Louis Roederer Cristal 2002 con estuche Luxe

60% pinot noir and 40% chardonnay, all 45 estate plots are used in this vintage. This was picked earlier than most others, but it is a very ripe and rich vintage with citrus and light, white chocolate notes, with some honey and nougat, as well as hints of smokiness. A pithy grapefruit-flavored palate, with some smooth toffee and nectarine fruits. Extremely fleshy, and chalky, too. The fruits are caramelised in terms of texture. Glossy and lustrous at the edge. A superb wine.

This is an exceptional wine, as is the vintage. The fruits—grapefruit, crisp red apple—balance with a fine yeasty character. There is a great depth of flavor, the fruits going in a pure line of freshness. The one problem is that it is much too young, the result of the demand from the market for the next vintage. Age this wine for at least four years.

Tasted from the original 2009 disgorgement, the 2002 Cristal is a broad, vinous wine, bursting with aromas of honeyed yellow orchard fruit, warm butter, brioche and fresh peaches. On the palate, it's full-bodied, textural and mouthfilling, rendering the fine-boned chalky structure and textural finesse that distinguish this quintessentially elegant style of this cuvée in a broader-shouldered, more enveloping register. The 2002 is beginning to enter its plateau of maturity and is drinking beautifully today, though it still has many years ahead of it.