Definition: Cristal Roederer (champagne)

One day in 1876, Tsar Alexander II pointed out to his sommelier that the bottles served at his table were all wrapped in cloth, which meant that they were indistinguishable from those that his guests could buy in shops. He demanded that his personal cuvée be served in crystal bottles from then on, as their crystal necks were an infallible means of identification. Thus was born the Cristal cuvée, presented in a bottle whose appearance has remained unchanged for over a century. The last vintage blended for the Tsar was 1914. After the fall of the Empire in 1917, Louis Roederer undertook to continue the production of Cristal and to market it throughout the world. The cuvée disappeared for about ten years, only to be reborn in 1924 in its current form, with the crystal replaced by white glass. Every year, 600,000 bottles of this powerful, refined and fruity champagne are produced. This cuvée still enjoys considerable prestige today and is still produced, as it was for the Tsar a century ago, with the same care and high standards.