Cristal is Louis Roederers flagship wine. It was first made in 1876, when Tsar Alexander II asked the house to reserve their best cuvee for him every year. But he had another request. Fearful of an assassination attempt, he asked that it be produced in a clear bottle with no indent, called apunt, in the bottom. And an icon was born. Its made from seven Grand Crus and only in the best years, when low-yielding Pinot Noir and Chardonnay vines produce perfectly ripe grapes. Rich and velvety, it has intense and complex notes of ripe citrus, golden apple and almond pastry with an incredibly long and elegant finish.