Pouring a golden hue, the 2004 Champagne Cristal Vinotheque pushes forward umami elements without going to oxidation. Ripe and pure, it has notes of preserved apricot, nutty pastry, golden citrus, and chalky earth. To let it come back, the mineral has the concentration, but the mineral is what holds it all together. Full-bodied, it’s mature but with a note of oily citrus and a decadently textured finish. It's an effortless, mature, hedonistic expression, generous, open, and ready to enjoy now. Disgorged in 2019 and rested in the cellar until now. Drink 2025-2045.

The 2004 Cristal Vinothèque (magnum) takes things to another level. Two thousand-four has long been one of my favorite Champagne vintages for the top wines. It was a controversial year, one marked by record yields. Long aging on the lees fills out the wine while adding layers of dimension that enhance the essential qualities of the year. The 2004 Vinothèque is so timeless, so classy. - Antonio Galloni

There’s lots of tension and focus to this version, with the fine, pointillisme-like bead dancing a graceful foxtrot on the palate, carrying tropical hints of passion fruit coulis and blood orange granita along with an overtone of oyster shell and accents of pickled ginger and anise. This is lacy on the finish, with a salty undertow coming to the fore to create a lingering, mouthwatering impression. -- Non-blind Cristal Vinothèque retrospective (June 2025). Drink now through 2044.

Disgorged in 2019 with a dosage of six grams per liter, the 2004 Cristal Vinothèque spent 20 years in the Louis Roederer cellars. This aging process involved the bottles being stacked horizontally on their sides, followed by a period stored neck-down to limit oxygen exposure while also reducing the surface area of lees in contact with the wine. After this, the Champagne underwent an additional six years of aging post-disgorgement. Lecaillon explains that this effort is to “push the wine with longer maturation into a more generous expression, not sacrificing salinity in the process.” Bursting from the glass with a deep bouquet of roasted nuts, candied lemon peel and brioche mingling with aromas of smoke and honeysuckle, it is richer and more dramatic aromatically, while simultaneously retaining a cool, racy profile. Medium to full-bodied, textural and multidimensional, it concludes with a long, chalky finish. With only 2,000 bottles available, it will be rather difficult to find; but those with disposable income who want to experience Cristal at its most generous expression should not hesitate to track down a bottle, as it stands as one of the most precise releases of the Vinothèque program so far and surpasses the regular 2004 Cristal in its depth and completeness.