Cristal Champagne is a timeless luxury

Why settle for anything less than the very finest when you celebrate your next momentous occasion? Make your friends or that special someone feel like royalty by popping the cork on a bottle of vintage Roederer Cristal Champagne.

Roederer has been making fine Champagne since the late 18th century. In 1876, Cristal was created at the request of Tsar Alexander II. Thereafter, Roederer was ordained the official Champagne supplier to the Russian Imperial Court.

This premium beverage is crafted from a precise combination of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. A second fermentation in the bottle creates effervescence, and age enhances the wonderful flavor characteristics.

Golden-West-Wine.com currently carries two prized vintages of Cristal Champagne. The rare and superb 1996 rose is a delicate and complex pale pink wine that presents a bouquet of cherries, orange zest, and toasted nuts, with smoky overtones. The 1999 vintage is a pale yellow with golden highlights. It displays a refreshing bouquet of citrus, white flowers, and berries, followed by warmer notes of chocolate, toast, and wood. The palate reveals flavors reminiscent of lush peach and apple, and a silky texture makes for the perfect finish.

This grape is one of the oldest to be cultivated for wine, and it has a well-earned reputation for being sensitive to growing conditions, disease, and fermentation processes. So why do vineyards and wineries continue to test their fate with this fickle variety? Simply because, done well, Pinot Noir produces exquisitely sensual wine with a complex aroma, pronounced spiciness, and velvety texture. Early on, these wines exhibit a bouquet of cherries, red berries, or currants, but with age, they acquire more complexity and begin to develop chocolate, fig, plum, or truffle tones. Meant to be consumed when fairly young, they pair well with lightly seasoned grilled seafood, poultry, and lamb.