Which Champagne house produces the Cristal prestige cuvée?

Louis Roederer produces Cristal, one of Champagne’s best-known prestige cuvées.

Cristal was created in 1876 for Tsar Alexander II of Russia. Its distinctive clear bottle was designed so the imperial customer could inspect the wine and see that it contained no poison or explosive device. The bottle also has a flat base, rather than the deep punt common on many Champagne bottles.

Louis Roederer originally made Cristal exclusively for the Russian imperial court. It was released commercially much later, in 1945. The wine is traditionally based mainly on Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, although the exact blend varies by vintage.

Cristal is a vintage Champagne, meaning it is produced from grapes harvested in a specified year. That makes it different from a non-vintage house blend, which combines wines from multiple harvests to maintain a consistent style.