Louis Roederer Cristal Brut, Champagne

Created in 1876 for Tsar Alexander II — who demanded a clear bottle so he could inspect for assassins' devices — Cristal has transcended its gilded origins to become one of the benchmark wines of the modern era. Roederer's approach is unusually estate-driven for a grande marque, with biodynamic viticulture increasingly central to the house's philosophy. The result is a wine of exceptional purity, restraint and ageability that consistently outperforms its celebrity.