2013 Louis Roederer, Cristal 1x750ml

Vinous 98+

The 2013 Cristal, tasted from magnum, is an infant. Citrus confit, white flowers, chalk, mint and white pepper stain the palate with crystalline intensity and pure, saline-drenched intensity. Time brings out more floral, delicate dimensions of nuance. Readers lucky enough to find the 2013 in magnum are in for a tremendous drinking experience. [Antonio Galloni, 31/05/2026]

Anticipated maturity: 2028-2064

Robert Parker 98

I’ve revisited Roederer’s 2013 Cristal four times since I reviewed it in April of this yeara including several times from my own cellara and I had to admit that even my lavish praise didn’t do it full justice. Combining the cool-vintage cut of 2008 with the more completely mature fruit of 2012, the 2013 Cristal might well be said to represent the perfect combination of the two from a purist’s perspective. The wine unwinds in the glass with notes of crisp orchard fruit, white flowers, almond paste and citrus oil, followed by a medium to full-bodied, seamless and multidimensional palate that’s intense but weightless, with racy acids, a pinpoint mousse and a long, penetrating finish. Drink the 2008 Cristal on its own, and you’re unlikelya to put it mildlya to have any complaints; but compare it directly with the 2013 and you’ll see Roederer’s rapid progress in the vineyards writ large. [William Kelley, 23/08/2021]

Anticipated maturity: 2025-2060