Krug
About Krug
Arguably the region's most prestigious and sought after producer, Krug was founded in 1843 and has been run by the family for generations.
Krug captures the imagination and desire of oenophiles the world over for a variety of reasons - rarity, price, reputation etc. The simple fact of its success, and one which broadly holds true for all of the most in-demand fine wines, is their staggering brilliance. One of the world's leading critical authorities on Champagne, Antonio Galloni (Vinous), has tasted Krug Brut Vintage back to 1942 and never awarded a score lower than 94 points- this was to 1976 tasted in 2015, a bad vintage for the region and deemed to be slightly tired!
Krugs' cuveés
Created, in the words of founder Joseph Krug, "according to the circumstances", Krug Brut Vintage is an expression of time and place second to none in the region. The sole drive of the formidably talented team at the maison is to celebrate the characteristics of the finest years as fully and transparently as possible. In order to achieve this, Krug select the most expressive wines from their considerable Grands Crus holdings, blend them and proceed to hide them in their ancient cellars for a minimum of ten years, often more - sounds simple when put like that!
Krug cellar master Julie Cavil phrases the raison d'être of Krug Brut Vintage (as opposed to their Édition NV or two "Clos") most beautifully:
"A Krug Vintage is an intimate immersion into the world of the Tasting Committee, of what surprised, enchanted or moved us in the tasting room after the harvest. When I decide to craft a Krug Vintage, I always do so to tell the story of these unique circumstances" - Julie Cavil (Krug Cellar Master)
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Champagne | 5 | 96 (JS) | HK$9,000.00 | |||||
James Suckling (96)Wonderful precision and depth right away on the nose, with dried pineapple, light apricot and hints of flint and slate. Medium-bodied palate that’s firm, bright and linear. Vivid,driven acidity adds focus and perfection. Dried lemon and a wonderful, creamy texture with a mineral undertone. Extremely long, almost endless. Sophistication here. Drink or hold. |
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Champagne | 1 | 19 (JR) | HK$15,755.00 | |||||
Jancis Robinson (19)A blend of 198 wines from 11 different years, with the youngest the acclaimed 2012, back to a precious, powerfully aromatic lot of Verzenay Pinot Noir 1996. The final blend – 52% Pinot Noir, 35% Chardonnay and 13% Meunier – was bottled in 2013 and aged for seven years in Krug’s cellars in Reims. Yields in 2012 were 20% lower than usual because of a succession of meteorological events including frost, rain, storms and hail in winter and spring 2012, followed by the driest ripening season since 1974. Notably intense aroma with crème pâtissière dominant. Masses of extract and remarkable acidity underpinned by great depth of flavour and beautiful balance on the finish. I think this is going to be a really great, glamorous Krug Grande Cuvée that will continue to develop in bottle for many years to come. I suspect it will be even more enjoyable from the end of 2020. The length on the palate is remarkable. This is magnificently precise, a great tribute to the work of the old cellarmaster Eric Lebel, who is still in the background, and a wonderful welcome to his successor Julie Cavil, who has been learning from him since 2006. |
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Champagne | 1 | 19 (JR) | HK$12,388.00 | |||||
Jancis Robinson (19)A blend of 198 wines from 11 different years, with the youngest the acclaimed 2012, back to a precious, powerfully aromatic lot of Verzenay Pinot Noir 1996. The final blend – 52% Pinot Noir, 35% Chardonnay and 13% Meunier – was bottled in 2013 and aged for seven years in Krug’s cellars in Reims. Yields in 2012 were 20% lower than usual because of a succession of meteorological events including frost, rain, storms and hail in winter and spring 2012, followed by the driest ripening season since 1974. Notably intense aroma with crème pâtissière dominant. Masses of extract and remarkable acidity underpinned by great depth of flavour and beautiful balance on the finish. I think this is going to be a really great, glamorous Krug Grande Cuvée that will continue to develop in bottle for many years to come. I suspect it will be even more enjoyable from the end of 2020. The length on the palate is remarkable. This is magnificently precise, a great tribute to the work of the old cellarmaster Eric Lebel, who is still in the background, and a wonderful welcome to his successor Julie Cavil, who has been learning from him since 2006. |
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Champagne | 1 | 96+ (WA) | HK$9,000.00 | |||||
Wine Advocate (96+)Based on the 2013 vintage and complemented by some 40% reserve wines dating back to 2000, Krug's newly released NV Grande Cuvée 169ème Édition is showing very nicely, unfurling in the glass with notes of citrus oil, buttered toast, dried apricot, warm biscuits and marmalade. Medium to full-bodied, deep and incisive, it's a tauter, more chiseled rendition of Grande Cuvée by comparison with the richer, more textural and more demonstrative 168ème Édition (based on the 2012 vintage) that preceded it; but its bright spine of acidity is nicely cloaked in fruit. Concluding with a long and sapid finish, this is a very classically balanced Champagne that will reward bottle age |
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Champagne | 1 | 96 (WA) | HK$18,785.00 | |||||
Wine Advocate (96)Based on the 2014 vintage, complemented by some 33% reserve wines from six other vintages, Krug's new NV Brut Rosé 26ème Édition is showing beautifully, offering up aromas of tart red berries and plums mingled with notions of warm biscuits, dried fruits, flowers and orange zest. Medium to full-bodied, taut and incisive, with terrific concentration, racy acids and a long, penetrating finish, it's an intensely flavored, electric wine that stands out as a particularly good recent release from this storied house. |
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