I'm happy to join the chorus and say that the 2008 Cristal is the most impressive young vintage of the wine I've ever tasted.
I'm very confident that the 2008 will go down as one of the greatest vintages of Cristal in the past forty years.
It's easy to imagine that Cristal's status as a luxury item obscures just how great it can be, so let me say that anytime I have the opportunity to drink old Cristal I get very excited. Cristal with age can be jaw-droppingly profound.
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I have no doubt that the 2008 will age into something truly epic.
The 2008 vintage in Champagne is one of our favorite vintages. Along with 2002, 2008 is the best vintage of the decade. Where 2002 is defined by a high level of ripeness and muscle, 2008 is about purity, harmony, and an energetic structure. We love the total package.
Cristal is one of the absolute highlights of the vintage. The combination of sleek elegance and layered, multifaceted complexity is magical.
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. Right now, the 2008 looks very much like a vintage of a lifetime.
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 Media: "The 2008 Cristal is one of the most complete, most dazzling Champagnes I have ever tasted. A stunning wine from any and all perspectives, the 2008 simply has it all. Spherical in construction, with superb persistence. The 2008 takes hold of all the senses and never gives up. One of the many things that makes the 2008 special is a combination of ripe fruit and bright, piercing acidity. Marzipan, lemon confit, dried flowers and orchard fruit all build into the explosive, resonant finish. “We learned from the mistakes of 1996, when we picked more on acid than ripeness, as was the norm in Champagne back then” Chef de Caves Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon told me recently. “In 1996, the best fruit turned out to be the last picks, where the fruit was physiologically ripe. Today, we aim to pick all our fruit with that criteria."