Steeped in history and recognized as one of Champagne’s most celebrated bottlings, Cristal reiterates its modern place in the world of fine wine with its most highly rated version ever from Wine Spectator. It’s a triumph from the challenging 2014 vintage, with chef de cave Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon crediting the chalky soils for their ability to store water during spring’s dry period and drain it during summer’s rainy months. Harvested from up to 45 organically farmed plots owned by Louis Roederer’s Rouzaud family, this is a blend of 60 percent Pinot Noir and 40 percent Chardonnay, with 32 percent fermented in oak and no malolactic fermentation. The 2014 shows greater expression than usual on release, and its harmonious marriage of finesse and crystalline structure allows for aging as well as drinking now.

Notes of crisp yellow orchard fruit, white flowers, blanched almonds and warm brioche introduce the 2013 Cristal, a full-bodied, layered and incisive wine that's taut and chiseled but also notably exuberant in a vintage that I admire immensely but which can sometimes present an austere side. Deep, concentrated and penetrating, it's complemented by a pinpoint mousse and concludes with a long, saline finish. Less introverted than its 2012 predecessor, readers won't regret trying a bottle of the 2013 Cristal young-even if I'd recommend forgetting some for a decade too.

I think the 2013 Cristal checks in behind the 2008, but it's nevertheless a beautiful wine. Lots of ripe orchard fruits, toasted bread, brioche, and chalky mineral notes define the nose, and it's medium to full-bodied, with a layered, nicely concentrated, tight, inward style, beautiful precision and purity, and a great finish. It needs a good 5-7 years of bottle age to hit its stride and will keep for two decades or more.