{"product_id":"krug-vintage-2002","title":"Krug Vintage 2002","description":"\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\"One of the legendary vintages of Krug ever produced.\"  John Gilman\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\"Exotic and opulent, so complex. Perfect Champagne.\"\u003cspan style=\"mso-spacerun: yes;\"\u003e  \u003c\/span\u003eJames Suckling\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\"This may well be the greatest vintage wine Henri Krug produced.\" \u003cspan style=\"mso-spacerun: yes;\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eWine \u0026amp; Spirits\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\"This is a fabulous wine from the greatest Champagne vintage so far this century.\"\u003cspan style=\"mso-spacerun: yes;\"\u003e  \u003c\/span\u003eWine Enthusiast\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\"Dense, exotic and powerful. Superbly constructed, it is pure pleasure.\"\u003cspan style=\"mso-spacerun: yes;\"\u003e  \u003c\/span\u003eDecanter\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\"Surely one of the great, great Krugs. Close to as good as it gets in my view.\"  Linden Wilkie\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\"The 2002 Krug is a mesmerising wine. Fabulous line and length.\"\u003cspan style=\"mso-spacerun: yes;\"\u003e  \u003c\/span\u003eHuon Hooke\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\"Nothing less than a perfect Champagne.\"  Falstaff\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\"Chock-full of acidity and life. An exceptional wine.\"\u003cspan style=\"mso-spacerun: yes;\"\u003e  \u003c\/span\u003eJancis Robinson\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\"Seamless purity, generosity and complexity on a palate of outstanding length.\"\u003cspan style=\"mso-spacerun: yes;\"\u003e  \u003c\/span\u003eJames Halliday\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\"This fairly sizzles with energy. Classic release.\"  Gary Walsh\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\"Krug leaves other great champagnes in its wake, as it fills the senses to overflowing.\"  James Halliday \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eEvery Krug Vintage celebrates the distinct character of a particular year and is crafted to be exceptional and different. It is the Music of the Year, captured by Krug. A Krug Vintage is a blend of the most expressive wines from a single year enhanced by a stay of over ten years in the cellars. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\"The 2002 Krug, from one of the greatest Champagne vintages of our lifetimes, is a mesmerising wine which I was struggling to find adequate descriptive words. \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA very bready bouquet showing lots of aldehydes, and extremely complex. The bouquet and mouth aromas echo each other and are long-lingering and exquisite. Voluminous flavour and terrific acidity, beautifully balanced and poised, with tremendous refinement and panache. Richness and delicacy together. Fabulous line and length. A great wine.\"\u003cspan style=\"mso-spacerun: yes;\"\u003e  \u003c\/span\u003eHuon Hooke\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\"Born from a year with a clement and generous climate, Krug 2002 exhibits superb balance. The expression of an extremely serene and generous year for wines centred around fruit with beautiful structure, great intensity and elegance, Krug 2002 was nicknamed 'Ode to Nature' by the Maison’s Tasting Committee.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA charismatic and fresh nose, with the promise of natural intensity and elegance and a strong presence of fruits of all types. A diverse bouquet of orange aromas with some notes of liquorice and light chocolate biscuit can also be enjoyed. On the palate, this Champagne is astonishing, balanced and delicate with striking fresh, tropical, wild and crystallised fruits. It is a hymn to fruit – red, white and citrus – with notes of blackcurrant, chocolate, candied orange peel, cocoa beans, honey with hints of smoke and toast enhanced by a vibrant, persistent long finish.\"  \u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eKrug\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan\u003eExpert reviews\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\"It is hard to believe that two and a half years have now passed since Champagne Krug unveiled its long-awaited 2002 Vintage Brut. I do not know if there have been different disgorgements of this bottling, but this one is the same as the last bottle that swept me off my feet back in the spring of last year, having been disgorged in the autumn of 2015. The wine is a blend of forty percent Pinot Noir, thirty-nine percent Chardonnay and twenty-one percent Pinot Meunier in 2002 and is already one of the legendary vintages of Krug ever produced. The bouquet is deep, pure, ripe and vibrant, wafting from the glass in a marvelous blend of pear, apple, almond, a stunningly beautiful base of soil tones, subtle spice shading, patissière, a touch of citrus blossoms and that signature Krug smokiness in the upper register. On the palate the wine rock solid, mineral-driven and shows off stellar purity, with its full-bodied format seamlessly supported by great structure and grip. The mousse is impeccable, the complexity still youthful and growing with each visit and the finish, long, refined and absolutely perfect. This will last almost forever and I suspect at age fifty-seven, I will never drink it at its absolute zenith of evolutionary perfection. But, I admit very much enjoying my occasional visits as the wine is in climbing mode to that future peak! Drink between 2022-2095.\" \u003cstrong\u003e John Gilman - 100 points \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\"Exotic and opulent with dried peaches and apricots, yet wild with croissant and pie crust. Full body. Layered and energetic. So complex with nutmeg and cinnamon. Perfect Champagne.\"\u003cspan style=\"mso-spacerun: yes;\"\u003e  \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eJames Suckling, JamesSuckling.com\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e - 100 points \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\"This has the stamina of the 2002 vintage from the first scent, a fragrance like pear skin and butterscotch, and something fresher, like meadow flowers. All of that fragrance comes in a wine that’s expansive and dry, almost austere in the power of its acidity. Over the course of several days, the wine remains impervious to the fraying of oxidation, instead building on its flavors, deepening to scents of white truffles. Initially, the power of the acidity not only cleans up after the wine’s substantial flavor, but also seems to lash all those notes together and rocket them through a buzz of energy that lasts for minutes. That energy, undiminished four days later, when the bubbles have finally gone, takes on a gentler power, presenting the harmony and elegance at the center of the wine. The 2002 may well be the greatest vintage wine Henri Krug produced during his four-decade career.\"\u003cspan style=\"mso-spacerun: yes;\"\u003e \u003cstrong\u003e \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWine \u0026amp; Spirits Magazine - 100 points \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\"This is a fabulous wine from the greatest Champagne vintage so far this century. Still young, it blends almost equal amounts of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay fleshed out with Pinot Meunier. The minerality and the rich apple and green fruits are balanced, and acidity cuts into the wine with a pure, perfumed line of freshness.\"\u003cspan style=\"mso-spacerun: yes;\"\u003e  \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWine Enthusiast - 100 points and Ranked No1 of 2016 Top 100 Cellar Selections\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\"Without question one of the most perfect vintages in Champagne, in which Krug has once again excelled. Released after the 2003 (as with the '89 and '88), this is a sumptuously magnificent 2002 which manages to eloquently express both the vintage and the maison’s unique savoir-faire. To my palate, this majestic effort is drinking exquisitely now, but will keep and improve for many more years. It is dense, exotic and powerful, underpinned and framed by a firm spine of acidity. There are so many hedonistic sensations to tease the supply textured palate, including honey, roasted almonds, cream, minerals, stone fruits and hazelnuts. Superbly constructed, this is a symphony of flavours that linger effortlessly on the palate for minutes, it is pure pleasure. Sixteen years on, this is just hitting its stride.\"\u003cspan style=\"mso-spacerun: yes;\"\u003e  \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDecanter – 99 points\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\"There is a touch more colour here, fine bubbles; this has a really lovely flattering aroma, the full Krug playbook of candied fruit, biscuits, honey and cream, it is grand, open, complex, subltey oxidative, yet still fresh in expression – a great nose; full on the palate, real depth here and a sense of layering, symphonic complexity (yes, the Krug marketing has sunk in, but it is there). Fully complete Krug and on a grand stage, an exotic dimension, great balance and a long sapid, morish finish. A masterclass in blending. Surely one of the great, great Krugs. C\u003cspan\u003elose to as good as it gets in my view. And it is ready to drink, with time in hand.\u003c\/span\u003e\"\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e  Linden Wilkie, The Fine Wine Experience - 99 points (Tasted Aug 2022)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\"The 2002 Krug, from one of the greatest Champagne vintages of our lifetimes, is a mesmerising wine which I scored 99 points and about which I was struggling to find adequate descriptive words. In such situations, I tend to settle for describing the structure of the wine, as almost any descriptor will be found apt for the aroma and flavour.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eA very bready bouquet showing lots of aldehydes, and extremely complex. The bouquet and mouth aromas echo each other and are long-lingering and exquisite. Voluminous flavour and terrific acidity, beautifully balanced and poised, with tremendous refinement and panache. Small flowers, citrus and nougat. Richness and delicacy together. Significantly greater finesse than the 2003. Fabulous line and length. A great wine.\"\u003cspan style=\"mso-spacerun: yes;\"\u003e  \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHuon Hooke, The Real Review - 99 points\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\"Medium golden-yellow, silver shimmers, very delicate mousse. Scents of orange marmalade, white blossoms, a delicate nutty undertone of biscuits, a multi-faceted, well-evolved bouquet. Substantial texture, fresh yellow fruit, finesse and well balanced, notes of blossom honey, a little peach, seems incredibly youthful, fine caramel, delicate dried fruit, very, very long finish, juicy and animating. Great length, promising ageing potential, nothing less than a perfect Champagne.\"  \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePeter Moser, Falstaff - 99 points (Tasted June 2020)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\"This was tasted immediately after Krug 2003 and was so much more discreet and savoury than the 2003 on the nose. It is chock-full of acidity and life, is really muscular and much more intellectual. For the moment the 2002 is less obviously fruity than the 2003 - clearly a champagne for long ageing - like many other 2002s - but much more backward than any I can think of immediately. There is nothing in excess; a great example of the Krug art of assemblage. Very solid and concentrated but not heavy at all. The finish is notably dry. This may be an intellectual wine but it's certainly not hard work! For Julie Cavil of the Krug blending team, this wine is 'a racehorse'. 'You were still riding regularly then', winemaker Eric Lebel reminds her with a smile. For them '2002 is about the generosity of Nature. We had to work hard to limit the yield a bit. There was lots of richness in the base wines; each sample had great generosity'. I look forward very much to following the development of this exceptional wine.\"\u003cspan style=\"mso-spacerun: yes;\"\u003e  \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eJancis Robinson – 19.0\/20 points\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"mso-spacerun: yes;\"\u003e\"\u003cspan\u003eA blend of 21% Pinot Meunier, 40% Pinot Noir and 39% Chardonnay. The grapes are from historic parcels in Mesnil sur Oger, Oger, Avize, Trépail and Villers, as well as Ambonnay, Bouzy, Ay and Mareuil-sur-Ay. The wine was disgorged in the autumn of 2014 after sitting on the lees for 11 years in the bottle to then age a further two years after dégorgement. The character of the 2002 harvest exuberantly explodes in the glass with a lucent, pale-golden color and a bouquet of fresh fruit, hazelnut and slightly toasted almonds. All this on a cushion of tropical fruit, freshly cut pineapple, fresh ginger and red currant with a veil of linden honey in the finish. The mouthfeel is generous and full with charismatic intensity, vital tension and a vibrant richness of fruit which complement a lovely saline streak and an almost smoky hint. The finish has an exciting persistence, invigorated by an incessant and dynamic alternation of depth and acuteness. A Champagne with great energy that has only just begun to build a reputation.\" \u003cstrong\u003e Daniele Cernilli, DoctorWine - 98 points\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"mso-spacerun: yes;\"\u003e\"\u003c\/span\u003eA blend of 40% pinot noir, 39% chardonnay and 21% pinot meunier, aged on lees for 11 years before disgorgement in 2014. Charged with a swath of citrus and stone fruits, it has seamless purity, generosity and complexity. Thanks to precision vinification, there isn't a hair out of place on a palate of outstanding length.\"\u003cspan style=\"mso-spacerun: yes;\"\u003e  \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eJames Halliday, The Weekend Australian - 98 points\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\"\u003cspan\u003eThis fairly sizzles with energy. If you put your ear to it, I’m sure you can hear it crackling. Zesty, powerful lemon and cracked wheat and yeast flavour, firm acid line draws it long and precise – like a string pulled to near breaking point – closes lip smacking and dry. Will cellar a long time, and subject to vagaries of cork, should repay your patience handsomely. Classic release. Drink: 2016-2042.\"  \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003eGary Walsh, The Wine Front - 97+ points\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\"\u003cspan\u003eKrug's 2002 Brut (ID 415064 – disgorged IV\/2015) has an intense citrus color and opens with a generous, intense yet fine and precise bouquet that indicates great depth and elegance. Red fruit flavors on the nose lead to a generously rich yet pure, highly refined and elegant palate, with lots of ripe cherry fruits and delicious yeasty flavors. This is a highly complex and tensioned but beautifully balanced 2002 with a charming dosage that gives perfect roundness. The finish, however, is clear, fresh and well-structured, if not taut, and very mineral. Tasted in Reims in April 2018. Drink: 2018-2030.\"  \u003cstrong\u003eStephan Reinhardt, Wine Advocate - 97+ points\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\"There is a distinctly phenolic character to the secondary-tinged yet super-fresh nose reflects notes of bread, yeast, pear, baked apple, spice and a hint of citrus. The bold and full-bodied flavors possess superb complexity while being underpinned by a notably fine but dense mousse, all wrapped in a gorgeously persistent finish. This is a seriously impressive effort and one of the best of the Krug Brut vintage series released in many years. Note that while this should continue to age effortlessly, it could certainly be enjoyed now.\"\u003cspan style=\"mso-spacerun: yes;\"\u003e  \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAllen Meadows, Burghound - 97 points \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eJulie Cavil\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"Julie Cavil, Cellar Master at Krug\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0642\/3098\/1873\/files\/KrugJulieCavil_1024x1024.png?v=1700697583\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eJulie Cavil, Cellar Master at Krug\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe article below by Adam Lechmere appeared in Club Oenologique\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn many professions, a senior executive moving into the top job regards it as an article of faith that they should stamp their personality on the organisation. Julie Cavil – who, a year ago, took over from Eric Lebel as chef de cave at Champagne Krug – sees her role somewhat differently.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eComing in and making her own rules would be easy, she says. \"Anyone can do that.\" The true challenge, she says, is not to make sweeping changes, but still achieve greatness.  \"What really motivates me is to be able to re-create the same level of excellence, year after year, circumstance after circumstance.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn Champagne, consistency is all. It’s not a matter of having a style (Cavil says there is no such thing at Krug) but instead achieving something both simple and intangible. On one level, it’s straightforward: the winemaker’s job is to follow the founder Joseph Krug’s ambition to make \"the very best Champagne … every year, regardless of annual climate variations\". This expression of excellence must take account of so many variables, however, that it can become as complicated as a game of 4D chess. Not only are you blending wines from dozens of different vineyard sites – \"paying close attention to the vineyard’s character, respecting the individuality of each plot\" – but you are also tapping into an extensive library of reserve wines from many different years.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is not something you can learn at business school. Cavil worked with Lebel for 13 years before being anointed cellar master. (The word \"anointed\", with its implications of conferring divine or holy office, is appropriate.) The first thing he taught her, she says, was patience: \"A journey with Krug is a lifelong milestone. Just as I cannot tell you at what precise moment a reserve wine will be ready until the day I taste it and the decision becomes obvious, passing the torch is something you feel but cannot always explain.\" For Cavil, it came relatively soon after joining Krug in 2006. \"After two years, Eric and I had chosen each other,\" she says. \"We both knew I would be his successor.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt this level, all of Krug’s six winemakers have the necessary skills to make Champagne. But there are also what Cavil calls the \"intangible aspects of craftsmanship: intuition, passion and an intimate knowledge of each plot\". These elements can’t easily be taught but, rather, seem innate. So should a chef de cave share character traits with their predecessor? \"I would say so, for one very important reason: when you become Krug cellar master, you become one with the house, the guardian of its legacy. At Krug, each cellar master naturally arrives in this role because he or she shares the values of excellence, attention to detail, curiosity, quality without compromise, and respect for heritage – all with a maverick spirit. I am no different whether I am at Krug or at home; it is part of who I am, just as it was for my predecessors.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMaking Champagne is, of course, a business as well as a craft – and like all businesses, it must be safeguarded for the future. The mentoring process is continuous. \"My role at Krug is threefold,\" Cavil says. \"It relates to the present, the past and the future.\" The vineyards must be husbanded, the reserve wines selected, and a successor must be groomed. \"Carrying on the legacy of a Champagne house that has existed for six generations means you make it your mission to protect and perpetuate this heritage, just as you would pass on a legacy to your own child. When mentor and mentee share this vision, the future of the house is secured, which is what matters most.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cimg style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\" alt=\"Julie Cavil and Eric Lebel\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0642\/3098\/1873\/files\/Krug-JulieCavilandEricLebel_1024x1024.png?v=1704074735\"\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eJulie Cavil and Eric Lebel\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe article below by Wine Advocate's William Kelley appeared in the Michelin Guide Magazine\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOn January 1, Julie Cavil took on the role of Cellar Master at Krug. Cavil began working at Krug 13 years ago, and outgoing Cellar Master Eric Lebel will be staying on in the capacity of Deputy Director of Maison Krug, so this is hardly revolutionary news. But the appointment of a new chef des caves is nonetheless an important moment in the history of any Champagne house. To learn more about the woman who has landed one of Champagne’s most coveted positions and about the future of Maison Krug, William Kelley of The Wine Advocate sat down with Cavil for her first interview in her new capacity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eYou’ve had an unusual career for a chef des caves. How did you end up in the wine world? Were you born into a family of wine lovers?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI’m not from Reims nor even Champagne, and if you’d told me 15 years ago that I would be living in Champagne, that I’d be an oenologist, and that I’d be working for Krug, I truly wouldn’t have believed you. So, working in wine represented a revolution in my life. I’m from the center region of France, and, yes, from a family of wine lovers, so I was certainly aware of wine - but at age 17, when I had to choose a career, I opted to go to business school before working for six years in public relations in Paris. At 17, my palate was still comparatively undeveloped. But with time, I became passionate about wine - reading books, attending tastings with professionals. And I was also thinking about leaving Paris, about how to construct a more balanced professional life. You see, the world of public relations is inherently ephemeral, with a rapid turnover in projects and personnel, whereas the world of wine, it’s the opposite: it takes time, it’s durable. So in fact, what I was looking for in my professional life was perfectly aligned with my growing passion for wine. I duly went to Champagne and went back to school, despite meeting with a somewhat skeptical reception - \"she’s too old, she has children already,\" and so on. Indeed, in the end, that only motivated me further to prove myself and confound stereotypes. I did internships at Moët \u0026amp; Chandon, with Dom Pérignon, and then I joined the team at Krug in 2006.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIt’s true that the worlds of public relations and wine couldn’t be more different - after all, with the just-released 2006 Krug, we are finally getting to taste the Maison’s work of over a decade ago - but do your experiences in your former career inform what you do today in any respect?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHaving the experience of working in a totally different field perhaps gives me a different perspective on Champagne - it’s easier for me to step back and see things in context, and perhaps sometimes to reconsider them. It isn’t easy to put a finger on it. But above all I simply take pleasure in working in a much more long-term business; because, in a sense, I have three jobs - the first is to recreate Grande Cuvée every year; but looking back in time, I also have to preserve the institutional memory of Maison Krug; and looking forward, I also have to think about how to transmit that heritage, everything we’ve learned and continue to learn, to my successors - even if I’ve only just assumed my new role. So, I have to think about the past and the future as well as the present. And perhaps that’s a reaction against my prior career.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Grande Cuvée, in its various manifestations, has always been Krug’s emblematic bottling, the bottling that expresses the house style to the fullest. How would you characterize it?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAbove all, the Grande Cuvée is what we call \"the founder’s dream:\"Joseph Krug’s vision to recreate every year, by blending, the fullest expression of what Champagne has to offer; and that’s what we try to perpetuate. But what does that mean? It has to be a charismatic wine that’s exciting from the first glass - its flavors, its textures, its colors. It has to be capable of pairing with all sorts of food, of reconciling paradoxes in the glass: it must be expressive and mature, but also fresh and vivacious. When we say Krug Grande Cuvée, it’s a blend of 150 to 200 different wines, from 10 to 15 different vintages. It takes a minimum of 20 years to make one bottle. I think that makes it clear - you have the fresh fruit of the recent harvest, the dried and preserved fruits of the older vintages in the blend, and the Grande Cuvée encompasses them all. Beyond that, I’m delighted when someone puts their nose in a glass of Krug for the first time and says, \"that’s different!,\" and wants to take a second sniff. And of course, even if it’s a blend from across the region, it’s a homage to the terroirs of Champagne, with every parcel kept separate during vinification and maturation, and assembled in the most complementary way.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eKrug’s style is quite pronounced. How do you make sense of the relationship between a strong house style and the expression of Champagne’s terroirs?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTerroir finds its purist voice in the wines we make from the Clos du Mesnil and the Clos d’Ambonnay. They’re pure expressions of two sites - and two cépages, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir - in all their individuality. But we don’t seek to express terroir simply for its own sake. Consider one of our parcels, where the soil changes from one end to the other very markedly. We always used to vinify the parcel as a whole, but now we’re more inclined to make two different wines from the two different parts of the parcel. Because that way we can bring out the maximal expression of both. In other words, like I said, we don’t seek to express terroir for its own sake; we simply seek to do justice to each site, to make the best possible wine from each site. And that gives us the highest-quality and most characterful components with which to produce the best possible blend.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIf you had to pick a bottle - or bottles - of Krug that have particularly shaped your understanding of the house, which would they be?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhat makes the biggest impression on me every year is when we make the blends, on the one hand, the Grande Cuvée - trying to express the best of Champagne - and on the other hand, the vintage, trying to express the personality of the year to the fullest. Working on the two side by side is unique, and every time it’s fascinating.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs far as particular vintages are concerned, I have a weakness for the 1995. I think it’s a little in the shadow of the 1996, but the 1995 has a classical balance, with wonderful freshness, that I like very much.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd among the very oldest, 1915. Why? My first job at Krug was to take an inventory of the wine library, noting all the particulars of each bottle one by one. And it happened that, while I was working on this project, the cork of one of the bottles came out. So, I had 15 minutes to assemble the tasting committee, including the fifth generation of the family represented by Remi Krug, as well as Olivier Krug and Maggie Henríquez. And I served them the wine blind, giving them some time to reflect in silence. It was very amusing, because in the end everyone said it was something from the 1950s or 1960s, when in fact it was 1915. The aromas were very concentrated, and on the palate, it was still strikingly fresh, and that’s why everyone thought it was younger. It was a great moment. What I learned working with Krug’s old wines was to be humble, because sometimes even the bottles that didn’t look promising in terms of level and preservation turned out to be fabulous and remarkably long-lived.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat makes Krug special?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThat’s not easy to summarize! But what makes us a little different is that we produce a prestige Cuvée every year - because that’s what Joseph Krug defined as the objective in his notebooks all those years ago - with no hierarchy between the non-vintage and the vintage bottlings. And so, anyone who likes Krug doesn’t have to wait for a \"great vintage: they can have the experience with every bottle. What else? From an oenological perspective, our obsession is to preserve the character of each parcel throughout the winemaking and maturation process, so we have at our disposal the richest and most varied palette with which to produce our blends. Barrel fermentation is the only way we can do that, the only way we can vinify every tiny parcel separately. And certainly, barrel fermentation gives a patina to the wines of Maison Krug. I wouldn’t say, honestly, that it’s better or worse than stainless steel - it’s a choice, a style. But perhaps you could say it’s like the difference between hi-fi and stereo: barrel fermentation, like hi-fi, expresses everything more intensely - the good as well as the less good. And it can be more complicated on a technical level. But I also think the fact that our wines are exposed to oxygen early in their lives means that they are less susceptible to oxidation later, which helps to explain Krug’s unusually long aging potential - almost indestructible when stored in the best conditions.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBeing a chef des caves for a house like Krug is a position of immense responsibility and imposes a lot of pressures. Does it leave you much creative freedom?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWell, this new position isn’t a radical transformation: I’ve been at Krug for 13 years, and Eric Lebel and I naturally got on well; Eric opened the doors of his universe to me. So, the first thing to say is that I’m prepared - and, of course, Eric will still be at Krug, just a little more backstage. That’s very reassuring.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe other thing to know is that the important decisions aren’t made by one person - that would really be hard. The tasting committee, for me, is very important. I’m very proud of our group, it’s talented, humble and experienced, with a variety of perspectives and palates that all bring something to the table and help us get closer to our objective.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd beyond that, the prospect that excites me certainly isn’t to change everything - that would be easy. Rather, it’s to attain the same level of excellence, year after year, vintage after vintage - that’s much more challenging, more motivating, and that’s what I want to do. That said, we do have to question what we do every year: there is no recipe, each year is a blank slate. And I do want to work - and in fact I have been working - on studying our parcels, understanding them better, dividing them more intelligently to farm them accordingly and to vinify them accordingly. So, you could say precision viticulture is one thing that excites me. As does a move towards sustainability - and that includes not just the vineyards but taking care of our workers.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThat brings me to the greatest challenge facing contemporary Champagne: how to produce wine in a more sustainable manner?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWell it’s a project we’ve been working on for some time already, and there are lots of things to do. We’re looking at how we can be more precise in tracking ripening throughout our parcels as we approach harvest, as getting the date right is more and more critical: we don’t like to correct the must once it’s pressed, so we have to pick at the right moment. At a more long-term level, we’re looking at massale selections that might help to buffer the impact of climate change; at pruning methods, where we have to re-educate our workers; as well as how to promote deeper rooting. We’ve used zero herbicides for several years now, and even if we’re not organic or biodynamic, we’re as close to organic as we can be. But our view, for the time being, is that sometimes it’s still necessary to intervene to save the harvest. There are aspects of biodynamics that interest us and we’re studying them. In short, we remain open-minded and curious, exposing ourselves to other ideas. For example, it’s a small thing, but we’ve found that grazing sheep in the vines can bring advantages in terms of biodiversity. So, we’re experimenting with that in one of our parcels. And it goes beyond simply using or not using synthetic products.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAnd what is the greatest challenge facing Krug today?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt’s to be able to continue to make Grande Cuvée every year. That’s to say, to have all the prerequisites to produce the fullest expression of Champagne. So, it’s a huge challenge, it’s very stimulating, it’s very motivating. As far as I’m concerned, I have the best job in the world! And I’m very proud to be able to take the baton from Eric, and by extension his predecessors, and to be working alongside an extraordinary team.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eAbout the winery\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0642\/3098\/1873\/files\/Krugmaison_3a6a6ee3-861d-4876-8e68-b6c0c4c3fab6_1024x1024.png?v=1700704093\" alt=\"Maison Krug\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFounded in 1843 by Joseph Krug, it is no exaggeration to say that Maison Krug is the most prestigious winery in AOC Champagne, as well as the world's most famed sparkling wine producer.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJoseph Krug was born in Mainz, Germany in 1800. He left Mainz in 1824 and in 1834 was employed by Champagne Jacquesson as an accountant. He spent eight years with Jacquesson, his work taking him well beyond accountancy as he toured Europe liaising with wine sellers and customers. He also learned about composition and taste, so that by 1840 he was blending Champagne for at least one other house. In 1841 he married and a year later his son Paul was born. The same year he moved to Reims, and following a year of negotiations, he founded Krug et Cie. in 1843. \u003cspan\u003eJoseph was fluent in French, English and German and spoke some Russian, which allowed the company to exploit key overseas markets.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJoseph died in 1866 and was succeeded by his son Paul Krug. Joseph had laid the foundations for the business and under the supervision of Paul, the House was established as a grande marque. By the 1880s the prestige of Krug was acknowledged in the United Kingdom, then the primary overseas market for Champagne. In 1866 the House moved into the premises in Rue Coquebert, in Reims, that it still occupies today.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrom its inception, Maison Krug set out to produce world-class sparkling wines with a consistent level of quality, regardless of the vagaries of each vintage. Krug Grande Cuvée was born, the staple of the company and the only sparkling wine that they release onto the market every year. A non-vintage Champagne, it is made by blending about 120 different cuvée wines from 10 different vintages. Some of the reserve wines are over 15 years of age. The consistency in the taste of the Grande\u003cspan\u003e Cuvée\u003c\/span\u003ealong over the years attests to the remarkable craftsmanship and painstaking attention to detail of Maison Krug's winemaking team. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn addition to the non-vintage \u003cspan\u003eGrande Cuvée, Krug produces small quantities of the following wines:\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003eKrug Rosé NV\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003eKrug Rosé was first made in 1983, 140 years after the company's founding. It is a blend of three grape varieties, several different vintages from Krug's library of 150 reserve wines and a skin-fermented Pinot Noir wine which gives it its colour and unique flavour. Krug Rosé spends at least five years in the House's cellars. It is re-created on a yearly basis.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eKrug Vintage\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAccording to the House, the Krug Vintage is not the selection of the best wines of a particular year\", but rather the expression of that vintage year. Composed only of wines from a single year, Krug Vintage sits in Krug's cellars for at least a decade before release.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eKrug Clos du Mesnil\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA blanc de blancs. Comes from a single plot (clos in French) of Chardonnay: a 1.84-hectare vineyard in the centre of Mesnil-sur-Oger in the Cotes de Blancs, protected by walls since 1698. It comes from a single year and is kept in Krug's cellars for over a decade.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKrug stresses that the wall and unusual location in the center of the village create a micro-climate that gives a unique character to its grapes. It was for this reason that the House was inspired to devote a Champagne to a single plot for the first time in its history, resulting in Krug Clos du Mesnil 1979, presented in 1986.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eKrug Clos d'Ambonnay\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA blanc de noirs. Also comes from a single year, and its grapes from a single 0.68-hectare walled plot of Pinot noir in the heart of Ambonnay, another village in France's Champagne region that plays a key role in Champagne making. Bottles are aged for over twelve years in Krug's cellars and are rare due to the small size of the vineyard. Krug purchased the land in 1994 and released its first vintage - Krug Clos d'Ambonnay 1995 - in 2007.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #808080;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eKrug Collection\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn the early 1980s, Krug introduced Krug Collection, an extension of Krug Vintage, consisting of bottles that have been kept in the House's cellars in Reims for at least ten additional years to allow the development of second-life aromas and flavours.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eVineyards\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe House owns 30% of the vineyards that produce its wines, a relatively high percentage in Champagne, with 20 hectares of vines in Ambonnay, Aÿ, Le Mesnil and Trépail. The rest of the grapes come from around 100 long-term contract growers who supply 65% to 70% of the company's grapes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn total, Krug sources grapes from 250 plots in the Champagne region – there are around 270,000 plots listed within the boundaries of AOC Champagne. Planted with the traditional varieties Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier, each vineyard is individually vinified according to its particular characteristics. As Krug preserves the individual character of each wine, winegrowers are able to taste each of the wines selected from their plots and follow their evolution over time in the event that their wines are selected as Krug reserve wines.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWinemaking\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eImmediately following the harvest, the grapes are pressed close to Krug's plots, with this first grape juice kept for 24 hours in a vat in preparation for the fermentation stage. The pressing from each plot is vinified separately. A pressing contains 4,000 kg of grapes and yields 20.5 hectolitres of first juice (the \"cuvée\"), which is poured into twelve oak casks chosen at random. Once fermentation is complete, the eleventh and twelfth casks are used to top up the other ten casks to protect the new wines from oxidation. For fifteen days, each cask is topped up with wine from the same plot.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKrug uses small 205-litre Argonne oak casks tailor-made from trees that are more than two centuries old in the forests of Hautes Futaies in Central France. Krug never uses these casks immediately; during the first two or three years they receive only second and third grape juices, with the goal of \"tanning\" the casks through the fermentation process, ridding them naturally of their woody aromas, making them well-seasoned and organoleptically inert. The average age of Krug oak casks is 20 years. They are retired after approximately 40 years of use.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDuring the summer preceding the harvest, casks are regularly watered to humidify the wood, a process Krug deems essential as its wines are not wood-aged and its casks are therefore empty for eight to nine months of the year.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe wines remain in the casks for several weeks. Finally, between December and January, the wine is drawn off into small stainless-steel vats. From here, depending on the decisions of Krug's tasting committee (see below), the wines will either contribute to that year's assemblage or be stored in steel vats in the House's library of 150 reserve wines to be used in the blend of a future Krug Grande Cuvée or Krug Rosé.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTasting committee and assemblage\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOver a five-month period in autumn and winter, Cellar Master Julie Cavil and the Tasting Committee have a series of sessions during which they taste over 400 wines, including around 250 wines of the vintage year and 150 reserve wines from at least 10 different years, each of them from a single plot. In this way, each of the 400 wines can be appraised before any blending decision is made.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt each session, between 15 and 18 samples are blind tasted, commented on and scored. During the tasting period, wine from each plot is carefully referenced, tasted at least two or three times and given a mark out of 20. By the end of December, the tasting committee has established what Krug calls a \"character sketch\" of the vintage year and begins tasting the 150 reserve wines from which it will draw the missing elements needed to re-create the character of Krug Grande Cuvée year after year.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the spring, a second tasting session of wines from the year reveals how the wines have evolved over the winter period. Julie Cavil then proposes up to three blends for the Champagnes of that year, with each member of the committee having one vote. Once the blend has been decided, the House prepares for bottling which takes place once a year between April and May.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAll Krug Champagnes are bottled during a single session, around thirty weeks after the harvest.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCellars\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOnce bottled, they are kept in the House's cellars in Reims. Krug characterizes this final stage of its winemaking process by very extended aging on the lees. Indeed, Krug's main champagne, Krug Grande Cuvée usually stays in the cellars for at least seven years, Krug Rosé for five years, and Krug Vintage, Krug Clos du Mesnil and Krug Clos d'Ambonnay for at least ten years. \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Canterbury Wines","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48258668069105,"sku":null,"price":1095.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0642\/3098\/1873\/files\/Krug-Vintage-2004-box_5f1bd64a-02ca-4d86-b52c-c8def3d9d1eb.jpg?v=1747371736","url":"https:\/\/canterburywines.au\/products\/krug-vintage-2002","provider":"Canterbury Wines","version":"1.0","type":"link"}