Krug
Vintage Brut Champagne Blend
The 2006 Vintage is a rich, opulent Champagne. Passion fruit, apricot, tangerine peel and spice all show the signs of a warm, radiant year. All the elements are so well balanced. The 2006 is an especially opulent Krug endowed with fabulous balance and tons of class. Warm weather during the summer yielded an extroverted Champagne that is already quite delicious. There was some disease pressure in August, but favorable weather in September helped stave that off. The rich, dense style of the 2006 stands in sharp contrast to the 2004 and 2008 in this tasting. Disgorged: Spring 2019. Krug ID: 219022. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, March 2024)
The 2006 Vintage is a rich, opulent Champagne. Passion fruit, apricot, tangerine peel and spice all show the signs of a warm, radiant year. All the elements are so well balanced. The 2006 is an especially opulent Krug endowed with fabulous balance and tons of class. Warm weather during the summer yielded an extroverted Champagne that is already quite delicious. There was some disease pressure in August, but favorable weather in September helped stave that off. The rich, dense style of the 2006 stands in sharp contrast to the 2004 and 2008 in this tasting. Disgorged: Spring 2019. Krug ID: 219022. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, March 2024)
A blend of 48% Pinot Noir, 35% Chardonnay and 17% Pinot Meunier, Disgorged end of 2018. Nice golden yellow color with aromas of fruit, spice and brioche notes, nice mousse and bubble flow. On the palate fresh fruit flavors of white peaches and ripe apple with hints of toasted nuts and lemon zest. Long finish ending with rich yeasty mineral character. Drinks well now but will go another 15 years!
A blend of 48% Pinot Noir, 35% Chardonnay and 17% Pinot Meunier, Disgorged end of 2018. Nice golden yellow color with aromas of fruit, spice and brioche notes, nice mousse and bubble flow. On the palate fresh fruit flavors of white peaches and ripe apple with hints of toasted nuts and lemon zest. Long finish ending with rich yeasty mineral character. Drinks well now but will go another 15 years!
Sep 2nd, 2023"You didn't know Krug's oxidative?"
While I've had my fair share of Krug over the years, I've never found any as oxidative as this 06' (save for a few suspect bottles), which led me to proclaim that the bottle was less-than-pristine. Normally this would not have been strange given the abysmal state of cold chain in Malaysia, but GL was quick to rebut with the statement above.
He's had far more Krug than I have you see - decades, instead of years - so he may well be right here. It could have been the vintage, or my palate, or just needed more air to blossom - whatever the case, this certainly fell below expectations. Sure it was dense and quite linear, and Krug does indeed lie in the school of oxidative champagnes, but this just lacked the balancing freshness that one would expect from a producer of this caliber. The straw that broke the camel's back for me was a distinct musky note that I see so often in ill-stored whites, and abhor. So the real question is - was GL right? Is this a typical Krug 06'? I believe another specimen is required to draw proper judgement.
"You didn't know Krug's oxidative?"
While I've had my fair share of Krug over the years, I've never found any as oxidative as this 06' (save for a few suspect bottles), which led me to proclaim that the bottle was less-than-pristine. Normally this would not have been strange given the abysmal state of cold chain in Malaysia, but GL was quick to rebut with the statement above.
He's had far more Krug than I have you see - decades, instead of years - so he may well be right here. It could have been the vintage, or my palate, or just needed more air to blossom - whatever the case, this certainly fell below expectations. Sure it was dense and quite linear, and Krug does indeed lie in the school of oxidative champagnes, but this just lacked the balancing freshness that one would expect from a producer of this caliber. The straw that broke the camel's back for me was a distinct musky note that I see so often in ill-stored whites, and abhor. So the real question is - was GL right? Is this a typical Krug 06'? I believe another specimen is required to draw proper judgement.