The 2007 Cristal is comprised of a blend of fifty-eight percent pinot noir and forty-two percent chardonnay, with fifteen percent of the vins clairs barrel-fermented this year. The base wines did not undergo malolactic fermentation for the 2007. The wine spent five years aging sur latte and was finished with a dosage of 9.5 grams per liter. Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon is very pleased with the potential of the 2007 Cristal, which he feels hails from an under-appreciated vintage in Champagne. The wine offers up a beautiful young nose of pear, apple, patissière, a gorgeous base of limestone minerality, very gentle spice tones, hints of the smokiness to come, a touch of fresh almond and a lovely topnote of white flowers. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and utterly seamless, with brisk, well-integrated acids, laser-like focus, very elegant mousse and outstanding length and grip on the focused and still very youthful finish. The balance here is impeccable and the wine is certainly approachable today, but its true zenith is still a good eight to ten years down the road. A beautiful wine.

The first bottle was a little tired with less mousse than expected, but the second bottle was much more lively and impressive. Generous and supple in the Cristal context with gentle notes of ginger and spice alongside the peachy fruit. Long layered finish. At its mature peak. Drink now. - Stuart Pigott

Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon calls Cristal "the first terroir cuvée of the Champagne." He furthers, "It’s not just Chardonnay or Pinot Noir, but the chalk that brings the ultimate finesse, length and precision of Cristal." Forty-five blocks with averaging age of 43-years-old, low-yielding vines form the base of Cristal, which is usually made of approximately 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay. Due to an early bud break (end of March) and the wet summer, the 2007 was picked at the end of August, so almost 100 days after the flowering instead of the normal 93-95 days. There is a bit less Pinot Noir than usual (57%) and accordingly, more Chardonnay (43%) in the 2007 Cristal. This Champagne comes along in a golden color and with a deep and matured, yet well-defined bouquet of ripe yellow fruits and honey notes. Full-bodied, round and very complex, the generous 2007 is a perfect mix of ripe fruit and precise minerality. It is a silky textured, pure and precise, as well as powerful and expressive Champagne. It has great tension and grip in the very long and persistent finish. Great expression of chalk. The 2007 was disgorged in 2015. The 2009 is to be released in September; the 2008 won't be in the market earlier than January 2018. Neither a 2010 nor a 2011 will be released, but a 2012. - Stephan Reinhardt

Cristal is Roederer’s prestige cuvée, based on chalk soils. In 2007, the wine is all about chalk in its tension and length. Its white fruit races with electricity, a spark of energy driving the pale scent of nectarine and fresh apple. The energy is wrapped in a smooth, gracious and gentle wine that will continue to gain flavor depth over the coming years.

Among the most iconic Champagnes, this wine always reflects its vintage. In this 2007, coming from a good, not great year, the wine is developing more quickly than is sometimes the case. It is now showing as a beautiful, balanced wine ripe with apples while also hinting at almonds and a yeasty character. The wine has such style, elegant with its fragrant acidity and complex structure.

The 2007 Cristal is pretty reticent in this tasting. Then again, it is sandwiched between two great vintages. It is the product of a freakishly early year and an August harvest, rare at the time but increasingly within normal parameters today. The 2007 is 58% Pinot Noir and 42% Chardonnay, which is to say a bit more Chardonnay than typical. I have had better bottles of the 2007. Dosage is 9 grams per liter. Disgorged: 2015. -- Antonio Galloni

Shows lovely texture and harmony, featuring a powerful backbone of acidity married to finely knit flavors of green pear and raspberry fruit, with hints of preserved lemon, biscuit and honey. Light spice and mineral details echo on the creamy finish. Drink now through 2030. 9,450 cases imported. –AN