Louis Roederer Cristal 2016

97 points - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, August 2024 The 2016 Cristal is a taut, incisive rendition of this benchmark bottling, unwinding in the glass with youthfully reserved aromas of citrus oil, white flowers, wet stones and subtle hints of sweet, buttery pastry. Medium to full-bodied, chiseled and racy, it's almost as electric as the brilliant 2013, with serious concentration, a pure core of fruit, chalky structuring dry extract and a long, intensely mineral finish. Given its tightly wound profile, my advice is to forget it in the cellar for a few years and work on the more open, outgoing 2014 in the meantime. Jean-Baptise Lecaillon described 2016 as a complicated season, much like 2021 and 2024 (so far). Heavy pressure from downy mildew in spring and powdery mildew in summer made for low yields and caught some growers unawares, perhaps explaining why this vintage is a notable omission from a number of houses' portfolios. An August heat wave made for ripe Pinot Noir, with thick skins, contributing density and extract; and so, to temper that, Lecaillon and his team included a touch more Chardonnay than usual, fully 42% versus a more habitual 40%. That Chardonnay, somewhat reductive in profile, amplifies the 2016 Cristal's taut, chiseled profile. Only 32 of the 45 parcels that are candidates for inclusion in Cristal's blend made the final cut; but neither the Montagne de Reims nor the Vallée de la Marne predominate, as both had their contribution to make. The result is a classic in the best sense of the term, and one that will offer a long and broad drinking window. - William Keeley