Louis Roederer Cristal Vertical Tasting - Hosted by Essi Avellan MW & Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon

Thursday 18th November 2021 - 18:30 aperitif & 19:00 start 67 Pall Mall, St James Room, London, SW1Y 5ES Write Up Exclusive: Jancis Robinson MW Presenters: Essi Avellan MW & Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon Places are limited to 56 people If you have a particular passion for Louis Roederer Cristal,  then this is the event for you.  A tasting of fifteen Cristal Blancs from 1988 to 2013 – 6 from magnum including 1 Vinotheque & 1 from Jeroboam. The oldest four champagnes are direct from Louis Roederer's cellars shipping to us in September 2021. The remaining 11 Cristal champagnes are all from TFB bond stock at Vinotheque and all of these bottles originated from the Louis Roederer owned UK distributor MMD; champagne storage provenance is critical. The tasting will take place in the St James Room at 67 Pall Mall. The tasting wont be blind and guests will have the opportunity to use our live scoring app, with plenty of time for questions to both Essi and Jean-Baptiste. In 1876, Russia's Tsar Alexander II, a long-time lover of Louis Roederer wines, asked the producer to create a special cuvée for his personal use which was unique in both its style and bottle design. Dissatisfied with standard champagne bottles that concealed the beautiful colour and effervescence from the eye, he requested that his personal cuvée be served in transparent crystal glass bottles with a flat bottom to foil the insertion of explosives by would-be assassins. Thus, Louis Roederer selected the best vines from seven Grand Crus on his estate and Cristal, the first prestige cuvée, was born. Now world-famous, Cristal is produced only from the truly great vintages in which the ripeness of the Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes can provide the subtle and precise balance that is now the distinction of this cuvée. Between 20-30% of the wines are vinified in oak barrels and the final blend is matured for six years in the cellars and rests for twelve months after disgorgement.  Since the year 2000 the Cristal vineyards have been converting to biodynamic farming methods and  since 2012 all the Cristal Estate vineyards, all 45 plots have been farmed biodynamically. Essi Avellan MW - The tasting will be presented by Essi Avellan MW, who just last year completed her comprehensive book on Champagne. Finland’s first Master of Wine, Essi is the author of several wine books and is a reputed wine judge for the Champagne & Sparkling World Wine Championships. Currently Essi is re-writing Tom Stevenson's Wine Encyclopedia. Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon - Born and raised in Reims, Champagne, and graduated from Montpellier's Ecole Nationale Supérieure Agronomique, after which he joined Roederer in August 1989. Lécaillon is the Executive Vice-President and Winemaker at Roederer – a post he has occupied since 1999. Tickets are available on a first come first served basis to 56 guests at £788.00 per person.