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Krug

The invitation, in the form of an email which popped into my inbox, didn't give much notice. "We are having a tasting and dinner with Julie Cavil, winemaker at Krug, and wonder if you would like to come along? It is tomorrow night". The message was from Cara Wood of Woodwinters, a relatively new wine merchant based in Bridge of Allan, near Stirling. This wasn't going to be easy, but it seemed as though it would be worth the effort. My Champagne profiles are by no means comprehensive, nor is it likely they ever will be, but if there was one profile I wanted to add to my small stock it was Krug. And so arrangements were duly made. Not wishing to feature in the tabloid press as the next "kids home-alone" story a childminder was booked, and after a quick search online an inexpensive room in an establishment offering bed-and-breakfast accommodation was reserved. Krug, here I come!

Hours rather than days later I set off, with map in hand. The tasting was to be held at the recently rechristened Hotel Adamo (previously the Queen's Hotel) in Bridge of Allan, and my accommodation was up on the hill above the town, a few minutes walk away. I knew the name of the boarding house, and marked the road on the map. So clearly, nothing could go wrong, could it? Admittedly, I didn't note the number of the house, or any more detailed instructions, but what would that matter? Boarding houses advertise themselves quite clearly, often with a sign at the end of the driveway, or at least a "vacancies" sign in the window, don't they?

I was at the end of my second pass along the road in question when I realised this wasn't going to be that easy. There was no sign of a boarding house anywhere. I thought back to my visit to the establishment's website, poring through patchy, fragmented memories for any clue. What was the number? What were those directions they gave? Nothing....all I could remember was a brief mention of pink gravel on the driveway. It wasn't much, but it would have to do; stopping outside one of the largest houses with just such a driveway, I trudged up towards the entrance. I was immediately heartened by the sight of a multitude of vehicles parked alongside; a soft-top Mercedes, an old Triumph GT6, among others. Surely these belonged to fellow guests? I rang the doorbell and waited, but there was silence. About to give up, a couple pulled up in a large Volvo. These were the owners, and this was definitely not a guest house, and the gentleman denied the existence of any such establishment. This was looking bad. But then inspiration flashed across his face, and his uncertain revelation that "the owners of the house at the end of the road might sometime let out rooms" gave a glimmer of hope. Thanking them, I guided my car down towards the property; indeed, here on the gatepost, on a plate little bigger than my thumb, was the name of my guesthouse.

I was not surprised, on being admitted, to find I was the only guest for the night.

Krug - A Profile

The Krug story begins in the mid-19th century with Johann-Josef Krug, an immigrant from Germany (as were many famous names in Champagne). He started out with Jacquesson and was clearly an immediate success; within a year he had been made a partner, and with his marriage to Adolphe Jacquesson's English sister-in-law, Anne Jaunay, in 1841, it seemed his feet were well and truly under the table. And yet, although apparently set for life, those same feet were clearly restless. Just one year after his wedding he left Jacquesson, and Chalon-sur-Marne, and set out with his wife to create a new Champagne house.

After quitting in October 1842 Joseph and his seemingly unwilling wife settled in Reims. Although his early experience had been with Jacquesson, Johann-Josef - a name which by now had been naturalised to Joseph - had also been working for a competitor, Hipployte de Vivès. It was this business that gave rise to the Krug we know today. Joseph took control of a portion of it, and the deal was settled quickly; by 1843 Krug and his wife had their own Champagne house. Krug et Cie was born.

Now in its second century the house has been handed down from one generation to the next, typically father to son, there being a strong recurring theme of both generations working alongside one another, maintaining and developing the Krug style through the years. After Joseph the reins were passed to his son Paul, subsequently coming in 1910 to Paul's son, also Joseph, and then Joseph's nephew Jean Seydoux in 1924. It is this latter character, together with Paul, who has largely been credited with shaping the Krug company and wines into what they are today. Nevertheless, for current acolytes of this Champagne house, the monikers most familiar and most readily associated with Krug are somewhat more contemporary, namely those of brothers Henri and Rémi; the former has been in charge of winemaking here since 1962, whereas Rémi has carved out a role as something of a Krugist international ambassador. Today, however, these two doyens of the Krug dynasty are taking a backseat, passing the reins to Henri's son Olivier and a team of employees. And this is where the aforementioned Julie Cavil fits into the picture. It is she, her fellow employees and all other interested members of the Krug family that form the tasting committee that determines blends, disgorgement, ageing and release dates of all the Krug wines. Admittedly, since the takeover by LVMH in 1999 this is no longer a true and purely family-owned business, but it seems as though the Krug family and their associates have retained a good deal of autonomy within this luxury goods conglomerate.

Julie Cavil

After leaving my guesthouse - a mere few minutes after arriving - I walked down to the Hotel Adamo. With a few minutes to spare I stood on the bridge over the Water of Allan, the bridge which obviously gave the town its name, and observed a heron, a well-known character locally, waiting for his evening meal to swim by. He was a fine creature, moving from side-to-side and then forwards-and-back in a considered manner, peering intently into the water. Elegant and graceful, was he a portent of the wines to come? It would soon be time to find out, and so I made my way to the venue. Here I met Julie Cavil; she and a small group, a mix of clients, guests and employees numbering about twenty, were gathering in anticipation of the tasting.

Cavil came to Krug by a convoluted route. The daughter of a doctor, with no early exposure to wine and no given route into the world of wine, her first choice of career was in advertising, a vocation which introduced her not only to her husband, but also to wine. As her appreciation of the latter grew, a career-change loomed. In 2001 she moved from a high-flying job in Paris to the Champagne region to study oenology; after four years she graduated, first taking up a position with Moët et Chandon. This career change was a rapid and seemingly very successful personal realignment and one which I find both fascinating and inspiring; unfortunately I was not able to delve too deeply into the conviction that lay behind this decision. Quizzing Cavil about the sequence of events, she eyed me as one would a stalker, surprise at my knowledge of her history illuminating her eyes and adding a tone to her voice; Julie Cavil is clearly not used to people who do their research before they meet her.

Fortunately for me, more information was soon forthcoming; after four years at Moët et Chandon Cavil applied for a position at Krug, eventually - after a gruelling series of interviews - taking up a hard-won post as winemaker. And so today she joins the Krug team, contributes to the decision-making as a member of the Krug tasting committee mentioned above, helps out Eric Lebel, who holds the exalted position of chef de cave, and is increasingly the public face of Krug, travelling the world for Krug-orientated tastings and dinners. Just like this one in Bridge of Allan, in fact. It is a job that would fill true Krugists with envy, I am sure.

The Vines and Wines of Krug

In many Champagne profiles it is hardly necessary to talk of vines, as the Champagne machine has tended to put some distance - in our minds at least - between the wines and the vineyard. These are wines of the cellar, of the chef de cave, rather than of the vineyard or of terroir. Nevertheless vineyard and terroir is increasingly being seen as important even in Champagne, or at least by commentators on Champagne, and no profile of Krug would be finished without at least some mention of the Clos du Mesnil and Clos d'Ambonnay cuvées - although some might argue, looking at the prices, that these wines owe more to scarcity and marketing than terroir. Nevertheless, it cannot be stressed enough that the Krug-owned vineyards are tiny - the Clos d'Ambonnay accounts for less than a hectare, and all told Krug own only 20 hectares, in Aÿ, Le Mesnil, and Trépail. What fruit they need beyond this tiny harvest is purchased from local growers who work with Krug on long-term contracts, as is the norm for the region.

Regardless of its origin or its eventual destination, all harvested fruit is first fermented in 205 litre oak barrels made from Argonne wood. It is here that we see perhaps the most distinct difference between Krug and other houses, where a primary fermentation in oak is a rarity. Despite this the Krug wines are never dominated by new oak aromas, and no doubt this is down to the meticulous preparation the barrels undergo, first being "de-seasoned" with water, and then used to store press wines (which are sold off and not incorporated into Krug) for several vintages before they can be used for Krug proper. Once the alcoholic fermentation is done the wines are racked twice, and there is no malolactic. They are then stored in stainless steel vats prior to blending or to more long-term keeping as a reserve wine, an essential component for the Krug style.

The Wines: Multi-Vintage

The entry-level wine is the Grande Cuvée, although its price matches that of other houses' prestige cuvées. It is a essentially a non-vintage cuvée, although the Krug machine would prefer you think of it as multi-vintage. This is fair enough; whereas many Champagne house would blend in perhaps 20-30% reserve wines, usually from fairly recent vintages, at Krug the reserve wines make up anywhere between 35 and 50% of the final blend (although it can go higher, such as 59% in 1988), and are sourced from a multitude of mature vintages held in stock. All of the three main Champagne grapes can play a significant role, although Chardonnay is usually in the minority, playing second fiddle to the two Pinots. And so a typical Grande Cuvée will be an assemblage of up to 50 wines from between 20 and 30 separate crus; with between 6 and 10 reserve vintages blended in. Even so, is the term multi-vintage anything more than marketing spin? Isn't this just a high quality non-vintage cuvée? Perhaps, although writing in the Christie's World Encyclopedia of Champagne and Sparkling Wine (Absolute Press, 2003) Tom Stevenson, also clearly once a non-believer, points out that as the Grande Cuvée blend takes precedence over the vintage release, rather than the opposite, it is unfair to think of this wine as a "basic" non-vintage. This is, I suppose, Champagne's equivalent of Vega Sicilia's Reserva Especial. Multi-vintage it is, then. 

After this comes the Krug Rosé, a wine only introduced in 1983 by Henri and Rémi Krug. Their father, Paul Krug II, had long resisted the addition of a rosé to the Krug portfolio, it being a wine he associated with, according to Julie Cavil, light-hearted moments and celebrations, and not really in keeping with the Krug style. After Henri took on full responsibility for the winemaking in 1977 he and Rémi went into Max Schubert mode, developing a rosé behind the scenes. Over dinner one evening they presented it to their father to taste, without revealing its identity. He was, it is alleged, incensed that another house should have imitated so successfully the style of Krug, and yet in a rosé format. The wine's future was assured, it seems, and today it is a well-established member of the Krug range. Made with the addition of red wine to a blend of Krug Champagne, this is another cuvée where Chardonnay typically takes a back seat, accounting for perhaps only 30% of the final blend, with Pinot Noir dominant at up to 55% and Pinot Meunier accounting for as much as 20%.

The Vintage Wines

Vintage Krug is certainly something special, even though its blending and release comes second after the Grande Cuvée. This is perhaps why the release of the vintage wine is less frequent here than at other houses, with just the 1990, 1995, 1996 and 1998 from the 1990s, for instance. As with the wines above, Chardonnay is usually the minor part, typically no more than 35%, with Pinot Noir up to 55% and Pinot Meunier up to 30%. Until recently only in 1981 did the proportion of Chardonnay exceed that of Pinot Noir; despite this it has a reputation as being one of the greatest examples of Krug ever released. Chardonnay has, however, come to dominate once more in recent years, namely in the 1998 vintage.

Expensive as it is, vintage Krug is eagerly snapped up by the Krugists of the world; fortunately for those not quick enough, Krug has a long-standing policy of keeping back stocks for later release. Each year the Krug tasting committee revisit these old vintages, and when determined to be à point the wines are released as Krug Collection. Many authors mistakenly describe this element of the Krug range as a late-disgorged cuvée, but this is not necessarily true; these wines have often been disgorged at the same time as the original release, and it is the exceptional provenance - the wines never having left the Krug cellars - combined with maturity which results in these wines commanding an even higher price. A limited and individually numbered release, a notable quirk is that the bottles are issued in reverse order, starting with the highest number. The release of the Collection 1985 began with bottle 4000, and we tasted number 1406. Should you be wealthy enough to buy a bottle and you receive number 1, well done - you have the last one!

There then follows a duet of single vineyard vintage wines, the Clos du Mesnil and Clos d'Ambonnay. The former is 100% Chardonnay sourced from the 1.87 hectare clos of the same name on the outskirts of Mesnil-sur-Oger. Krug acquired this vineyard in 1971 and immediately replanted, and thus the first vintage released under Krug was the 1979. Rare and of supreme quality, these are highly-prized and unsurprisingly expensive wines. Finally comes the latest addition to the range, the Ambonnay cuvée. This wine is sourced from a tiny 0.685 hectare on the outskirts of Ambonnay, on the southern edge of the Montagne de Reims. Whereas the Mesnil yields a blanc de blancs, this is Krug's only blanc de noirs cuvée, being made from 100% Pinot Noir. The site, originally named Le Château but renamed by Krug upon its acquisition, has long been a source of Krug fruit. The family made the purchase in 1984, and announced this long-held secret more than two decades later with the release of their first vintage, the 1995. With a tiny production amounting to just 3000 bottles, as I am sure you can imagine the price is astronomical. As the saying goes, if you have to ask.....

The Tasting

On the evening in question, the notes for which are presented below together with my other tasting notes for Krug, we were fortunate enough to taste, after the Grande Cuvée and Rosé, two recent vintages of Krug and one from the Collection release programme, in this case the 1985. Of the two straight vintage wines tasted, the 1996 was the most impressive; monumental and yet also paradoxically elegant, this is without doubt one of the greatest Champagnes I have ever tasted. Across the range, however, the quality was extraordinarily high, and the Krug style was in evidence throughout. This style is perhaps best expressed as a combination of maturity on the nose - described in a myriad of ways, no doubt - with a precise, honed definition with freshness and light on the palate, a feeling enhanced by a very fine mousse, surely a Krug trademark. What a delight it would be to drink these wines every week!

Finally, a necessary note of disclosure; this tasting was arranged by Woodwinters and LVMH, and at the time of writing I have no business relationship with either. After the tasting we ate dinner at the Adamo, accompanied by wines from the LVMH portfolio, including more Krug Grande Cuvée, Cloudy Bay and Terrazas. If you feel this might influence my interpretation of these wines, please bear this hospitality in mind when perusing my notes below, which are a blend of the tasting described above (May 2009) and all my other Krug notes. (16/6/09)

Contact details:
Address: 5 rue Coquebert, 51100 Reims
Telephone: +33 (0) 3 26 84 44 20
Fax: +33 (0) 3 26 84 44 29
Internet: www.krug.com

Krug - Tasting Notes

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Krug 1998: This vintage is notable for being only the second ever, after the 1981, where the blend is dominated by Chardonnay. A fine clarity here on inspection, more vibrant and shimmering than the slightly richer, more matt 1996. A touch sulphurous on the nose today though, although underneath this there is a roasted element, intertwined closely with coffee beans, with a floral-citrus character laid on top. The palate is fresh, breathtakingly clean and pure, with finely delineated flavours of pithy citrus fruits and coffee. Deep and minerally, with a firm and structured finish, crisp yet broad, it has a long, incisive, fresh and pure finish. The 1996 is without a doubt the greater wine, but this is perhaps more approachable now, and surely it will drink sooner? Overall, excellent wine. 18.5+/20 (May 2009)

Krug 1996: This wine has a remarkable nose, tense and tight, with a very compact character and hugely expressive aromas of dried orchard fruits, with a golden edge. The maturity of the wine shows in a sincere and captivating style, although this is clearly a wine still in a youthful phase of its evolution. But on the palate - wow! Rather than gentle maturity, this is broad and lively, a real mouth-filler, creamy but fresh, fanning out to dominate in the midpalate, and yet it also remains incredibly fine. There is just so much depth and texture here, juxtaposed against the pure structure of the wine, it seems to defy description. I find myself catching my breath as I drink it, and a shiver runs down my spine. This is exceedingly fine, and if the palate per se wasn't convincing enough the long and pervasive finish, which goes on and on, should do the trick. A stunning Champagne, brimming with potential. I have to confess I am in awe; I would like to score this 20/20, but is this perfection? I'm not sure, although it seems damn close. 19.5+/20 (May 2009)

Krug 1995: A very powerful nose, oaky and stony, oiled wood, this already seems like a powerhouse of a wine. Very firm on the palate, with lots of depth, very broad style, showing good depth and promise. Very stylish but very primary and immature, very indrawn and firm. It needs considerable cellar time, but rest assured this will be very impressive when mature. From the 2007 Champagne Information Bureau Tasting. 18+/20 (March 2007)

Krug Collection 1985: The Collection wines are those held back by the Krug family for sale when mature, the eventual release date being determined by the family on tasting. The wines are numbered and released in reverse order; this is number 1406 of 4000, so there are just over 1400 bottles left in the Krug cellars at the time of tasting. The nose is waxy, mature and vinous, with notes of fine biscuit, a reserved coffee element, honey and, as many people pointed out, a distinct note of white truffle. This is fabulously expressive, showing a perfectly mature secondary character, with a little orange sweetness at the edge. The palate is just unbelievably good, broad and pure, defined and exciting, vinous with a restrained, gentle mousse. Beautiful flavours complete the picture. This is a joyous wine, so elegantly mature and yet so fresh; there aren't many wines which make me want to laugh out loud through sheer elation, but this is one. Wonderful. 19/20 (May 2009)

Krug Grande Cuvée NV: This is an 'old label' bottle which I have cellared since purchase in 2003. A rich straw gold hue, with tiny bubbles evident as soon as poured into the glass. They are a delight to see, and the pleasure is consistent from this moment on. On the nose, as we might expect, notes of honeyed and toasted nut aromas, and oiled wood, all the classic Krug aromas derived from the mature wines blended in and, in this case, a little bottle age too. But combined with these there is a glorious citrus freshness, reserved but still very apparent, with notes of orange peel and lemon, along with a minerally streak, of smoke and stone. On entry, a fabulously broad but elegant arrival, a paradoxical synthesis of the smoky, minerally maturity and the citrus freshness seen on the nose. A fine, prickling mousse, great incisive acidity and a long, fading finish. Great wine, drinking beautifully now, but there would have been room to age this further judging by the firmness of the composition. But I believe this is the last of my 'old label' bottles, so sadly I won't be able to test that theory for myself. For label images and more see my Wine of the Week write-up. 18.5/20 (February 2010)

Krug Grande Cuvée NV: Current release. Tasted twice, once in a Krug line-up with winemaker Julie Cavil, and later over dinner with scallops. Never a deeply coloured wine despite its richness and reputation, this has an appealing hue and fine bead. The nose is very typical of Krug, showing little notes of lanolin, smokily waxed fruit and gingerbread, characteristics derived from the heavy contribution of older vintages in the blend. On entry it is very composed, broadening out on the midpalate, complex, with its waxed and minerally fruit dominating the palate, backed up by a very delicate, prickling mousse that screams finesse, a Krug hallmark. Sappy but fresh despite the rich aromas, and very long too. A wonderful wine which deserves fine contemplation. 18+/20 (May 2009)

Krug Grande Cuvée NV: This was purchased in Autumn 2003, so has had five years of bottle age in my cellar since release. The cork, solid and straight, displays this. A mid to pale golden hue in the glass, and a plentiful bead, with dozens of streams of tightly compacted, tiny bubbles. On the nose it seems quite quietly elegant, mostly subtle white fruits with a little nut and cream, and a smoky, mineral gorgeousness. On the palate is where I find the typical Krug richness and depth, with a meaty-creamy quality to the palate, although it remains elegantly fresh, with finely balanced acidity and a broad, walnutty character from start to finish. Incredibly well defined and lifted at the finish, like a spring morning, providing a delightful counterpoint to the richer midpalate. Very fine indeed. There seems to be no worry about leaving bottles of the 'multi-vintage' cuvée in the cellar five years at least. A Christmas wine. 18.5/20 (December 2008)

Krug Grande Cuvée NV: Current release. This has a surprisingly steely element to the nose, which is clean, pure and very primary, with just a subtle vein of nuts behind it all. The palate is really very good; it has a great depth, with a lovely, harmonious character. On the finish it reveals a little more of its deeper style, as it shows here a full, nutty crescendo. Excellent potential here, but right now this is clearly still in a very primary and tight phase. From a tasting with Woodwinters. 17.5+/20 (November 2008)

Krug Grande Cuvée NV: Current release. A huge, honeyed, oiled oak nose here, with complexity underneath, notes of sherbet, seaweed and iodine. There is lovely character on the palate, which is very rich, broad, meaty and expressive. A firm and youthful style which has a huge texture and even some grip. Fine potential here. From the 2008 annual Champagne tasting. 17-17.5+/20 (March 2008)

Krug Grande Cuvée NV: Current release. Quite an elegant nose here, refined, a little citrus fruit, quite a reserved style, nicely delicate (if I can apply that description to Krug...it's all relative). Full, creamy edge to the fruit, very precise and well poised. Firm but crisp, reigned in mousse. Full style, still rather oaky, firm and yet gentle at the same time. Long finish. This is very good indeed. From the 2007 Champagne Information Bureau Tasting. 17+/20 (March 2007)

Krug Grande Cuvée NV: Purchased 1998, so six years of post-release bottle age here. Very pure nose, honeyed white fruits with a sweet, honey-caramel edge. Full and yet stylish palate, firm and structured, still with very fresh, almost biting acidity. Creamy mousse, great elegance. But it is still very youthful I think - I would advocate a further five to ten years bottle age. From a Prestige Cuvée tasting. 18.5+/20 (September 2004)

Krug Grande Cuvée NV: Purchased Autumn 2003. A shimmering, mid-gold hue and a small bead. Wonderful nose - very powerful and typically Krug. The aromas are suggestive of the barrel fermentation employed by Krug, with rich oatmealy, oiled oak alongside notes of hazelnuts, butter, lemons and thyme. Very sharp, clean entry, with fine, prickling mousse and fairly prominent acidity which keeps it fresh and elegant despite considerable richness. Develops a creamy feel through the midpalate, helped very much by a relaxing of the mousse. Flavours very much mirror the nose. Fans out somewhat on the finish and already shows a decent length. Although generally ready when released this cuvée will undoubtedly benefit from further time in the cellar - allowing some of that acidity to dissipate. 18+/20 (January 2004)

Krug Rosé NV: Current release. Previously tasted only at the 2009 Champagne tasting, this wine shows the same beautiful onion-skin hue tonight. On the nose we have peachy, stony fruit, mature and true to the Krug style, but with floral elements too. Very fresh at the beginning on the palate, fine and elegantly poised although full in character. A fine tingling and very precise mousse as you might expect, long and minerally in the finish. I don't find such a baked-caramelised fruit character this time, but that is a minor point. Still a very delicious wine. 17.5+/20 (May 2009)

Krug Rosé NV: Current release. This wine has a deep onion-skin hue. The nose is remarkable, full of character, and I though it very typical for Krug, with its polished wood, mature style, in this case tempered by a little blackcurrant leaf and some caramelised fruits. I know that others were not so convinced, though. The palate has an intense, baked apple character over fine definition and a good mousse. A good savoury finish too. From the 2009 annual Champagne tasting. 17.5+/20 (March 2009)