Louis Roederer – Cristal Rosé 2002 – Champagne – Brut Rosé – 1 bottle (0.75L) – the world's first-ever 100-point Champagne Storage and provenance: This bottle has been stored since purchase in a dedicated EuroCave wine cabinet, maintained at a stable, professional cellaring temperature of 12.9°C, as confirmed by the cabinet's digital display. It is stored horizontally alongside other prestige-cuvée Champagnes. The bottle is presented exactly as photographed, with its distinctive clear crystal bottle, orange/copper foil capsule, and Cristal crest neck label intact. The front label clearly reads "Louis Roederer – Cristal – Champagne – 2002 – Brut Rosé, 12% vol." and the back label reproduces the house's founding history: in 1876, Tsar Alexander II requested that his personally reserved cuvée from Louis Roederer be presented in a crystal flask, giving birth to Cristal as a symbol of rarity, extreme demand and ultimate refinement. The back label also carries the production reference code "L 032776 J1082/6" and the standard "Reims, France" bottling declaration. Wine critic ratings: The 2002 Cristal Rosé is not merely an outstanding vintage of this cuvée — it is a landmark wine in Champagne history, being the first Champagne ever awarded a perfect 100/100 score by The Wine Advocate, ending decades in which no Champagne had received that mark from the publication: - Robert Parker / The Wine Advocate: 100/100 — The Wine Advocate's first-ever 100-point Champagne, described as having "arrived in the Olympus of the finest Champagnes," a lush, succulent, perfectly round and intense wine combining generosity and texture with great elegance and spellbinding balance - Peter Liem, Joshua Greene and Essi Avellan MW: each independently awarded 100/100, with Avellan naming it her all-time favourite Champagne - Falstaff: 100/100 - Supreme World Champion trophy at the inaugural 2014 Champagne and Sparkling Wine World Championships - James Suckling: 98/100 - Vinous (Antonio Galloni): 98/100 on the Late Release, with Galloni noting it as "even better than the Blanc" 2002 Cristal Producer and cuvée: Cristal was created in 1876 for Tsar Alexander II of Russia, who requested a champagne housed in a distinctive clear crystal bottle so the wine's color and clarity could always be verified — a security measure against poisoning, and the origin of the flat-bottomed, clear-glass design still used today. Cristal Rosé was introduced in 1974, made using Roederer's proprietary "infusion" method rather than classic saignée, allowing exceptional finesse and precision alongside depth. Cristal and Cristal Rosé are produced only in the finest vintages, from a strict selection of Roederer's oldest, biodynamically farmed parcels in Aÿ, Avize and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger. Vintage and style: 2002 is considered one of the truly exceptional vintages of the modern Champagne era: consistently warm temperatures without excessive heat, a mild winter, 20% less rainfall than average during the growing cycle, cool nights, and a dry northeast wind through August and September that concentrated flavour while preserving freshness. Chardonnay harvest began on 12 September 2002 with grapes already showing over 11% natural sugar concentration. The blend for the Rosé is approximately 56% Pinot Noir and 44% Chardonnay, with about 20% vinified in oak casks and no malolactic fermentation, aged on its lees for seven years before disgorgement in 2010–2011 and matured a further eight years in bottle post-disgorgement, at a dosage of 9 g/l. The wine shows an intense, powerful and remarkably youthful bouquet of fresh fruit, candied citrus, rose, smoke, cocoa, spice and cinnamon, with a juicy, fleshy, succulent entry, a dense, powdery texture, chalky freshness, and a long, saline, ethereal finish. Condition and packaging: The lot comprises one 75cl bottle (12% vol.) in excellent condition: the signature clear crystal bottle shows the wine's onion-pink/copper hue clearly, the orange foil capsule and neck label are intact and legible, and both front and back labels are clean, bright and fully readable, exactly as photographed. The bottle is offered on its own, without outer box. Drinking window and collectability: As the first Champagne in history to receive a perfect 100-point score from The Wine Advocate — and one that continues to draw maximum or near-maximum scores from virtually every major critic who has tasted it — Cristal Rosé 2002 occupies a singular place among the world's most collectible wines. Beyond its extraordinary critical pedigree, it represents a genuinely rare opportunity: a wine created for the Russian Imperial court, made only in exceptional vintages, from a blockbuster year that critics widely regard as one of the finest of the past three decades. Drinking window: now through roughly 2055. Shipping and handling: As I care deeply about the storage and wellbeing of my wines, shipping will be handled with particular attention. I am happy to agree with the buyer, after the auction closes, on the optimal shipping date and method, taking into account weather conditions and transit times. The bottle will be securely packed with ample protective material to prevent movement and impact, and can be sent fully insured with signature on delivery. During warmer periods I can arrange insulated packaging and cooling elements, and we can opt for an express service to minimise time in transit. Happy Bidding!