Krug Champagne - Krug Clos du Mesnil

The name Krug is worldwide a perfect example for high-quality champagne and produces the tingling luxury drink in the Champagne since 1843. The company was created in the year 1843 in Reims and has German roots. The fathers of the group were Johann-Joseph Krug (of 1800-1866) from Mainz and Hyppolite de Vivès (a well-known wine dealer at the time then). One started with the production of high-quality champagnes within the years following on this. Heard in today's time the company Krug of champagne still stands Rémi Krug as well as the vintners' Eric Lebel to the luxury good chain LVMH from France and at the apex of Krug.

The vineyards of one's own of Krug are Pinot Noir arms new hectare. This vineyard lies nearby Aÿ. Furthermore Krug has six hectares vineyard situations with the white Chardonnay shoot in the area Le Mesnil sur Oger. The probably best known champagne Krug of Clos de Mesnil also is from a 1.85 hectares plot here. The grandee Cuvée is produced from vine material of the vineyards of one's own to 20%, the remaining need is bought to in addition from serious and very qualitative sources.

At the production in the cellar Krug uses exclusively little oak barrels. These barrels described as a pièce hold 205 litres of liquid. Thereby a vanilla note and a certain coffee taste in the later stage of development receive Krug champagne. About 3.300 of these oak barrels are in use at Krug for the production of the high-quality champagnes today. Krug champagne tries to reduce the wood taste by only old barrels being used. These give the champagne balanced, supple taste nuances. So new barrels must "mature" at Krug first before use to be allowed to be filled with the high-quality champagne later.

Krug champagne is a wort the Assemblage, i.e. the offcut of different wines to a Cuvée. 60 different wines are blended at Krug from 25 different situations to the synthesis of the arts. Krug Champagnes therefore come together from almost 10 different vintages every year. So the grandee Cuvée is under no circumstances a young champagne, compared with the further vintageless champagnes of the other producers like Moet, Taittinger, Veuve Cliquot or Perrier Jouet.

Krug champagne should not, how with 8 to 10 degrees Celsius are served to other classless plants, on the contrary unfolds better a genuine Krug champagne with some degrees more. Here become effective the taste-intensive components and the mad composition Krug better. So it is advisable not to enjoy a Krug champagne too coldly! Moreover, Krug champagne they can serve for a meal also very well and they are not desiring only as Apéritif.

Different champagnes are produced in the house Krug:

Krug Grande Cuvée Champagner:

 65 to 80 per cent of production the Krug champagne by the Grande Cuvée is taken off. Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot-Meunier are used in the production. The Krug of grandee Cuvee comes onto the market ready-to-drinkly, can spend even further years without problems in the cellar, however. By the additional storage will the structure Krug of the Grande Cuvee still more balanced and the outlet becomes softer and more finesse-rich.

Krug Rosé – Krug Grande Cuvée Rosé

This Krug champagne also represents a multi- vintage champagne like the grandee Cuvée. Rose Champagner was imported by Henri Krug for the first time in 1983 and had very big success of the beginning. This rose is no simple champagne, he requires an exact and lasting tasting. Therefore he is so popular under experts.

Krug Vintage Brut, Krug Milléssimé

Krug Vintage champagne only the best vintages are declared as vintage champagne by Krug and put on the market on principle. Within weak years no Krug Millessime is produced. The best vintages of the last time were well 1988, 1989 and 1990. The vintage 1995 came only 2006 onto the market and stayed in the cellars of the house of Krug all the time. Connoisseurs certify the Krug Vintage champagnes a shelf-life of 25 years and more! These champagnes are very valuable, a Krug of Vintage 1961 was auctioned for almost 1,500 dollars at the auctioneers auctioneers Sotheby, for example.

Krug Clos du Mesnil

This luxury market of Krug a pure Blancs de Blancs is and to 100 per cent of the vineyard situations of the small wine village Le Mesnil sur Oger is made. This situation is edged by a wall all around and it forms a microclimate of one's own in the vineyard (clos). The first Clos de Mesnil was produced in 1979 and is very popular with prosperous wine and champagne enthusiasts since then. The Krug Clos de Mesnil has much acid in his youth and must be stored first some years to set for his high-altitude flights. Only then one can recognize the finesse and the structure of the Krug Clos de Mesnil. Unfortunately, about 10,000 bottles are produced by the Krug Clos de Mesnil only per annum which lets the price jump. A Clos de Mesnil does not seldom cost 600 euros. The wine alcoholic gets the older vintages offered no less than 1,000 euros.

Krug Collection

 Diese Sammlerweine sind von den „normalen“ Krug Vintage Weinen kaum zu unterscheiden. Ab und an bringt Krug diese Sammlerstücke mit einer edlen Holzkiste auf den Markt. Diese Champagner liegen länger auf der Hefe und sind somit auch nach Jahren noch prickelnd frisch im Geschmack. Der aktuelle Krug Collection Jahrgang ist 1981.

Krug Clos d'Ambonnay

The Krug Clos d' Ambonnay is exclusively made of Pinot Noir a Blanc de Noir. Ambonnay is a little wine village, situated in the mountains of Reims. This situation classified as grand Cru has one in southeast inclination and predominantly heavier, fuller wines are produced. The Krug Clos d' Ambonnay is the most expensive young champagne per produced. The current 1995s vintage costs 3,200 euros.

Here now some tasting notice for  Krug Champagnes:

Krug Collection 1964
A Krug from the Krug Collection 1999 beautifully, younger working, good Mousseux, but somewhat habituation-needily, knows better of Krug – 90/100 (well up: wineterminator.com Dr. Becker).

Krug Champagner 1971
A fantastic champagne year, little harvest with excellent wines. Krug was 2001 from the 1tel a fantastically ripe Top champagne with pleasant ripe tones and beautiful Mousseux, there becomes also I again to a Champagner fan – 97/100. A Krug Collection drunk in the direct comparison to this was inferior to the 71s Vintage since 10 years still wait far too young! However, in 2007 this was an elixir fascinating unbelievably from the Magnum, with fantastic Mousseux, canary yellow colour ripe and fresh at the same time, fruit, still it is so mistaken fresh toast, nuttily tones, for a long time and not goes champagne complexly so printingfull differently better. One could gurgle at every drink only with joy there – 98+/100. Potential for decades still has. A drawing-room Le Mesnil was very ripe in 1996 to drink Mousseux, already more wine than champagne, a little firns but still good no longer much – 87/100 (well up: wineterminator.com Dr. Becker).

Krug Milléssimé 1971
Between New Year's Eve 89 and Christmas 2001, till now, four times, I was allowed to drink Krug, a very aromatic, firm champagne to which I still give quite a number of years – 94/100 (well up: wineterminator.com Dr. Becker).

Krug Milléssimé 1989
I spontaneously gave 97/100 for the complex, still quite young Krug of Vintage in the New Year's Eve afternoon 2006. He considerably more ripely presented himself decanted in white wine-glasses 2007 on chateau Latour – 94/100. And another bottle was also substantially riper and further than in the previous year at the end of 2007 on Muottas Muragl – 95/100. La Grande Dame very ripely and far worked a Veuve Clicquot in the country house Bacher in 1998 – 90/100 (well up: wineterminator.com Dr. Becker).

Krug Brut Grande Cuvee Champagne (disgorged 1987)
MV Krug Grande Cuvée (disgorged 1987) Very old label. Disgorgement date on back of label in middle – discovered by chance when I opened the blinds to my room the following morning and the sunshine burst across the bottle highlighting the date of “02.11.87” imprinted in 4mm high black lettering!). No marking on cork. Loud pop from cork upon opening. Mid gold. Incredibly fine mousse with tiniest (and most vigorous!) bubbles of the 3! Bouquet is astonishing and singing straight away: every whiff something new – ginger, soy, butterscotch, honey, hazelnuts, dry dark chocolate, flowers. Palate exemplifies beautiful structure, balance, length and persistence of flavours across the whole spectrum. After 30 minutes in glass, honey developed. Power yet elegance. Freshness yet great complexity. As good (perhaps even better) vs. the 1980 Krug Clos du Mesnil had a few months back at Claude’s Restaurant. I found myself asking: what more could you want from a champagne? A Magnificent expression of all that is champagne. I feel vindicated that I age these and find it hard to understand why anyone would want to drink them so young when they only show possibilities! My WOTF and WOTN. The majority WOTN also. 97/100 (Quelle: The Auswine Forum www.http://forum.auswine.com.au).