Louis Roederer Cristal Champagne 2015 (75cl) – Champagne, France

Louis Roederer’s Cristal perhaps needs no introduction – those who know, know, and those who don’t know will certainly have heard the name in plenty a popular song. Apart from its incredible heritage in which the Tsar Alexandre II requested an exclusive cuvée (resulting in the first Cuvée de Prestige), the quest of perfection continues to this day. The 2015 vintage drinks like the perfect orchestra: the soft yet sharp bubbles in place of flutes, a bouquet of peachy yellow fruits in place of the string ensemble, and roasted hazelnut and almond aromas in place of the brass and percussion respectively, all conforming together to the ultimate crescendo of a salivatingly concentrated finish. Perfection? It just might be.