Louis Roederer Cristal Brut 2016 Gift Box

【香檳界的「水晶」傳奇——Louis Roederer Cristal】

路易王妃水晶香檳（Louis Roederer Cristal）​ 誕生於1876年，專為俄國沙皇Alexander II量身打造。相傳沙皇擔心有人在下層放置炸藥，因此要求酒莊使用透明平底水晶瓶裝載，以便看清瓶底狀況——這就是「Cristal」（水晶）名稱的由來。水晶香檳只在優質年份生產，是香檳界的旗艦之作。2016年是第五個完全採用有機種植並獲得認證的年份，標誌著酒莊向永續農業的重要轉型。

2016年為香檳區經典高熱年份：春涼濕、夏暖乾，8月熱浪催熟果實，採收期乾燥晴朗。Pinot Noir飽滿濃郁、質地絲滑；Chardonnay清爽緊緻、帶礦物鹹感，二者平衡絕佳。這支酒香氣強烈而精準——初聞是白色洋槐與濃郁的烤柑橘香氣，隨後展開成熟黃色水果的層次。靜置幾分鐘後，酒泥陳釀帶來的碘鹽、粉狀與烤焙的底蘊逐漸浮現。入口柔軟細膩，比以往任何年份都更加親和易飲。猶如一層濃縮果汁般的成熟果味包裹舌尖，氣泡完美融合於酒液中，帶有近乎鹹味的礦物質感。

TASTING NOTE BY WINE CRITICS

The 2016 Cristal is a taut, incisive rendition of this benchmark bottling, unwinding in the glass with youthfully reserved aromas of citrus oil, white flowers, wet stones and subtle hints of sweet, buttery pastry. Medium to full-bodied, chiseled and racy, it’s almost as electric as the brilliant 2013, with serious concentration, a pure core of fruit, chalky structuring dry extract and a long, intensely mineral finish. Given its tightly wound profile, my advice is to forget it in the cellar for a few years and work on the more open, outgoing 2014 in the meantime.

RATING BY WINE CRITICS

97 Points by William Kelley, The Wine Adovocate, 2024