90 Wine Enthusiast

The nose opens saline and floral, with wet slate, crushed rocks and peonies, then intensifies with aromas of raspberry candy, sweet tobacco and wild oregano. The palate balances wild berries with savory earth tones, before a finish that crackles with a spicy, peppery heat.

90 Wine Enthusiast

Dense and dark fruit aromas are juicy on the nose of this bottling. Loam, clay and wet wood elements add earthy nuances. The palate is well structured, showing hearty blackberry, cracked pepper and coffee bean flavors. — Matt Kettmann

98+ Antonio Galloni - Vinous

The 2018 Cristal opens a new chapter for Roederer. The Cristal estate is composed of 45 parcels. In better vintages, most of the 45 parcels are used for the blend. The 2018 vintage brought with it elevated ripeness and generally low acids. Longtime Chef de Caves Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon was forced to cast his gaze wider, to look for parcels that offered a touch of freshness. Lécaillon expanded his palette to 57 parcels. The result is a Cristal unlike any other I have tasted. Orchard fruit, dried flowers, spice, chalk and herbs are some of the many notes that take shape in the glass. Floral and savory overtones are quite distinctive. Lécaillon reduced oak ferments, racked very quickly after fermentation and used all his best Chardonnay lots for Cristal, so much so that there is no Blanc de Blancs. He bottled earlier than normal and chose a crown capsule with a liner that allows less oxygen transfer than the norm here. Taken together, those choices paid off handsomely. In tasting, the 2018 is positively stunning. Its linear energy and brilliance are a bit reminiscent of the 2014, but its flavor profile is completely different from any Cristal I can remember tasting. Dosage is 7 grams per liter.

97 Luca Gardini - GardiniNotes.com

Classic-style label, great elegance and a hint of (precious) austerity coming from the north-western quadrant of the appellation, with notes of marasca on the nose, hints of cloves and sprinkles of bloody orange peel, the palate is salty. Closed by citrus and spicy memories.

96 James Suckling - Jamessuckling.com

Wow. So perfumed and intense with raspberries, oranges, orange peel and hints of bark and spices. Some balsamic. Medium-bodied with very fine tannins and a long, concentrated finish. Delicious now but will improve with age. Drink or hold.