Louis Roederer Cristal 1981

What the critics scored the 1981

2 critic scores from 2 reviewers, on the 100-point scale from 91/100 to 97/100. Score: 94.0 out of 100.

The dated reviews run from 1986 to 2018, young and mature bottles alike.

By score the 1981 ranks 30th of 39 (tied with 1973 and 1975) scored Louis Roederer Cristal vintages, 1.9 points below their review-weighted 95.9.

The 1980s by score: 1981 94.0, 1982 96.0, 1983 93.5, 1985 95.7, 1986 91.5, 1988 94.8 and 1989 96.0.

Another highlight in this tasting, the 1981 Cristal is ridiculously great. Powerful and resonant in the glass, yet also nuanced, the 1981 is just starting to show the first signs of full maturity. Candied orange peel, apricot, dried flowers, chamomile and exotic spices all fill out the wine’s ample frame effortlessly. “The 1981 Cristal is really the last wine of the pre-climate change era in which the flavors were concentrated solely because of low yields,” Lecaillon continues. Even without that fascinating background, the 1981 is a stunning Champagne.

What drinkers rate it

92.7 out of 100 from 10 drinker ratings, the most recent in August 2022.

That is 1.3 points below the critics' score.

Drinker rank: 33rd of 44 (tied with 2000). The most-rated vintage has 559 ratings.

5 written notes, August 2014 to August 2022, rating it 92 to 97.

Perfectly balanced. Lite sherry flavors. Stone and wheat. Nothing out of place. Crisp acidity.. Great wine.

Dark sauterne color, did not look good; some aged oxy notes on the nose but not strong, bubbles are gone, nutty pecan and roasted almond notes, slight sherry thing but in check; med. mouthfeel, good weight, with an incredible long tangy finish, sign of pedigree. This was really fun, at first not disappointed that it "was not horrible" based on the color and obvious signs of oxidation, but after sitting with this for 20 or so minutes, it really was lovely, full of character, with that nice finish, and slight caramel/sour apple notes. Sandy's old champagnes dinner.

Bye Bye Timmy (Convivial - Washington, D.C.): From magnum. Changed a lot over the course of the evening. At first I thought there was a hint of cork taint, but that seemed to blow off. Then I got the feeling I was dealing with an oxidized bottle as flavors of honey and butterscotch seemed to emerge. Sat the bottle aside, and about 2 hours later revisited it. Much cleaner, and fresher. Florals, pears, and minerals took center stage. Ended up really nice...good balance and depth. Just needed some air, I guess.

Orange golden color with fine bubbles. This bottle tasted a bit older than it should be, a bit plummy and nutty.

Had this alongside the '79 and in the end I'll give them a tie (I'll leave my note and score here because for some reason this one gets less love on CT). Both were great wines and remarkably fresh.

What it has traded at

One trade month on record, December 2021: 1 sale at £640 a bottle.

That last sale is 5 years old: history, not a quote.

When to drink the 1981

1992 to 2028: 36 years, opening 11 years after the harvest.

Open at our 2026 snapshot, with 2 years to run.

Window length rank, longest first: 8th of 33 (tied with 2016).

The 1981 against its neighbours

The 1981 beside its 4 nearest recorded years.

Here, by score, it places 3rd of 5.