LOUIS ROEDERER Cristal Brut ROSE Millesime 2013 Bottle

Description

2013 was characterised by a particularly late growing cycle. The never-ending winter was followed by a very cool, late spring. We had to wait until the start of July for flowering to begin - something we hadn’t seen in Champagne for quite some time! Fortunately, summer was glorious with plenty of sunshine, record high temperatures and very low rainfall, ideal for the ripening of the Pinot noirs and Chardonnays. The temperatures were cool for the October harvest and the resulting wines are elegant and fresh - the signs of a "classic” vintage.

WINEMAKING
Over the years Louis Roederer has developed a unique technique for the production of its rosé champagnes. This process, referred to by Roederer as the ‘infusion’ technique, allows us to bring out the juicy, ripe character of the Pinot noirs whilst preserving their exceptional freshness. A small amount of Chardonnay juice is added to the Pinot noir maceration which then ferment together and integrate harmoniously. The cuvée Rosé 2013 was bottle-aged for 4 years before being left to rest for a further 6 months after disgorging in order to attain perfect maturity. The dosage is 8 g/l and made up of 67% Pinot Noir and 33% Chardonnay.

TASTING NOTES
A light, bright and clear rosé. Fabulous! Fine, steady stream of bubbles, evenly distributed across the glass. Complex bouquet ominated by an almost minty freshness combined with zesty fruit, wild strawberry and raspberry. The nose opens out to reveal spicy and smoky notes, characteristic of the Pinot noirs grown in Cumières, along with aromas of dried fruit, roasted almonds and cocoa beans. Underlying saline notes, reminiscent of sea spray. On the palate the wine is soft and smooth yet also piercingly fresh. A well-integrated wine with excellent body, pleasant freshness, long length and delicate mouthfeel. The body softens gradually and coats the palate with a velvety smoothness underpinned by a pleasant salinity and delicate hints of tannin from the flesh and skins of the Pinot noir grape. The finish is fresh, long and very persistent.

THE WINE ADVOCATE 100 points
Reviewed by: Kristaps Karklins
Drink Date: 2026 - 2053
"The 2013 Cristal Rosé from Louis Roederer is one of the most complete wines to be found in Champagne in this vintage, so utterly pure and precise that I would run the risk of exhausting superlatives trying to express its clarity. Displaying a pale hue, it soars from the glass with a bouquet of kaleidoscopic complexity, featuring notes of tangerine zest, raspberry and rose petals mingling with peeled almonds and spices. Enjoyed from magnum, disgorged in February 2024, the wine’s persistent palate offers a bright, vibrant core of fruit, refined mousse and fine-boned structure, with racy and fresh acidity and a long, chalky finish. “With 2013, I was confident from day one, which was not the case with 2008,” recalls Jean-Baptiste Lecaillon, and the result in the glass precludes any argument about it—the 2013 Cristal Rosé is a wine that’s structurally complete, deep and multifaceted, even more spectacular than the white 2013 Cristal. When I asked William Kelley why he gave 99 points to 2013 if he rated the 2008 Cristal Rosé with 100, he for a moment insisted to me that it was the other way around."