We were delighted to be able to visit Krug at their historic house in Reims, Champagne (this was before the hand-over to LVMH). Our thanks to Pascale Rousseau and also Laure Mérillon who was very informative, forthcoming and an excellent host.
The sheer number of wines and range of years that comprise the base wines for Krug’s Grand Cuvée is astonishing: often up to fifty or so wines, some as old as fourteen years blended from the Reserve stocks. Krug also keeps all its bottles for much longer before release than any other house (as well as, notably, doing the first fermentation in oak).
So by the time you drink the Grand Cuvée you are getting much more than even a sophisticated NV or some vintage wines can offer. The emphasis is all on blending and not especially on vintages. In fact, Krug only tends to make vintage wines in exceptional years. For example, the house decided not to make any vintage wines in 1992 and 1993; so there will be a lot of pressure on stocks of the 1990 (not that we can afford to buy any in any case!).
Krug Grand Cuvée
Appearance: gorgeous deep straw gold to brass colour.
Nose: very complex nose featuring apples, custard, crème anglaise, white currants, floral notes, marked Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier fruit, old oak, ‘a mixture of old and young characteristics’. Both rich (‘aged’) and very fresh.
Palate: intensely layered fruit and savoury aromas, fine high acidity and superbly delicate mousse. Very long, but a bit fierce at present.
Conclusion: amazing Champagne and one that would benefit from some further ageing in bottle, in fact.
Rating: 18.5/20
1990 Krug
Appearance: deep gold almost orange colour.
Nose: more developed nose than that on the Grand Cuvée, but you can tell a stylistic affinity between the two, even although they are very different wines in composition. Deep Pinot fruit, almost spicy, mature nose, oak, very layered.
Palate: intense and concentrated, but mellowing palate with strong Pinot-dominated fruit, great acidity, a lovely softened mousse and great length.
Conclusion: seems more ready to drink than the Grand Cuvée. Is this more approachable even than 1988 Krug? The 1988 is probably better, but both are amazing.
Rating: 19/20
