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.

For a long time this was an acid, floral wine that surprised one with its lightness during this heavy vintage. Then appeared the most lovely of the phases of maturity and I predicted that it would become really great. If this is a weak phase just at present or if this wine will never reach the peak that it scaled on its tenth birthday I honestly do not know. Structurally it is reminiscent of a 76 and you know how they started on a second life far on in their development. At present the aromas are rather too foursquare and petroleum-orientated. Store for a good while and taste during the next phase.

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)