Jean-Baptiste Lecaillon took the reins as chef de cave at Louis Roederer in 1999, and has spent the last 22 years building his reputation as the finest craftsman in Champagne.
He is excited about the 2013 vintage release – very excited – describing it as ‘2008 + +’, exciting indeed for those of us who felt that the 2008 was flirting perilously close to perfection.
In 2008 only 40% of the vineyards were certified as biodynamic; in 2013 they all are, and the difference is palpable. ‘2013’, he maintains, ‘has everything that 2008 had; precision, racy chalky purity, brightness and finesse… with a little extra fleshy ripeness for good measure’.
He describes the wine, memorably, as ‘half chalk, and half sunshine’. In 2008 the metronome swung towards the chalk; in 2012 it veered towards the sunshine. In 2013 it is deftly poised in the middle, perfectly harmonious in other words.
Wonderfully eloquent
Praise indeed from a man not given to hyperbole. But to what extent does this brightly fizzing liquid support his claims?
With unnerving fidelity, it turns out. 2013, many will remember, was a year when spring took forever to emerge; the late cycle meant that the recent spring frost issues of 2021 and 2017 were largely avoided, and, at the other end of the season, an Indian summer guided the vines to full maturity with great relish.
The harvest, late and protracted by today’s standards, was brought in between 27 September and 15 October, only the Pinot Noirs from the Montagne de Reims (Verzy and Verzenay in particular) threatened by the prospect of botrytis.
The ‘A Team’ of pickers were therefore sent out to sort the fruit in these vineyards. As usual in Cristal, the Pinot edges the Chardonnay in a 60% / 40% blend, but both are wonderfully eloquent.
Acidity and sweetness mirror 2008, but lower yields and the legacy of the sunny mid-season have raised the pH a little, reducing the malic acid and prompting Lecaillon to dispense with the malolactic fermentation.
A generous texture, bolstered by the one-third oak used for the first fermentation, is not thereby jeopardised; on the contrary, the richness of the wine is seemingly enhanced by its grip of freshness and taut acidity.
Tension is all in Champagne, a region of marginal climates and the need for precision in winery and vineyard alike. The wine was disgorged last autumn, and given a dosage of 7.5g/L.
Radical departure
The traditional Champagne philosophy of consistency of style above all is turned on its head here by Lecaillon.
Now, finally, this beguilingly brilliant winemaker has the confidence to maintain that the identity of the vintage and of the terroir itself must trump that of the house. An uncontentious statement in many fine wine regions, maybe, but in Champagne it signals a radical departure.
Who better than Jean-Baptiste Lecaillon to herald a brave new era? With the outstanding 2013, he has laid down a template with great gusto and authority.
The wine
In the UK, Louis Roederer Cristal 2013 is available to order from fine wine merchants including Harrods, Selfridges, Fortnums, Hedonism, The Champagne Company, and Harvey Nichols. The recommended retail price is £220.
See Simon Field MW’s Cristal 2013 tasting note and score
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