"A wine of extraordinary precision and tension" - Antonio Galloni
For us, 2013 in Champagne is a truly exciting vintage that will likely be considered a great one in due time.
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The 2013 Cristal captures much of what we love about the vintage: a vintage of finesse, subtlety, and incredible purity.
To this, the 2013 Cristal adds its signature extroverted and suavely textured layers of complexity. The combination of sleek finesse and depth is really compelling.
I'm very excited to see how the 2013 ages. The transformation that Cristal undergoes as it ages is amazing. While maintaining a dynamic verve, it becomes deeply complex, boasting notes of roast coffee and toffee along with an utterly aristocratic personality.
I'm very happy to have landed another parcel of the 2013 Cristal. This is an especially refined vintage and one that is destined to impress for decades.
To order, email offers@crushwineco.com or call the store at (212) 980-9463.
Ian McFadden
Director, Fine & Rare
Crush Wine & Spirits
Antonio Galloni, Vinous: "The 2013 Cristal is a wine of extraordinary precision and tension. Searing acids drive a bold, racy Champagne that won’t be ready to offer its best drinking anytime soon. In recent vintages, Cristal has been quite open on release. That is far from the case with the 2013. Readers should plan on being quite patient. The blend is 60% Pinot Noir (from Aÿ, Verzy, Verzenay, Beaumont-sur-Vesle) and 40% Chardonnay (Mesnil, Avize, Cramant). Chef de Caves Jean-Baptiste Lecaillon was especially selective and used only 30 out of the potential 45 plots that are typically available for Cristal. About 32% of the lots were done in oak, the rest in steel, with the malolactic fermentation blocked across the board. It was an October harvest, the sort of harvest that has become increasingly rare in Champagne. Lecaillon describes the summer as similar to 2012, but adds the vines were a month behind in their development. In tasting, the 2013 reminds me of the 1996 in its austerity, even more so than the epic 2008."