UK merchant lists Roederer Cristal 2018 at £162 a bottle in bond, before duty and VAT

What happened

Decanter has reported the release of Cristal 2018 from Louis Roederer as the house celebrates 250 years. The merchant Justerini & Brooks lists the wine at £972 per case of six 75cl bottles, or £162 a bottle. That price excludes duty and VAT, and the merchant shows delivery as in bond (held without duty paid).

It is one merchant's listing.

According to a trade site, the house that became Louis Roederer was founded in Reims, and Cristal was created for Tsar Alexander II of Russia. Justerini & Brooks describes the 2018 as marking the 150th anniversary of the cuvée's inaugural vintage.

Justerini & Brooks says the blend used 57 parcels instead of the usual 45, with more Chardonnay for freshness. The trade site puts the Chardonnay share at around 43 per cent, more than usual, citing retailers, and says the winemaking reduced the use of oak.

Justerini & Brooks also cites a score of 98+ points from Antonio Galloni of Vinous.com.

For comparison, the same merchant lists Roederer's Vintage Brut 2018 at £55 a bottle on the same ex duty and VAT basis, so on these listings Cristal costs almost three times as much (our arithmetic from the two prices). Justerini & Brooks says that Brut is the final release of the cuvée as currently made.

Some details were not confirmed. The trade site said the price for the US was not confirmed at the time of writing, and that the wine is arriving at merchants this autumn.