2002 Louis Roederer "Cristal Vinothèque" Brut Champagne (direct from Roederer 2026)

A golden straw hue, the 2002 Champagne Cristal Vinothèque was aged for 11 years sur latte, and then an additional 5 years sur pointe, where they continued to riddle them every quarter, keeping the lees working while further sealing the wine from oxygen. It was disgorged in 2019, with a lower dosage of 6 grams per liter and a bit more bottle pressure than Cristal's base release. Smoky and complex, it shows off an incredible kaleidoscope of aromas and flavors with exceptional length. It’s a singular wine with fantastic umami richness and an expressive bouquet of apricot, ginger candy, frangipane, and praline. The palate offers a rich glycerol texture that takes this above and beyond, with a pinpoint mousse and a seamless spine of acidity. It’s showing incredibly well now, but there’s no need to hurry. It should drink up well over the coming two decades. Drink 2024-2050. (AF)

These wines are riddled along with the last disgorgement run of the normal release but then left standing up “sur pointe” without being disgorged for longer aging, to allow more complexity to develop but without losing the freshness. When I had this Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon, the chef de cave of Roederer this wine showed Panettone-like dried fruit and rich bread aromas but was still very focused in the mouth. The back end was precise and chalky and went on and on. This is a truly special release of a great champagne from a great vintage!