Skin contact from very old Pinot vines in Aÿ! Other than the leading village there are hints of Cumières, Verzy och Verzenay as well as Chardonnay from Le Mesnil, Oger och Avize. The dose of 11 grams sugar is stored in oak barrels as usual. I am immediately lyrical! Held its own in an exemplary life, affirming, early summer style, against the the famous 88. As good as the 99.

The 2000 Cristal Rose emerges from the glass in a stunning display of well-articulated aromas and flavors. Everything in is perfect balance as this perfumed wine opens up in the glass in a style that recalls the weightless transparency of a great Burgundy. The finish is long, sweet and incredibly refined. I came back to the bottle several hours after opening, and the wine had blossomed into an extraordinary Champagne. In 2000 the Brut Cristal Rose is 70% Pinot Noir from Ay and 30% Chardonnay from Mesnil, Avize and Oger. Roughly 15% of the wine was aged in oak. This is Lot: L029898D100064, disgorged February 1st, 2007. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2020. Roederer is one of the most impressive estates in Champagne. Few houses have managed to reconcile this level production in a negociant operation while achieving such a consistently outstanding level of quality across the entire range. Roederer owns 214 hectares of vineyards, which is enough to meet 65-70% of the house’s needs. The vintage wines are made from 100% estate-grown fruit, while the NV wines are made with the addition of roughly 45% purchased fruit. Generally speaking, malolactic fermentation and oak aging are used to a higher degree for the NV range than for the vintage wines. Dosage varies as well, and ranges from 11-12 grams for the entry-level wines to 9-10 for the tete de cuvee Cristal. Unfortunately because if its rabid following the vast majority of Cristal is drunk upon release, which is ironic, if not downright tragic, considering Cristal is a wine that starts peaking around age 15-20, and that can last much longer under ideal storage conditions. With Cristal, Chef de Caves Jean-Baptiste Lecaillon aims to make an ageworthy Champagne that is fresh and floral when young, but that is also capable of considerable development with bottle age, qualities the finest Cristals have in spades. In the best vintages one tank of Cristal Rose is also made that features the exquisite Pinot Noir of Ay. Unfortunately Roederer does not provide disgorgement dates for its wines, but the bottles have codes that can be traced back to dates at the winery. It would be great to see this venerable property add a simple disgorgement date, at least for their top wines, considering the significant financial investment required to purchase them. Importer: Maison Marques & Domaines, Oakland, CA; tel. (510) 587-2000

Pink with an orange rim and a vigorous mousse. Deep cherry, berry skin, spiced nuts and flowers on the nose, brightened by blood orange and smoky minerals. Taut, finely etched red berry and citrus flavors gain flesh with air, taking a turn to bitter cherry, toffee apple and yellow plum. Sappy, lightly chewy and concentrated, with a long, spicy finish. Changed continually in the glass but maintained an impressive, nervy precision, suggesting that it will reward cellaring.