2004 Cristal Champagne + Some Really Good News!

Recently I was lucky enough to drink Louis Roederer’s Cristal Champagne for the very first time. Mr. Spittoon sourced a bottle of the 2004 vintage through our local bottle shop, Chateau Guildford Cellarbrations for a very special occasion. I have always wanted to try the yellow/orange cellophane clad bottle of approximately 55% Pinot Noir and 45% Chardonnay blended bubbles which has a synonymous history with the rich and famous.

There’s no denying Cristal is the epitome of luxury, but it’s not just the likes of Jay-Z and Paris Hilton who are swigging it out of the bottle on luxury yachts who rate this sparkling wine highly. The 2002 vintage was given 100 points by Wine & Spirits Magazine which is a near impossible feat. Other impressive years for Cristal include: 2005, 2004, 2000, 1999, 1997, 1996, 1995.

So why then was my first Cristal experience a bottle of the 2004 vintage? Well that’s where the excitement comes in and I start squealing like a crazy Justin Bieber fangirl…

I’m going to become ‘Mrs. Spittoon’!

That’s right, the Cristal 2004 Champagne came with a stunning gorgeous engagement ring when the love of my life and best wine-drinking partner in crime asked me to marry him! Between the ring and bottle of Cristal I was absolutely over-the-moon and just a touch in shock! This man is most definitely a keeper when he has taste like that!

2004 is a special year for the 2 of us as it was the year we met back in Auckland, New Zealand.

So after I pulled myself together, there was only one thing to do and that was to crack that bottle (which Mr. Spittoon had chilling in a secret location prior so it was at the perfect ‘drink-me-now-temperature’). And we just had to have a few gulps straight out of the bottle like the total gangstas we are prior to pouring it into our Riedel flutes.

So what was it like? It’s a wine-lovers ecstasy, totally melt-in-your-mouth goodness that’s like drinking the milky-way. And you know what? I didn’t even take time to write a tasting note for it, or for the 2004 Delamotte which was also consumed on the night and the 2004 Veuve Clicquot Rose which was drank a few nights later during celebrations with the family.

Cristal has always stood out as a high-class Champagne but its packaging is also rather unique & eye-catching. The bottle is covered by bright yellow/orange cellophane as the bottle is completely clear and has a flat bottom. The reason the clear glass was initially used, was to show off the beautiful deep golden colour of the wine to the Tsars & Kings drinking it. And today, the cellophane is wrapped around the bottle to help protect the elixir from light damage.

Sometimes you have to forgo writing a tasting note when you’re busy celebrating such a wonderful occasion! So I guess that’s my big news and also a bit of a pre-empt of what’s to come in relation to the blog – I am already all over Pinterest and planning the Mr. & Mrs. Spittoon wedding, so blog posts and social media updates may slow down a touch over the next 12 months 🙂

Casey x