"Amber hue with green and orange tints. Fine, even, and lively sparkle. Complex and intense bouquet disclosing candied citrus, yellow fruit, Williams pear, pollen, and toasted almond. The delicately seductive bouquet shows intensity and well-honed precision. The wine is powerful, full yet tight, on entry to the palate. The 2008 is undeniably well-structured but in a particular way: the wine’s almost saline concentration has not been created by the sun but is derived from the dryness of the chalk soil in a particularly cool summer. The result is a smooth, almost liquorous, mouthfeel that coats the palate with a powerful yet soft texture. This gives way to an incredible finish, underpinned by freshness and an impression of absolute purity with a taut and very saline character. This wine’s energy has been tamed by an unusually long period of bottle aging: Cristal 2008 was, in fact, aged for 10 years before its release on the market. A first!"