s Hôtel Particulier in Reims. These parties had a lasting impact on the history of the House and introduced a whole new generation of wine lovers to the joys of Louis Roederer Champagne. Her grandson, Jean-Claude Rouzaud, an oenologist and agronomist, took over the running of the entire estate and decided to consolidate the vineyards. Through his passionate commitment to the metier of wine-growing, he cultivated more than ever the inventive qualities that are so representative of the House’s philosophy. The Louis Roederer House has remained an independent, family-owned company and is now managed by Jean-Claude’s son, Frédéric Rouzaud, who represents the seventh generation of the lineage. Cristal has an annual production of about 300,000 to 400,000 bottles per year.

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This is a pretty low number, considering other high end brands like Dom Pérignon produce around five million bottles every year. Cristal is cellar-aged for six years, and then held for another eight months after its dégorgement (the process of removing sediment from the Champagne). The vines used to grow Cristal’s grapes are also old — they must be a minimum of 25 years of age, but some are as old as 60. The older a vine is, the less fruitful it is, which contributes to the rarity of Cristal. In an effort to return to tradition and make the Champagne-making operation as organic as possible, Louis Roederer began farming biodynamically in 2000.

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The grapes require an enormous amount of work and craftsmanship in the vineyards, a Great Wine comes from an assembly of myriad details!