A bottle of Louis Roederer Cristal (1993).

Cristal is the brand name of a Champagne produced by Louis Roederer. Cristal has a flat-bottomed clear, "crystal" bottle, anti-UV cellophane wrapper, and gold label. Due to is high price and status, it is considered a Veblen good.

[edit] History

Cristal was first created in 1876 for Alexander II of Russia, and is viewed by many as the first prestige cuvée^[1]. As the political situation in Russia at the time of his rule was unstable, the tsar feared assassination. He ordered that the bottles, containing the drink, were made clear to avoid having a bomb hidden in a typical green bottle.^{[citation needed]} Louis Roederer commissioned a Flemish glassmaker to create a Champagne bottle with a flat bottom. Bottles made from common glass have a bell shaped bottom which makes them strong enough to cope with Champagne's pressure. To create a flat bottomed bottle they had to be made from stronger, clear lead crystal. The Champagne has since become known as "Cristal".^[2]

The wine was not commercially available until 1945.^[3] In the late 1990s and early 2000s, the brand became increasingly associated with rap and hip-hop culture, with several artists referencing the drink in song lyrics and as part of their public image.^[4][5] In an interview with The Economist in 2006, Louis Roederer managing director Frederic Rouzaud said he viewed the attention from rappers with “curiosity and serenity”. Asked if he thought the association would harm the brand, he replied, "that's a good question, but what can we do? We can't forbid people from buying it. I'm sure Dom Pérignon or Krug would be delighted to have their business."^[6]

[edit] Production

The 1974 vintage was the first release of a rosé Cristal.^[3] The grape composition is an approximately equal blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, while the rosé contains more Pinot Noir, and is coloured with red wine rather than Pinot Noir grape skins, the saignée method.^[1] The 2000 vintage is 55 per cent Pinot Noir and 45 per cent Chardonnay, with a dosage of 10gm/ltr.^[3] The annual production of Cristal is 300,000 to 400,000 bottles.^[7]

[edit] See also

• Champagne in popular culture

[edit] References