98

Antonio Galloni

Vinous

The 2002 Cristal Rosé is one of the most overtly vinous wines in this lineup. Rich, powerful and voluptuous on the palate, the 2002 captures the exuberance of the year in spades. Hard candy, cinnamon, spices, mint and wild flowers wrap around the resonant, opulent finish. A head-turning beauty, the 2002 has really blossomed since I last tasted it a few years ago. It is also the showiest and most exotic wine in this vertical. I imagine the 2002 will reward readers with another 15-20 years of exceptional drinking, perhaps more. There isn't too much to say, except that this is one of the great wines of the vintage.

96/97

Richard Juhlin

Richard Juhlin

It's all here in a youthful attire. Very similar to the charming white edition with a touch more creaminess and slightly more attack in the finish. A thoroughly fantastic wine.

95

Antonio Galloni

Robert Parker/Wine Advocate

The 2002 Brut Cristal Rose shows the classic Roederer introspectiveness that can sometimes make the wines hard to grasp when they are young. It, too, is a relatively lightly-colored rose. The bouquet is beautifully woven into a fabric of layered, ripe fruit. With some time in the glass, the wine’s textural beauty becomes more apparent, but this is a Champagne that needs bottle age. It should be spectacular in time. Cristal Rose is made with the same technique as the rose, which is to say the Pinot is cold-macerated on the skins for 6-7 days, but the percentage of oak is a touch higher. For Cristal Rose the Pinot is sourced from Ay and the percentage of Chardonnay (from Avize and Mesnil) is a touch higher than the Brut Rose at 40% of the blend. This is Lot L031784L100149, disgorged in April, 2008. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2022. This is another set of exceptional new releases from Roederer, one of the very few of the larger houses that captures the full potential of Champagne as an art of blended wine. Jean-Baptiste Lecaillon and his team have done a marvelous job with these Champagnes. Unfortunately, I was not able to taste the 2004 Cristal, which will be released in the Spring of 2010. Lecaillon is also working on a new wine, a Brut Nature Champagne (equal parts Pinot and Chardonnay, and likely to be a vintage wine) which will also be released next Spring. Readers who want to learn more about this historic house may want to take a look at my vertical of Cristal going back to 1979 available on www.erobertparker.com.