Louis Roederer Cristal 1994

What the critics scored the 1994

2 critic scores from 2 reviewers, on the 100-point scale from 89/100 to 92/100. Score: 90.0 out of 100.

By score the 1994 ranks 39th of 39 scored Louis Roederer Cristal vintages, 5.9 points below their review-weighted 95.9.

The 1990s by score: 1990 96.6, 1993 91.0, 1994 90.0, 1995 94.2, 1996 96.5, 1997 93.0 and 1999 96.2. The 1994 trails the decade.

Pinot Noir character suffuses this wine, imbuing its aromas with a compelling meaty, leathery, sweaty quality. Full-bodied and earthy, it nevertheless shows great verve and liveliness in its brisk, citrusy finish. This is one Champagne that's badly in need of age.

Pale peach skin color. Aromas of ginger apple, caramel, cinnamon and crystallized ginger. Full, round and concentrated; thick and strong in extract. Rather full dosage nicely leavened by firm acidity. Finishes tactile and long, with a note of honeyed apple. I began with a 90-point score for this wine but marked it down as it quickly took on the cooked apple aspect of '94 with aeration. Not nearly as fresh as the '93 version.

What drinkers rate it

90.9 out of 100 from 14 drinker ratings, the most recent in March 2026.

That is 0.9 points above the critics' score.

Drinker rank: 41st of 44. The most-rated vintage has 559 ratings.

5 written notes, June 2023 to April 2025, rating it 88 to 94.

Slighlty darker gold color in the glass.Fine strings of tiny bubbles, but slowly moving.Served from standard bottle.Much more fresher than the Magnum.Scent: some bread, Taste: much lemon, light bread, orange stone fruits, very little mineral, Good taste but rather short aftertaste.Seems like the flavour register is a little bit closed.Will this vintage really get better?...Seems tired.First 2 glasses was 93 points. After some hours the glasses are not as good. If you pop the bottle be sure to drink it up rather fast.I would recommend you to drink up your bottles now or within maximum 1 or 2 years.Overall was the Magnum better than this one.Points: 92 (93)

Tasted from Magnum.Good scent with cacao, rum raisins, yeast. After 30 minutes a deep scent of mushroom evolved.The scent feels much older than what the bottle tastes.The taste was good with waffles, oak, wet wood, mushroom.Points: 94 (95)

Drank really nicely for an off vintage in Champagne. Lots of yeast, butter brioche, oak. Nuanced green apple and pear. Very fine effervescence. Drink now.

I tried the 94 and 95 side by side, and there is almost no difference between the wines.How could this be?On the 1994 it says imported by Brussel, I never seen this before on any bottle. Another thing in the freezer was that the 94 turned to solid ice much more than the 95.Under my 10 years with wines, this is the first time i have suspicion of that at least one bottle could be a fraud. Its impossible that two vintages tastes exactly the same.Very very strange.The 95 was a little more sour than the 94.94 had scent of raisins. apricote and peach.95 slightly more fresh and brighter scent.Points: 88

Burde nok være drukket for 5-10 ar siden. Men wauw en oplevelse. Masser af saft og kraft. Som en fed chardonnay, men med mere syre. Lang eftersmag. Once in a lifetime

What it has traded at

One trade month on record, August 2015: 1 sale at £150 a bottle.

That last sale is 11 years old: history, not a quote.

1 other vintage also last traded in 2015: 0 cheaper, 1 dearer.

Where to buy the 1994

1 offer from 1 merchant, newest first.

When to drink the 1994

2001 to 2004: 3 years, opening 7 years after the harvest.

Closed 22 years before our 2026 snapshot, so provenance counts for more than price.

Yet 5 drinker notes came after 2004, the latest April 2025 at 92.

Window length rank, longest first: 33rd of 33.

The 1994 against its neighbours

The 1994 beside its 4 nearest recorded years.

Here, by score, it places 5th of 5.