Joseph Krug, the owner of Krug Champagne, had a dream that would go beyond the concept of vintage. He initiated a tradition that has become ubiquitous at Krug: the ageing of wine in oak barrels.
Wines at Krug are aged in 205-litre oak barrels. With no malolactic fermentation and two gravity rankings, grapes from each cru are vinified into their own distinct base wines. In stainless steel tanks, we store our reserve wines for the future.
Collection of Krug Champagne
The Cellar Master (chef de caves) decides which single-vineyard wines should be used to supplement the current year’s productions and which should be set aside for future use. When Eric Lebel, the cellar’s longtime master, retired in 2020, Julie Cavil took over.
Krug now stocks 250 wines of the year and 150 reserve wines spanning 12 years. A total of 400 wines, each one an expression of a different vineyard, are made available for the final Champagne blend each year.
Wines from different years are blended together, much like the hues on a painter’s palette, to give Krug Champagnes their distinctive flavour profile.
Purchase a Magnificent Krug Champagne in 2022
Krug produces six different wine varieties, the most well-known of which is the Grand Cuvée, a non-vintage wine. Other Krug offerings include a Rosé, a Vintage, a Collection, a Clos, and a d’Ambonnay.
Best Buying Guide
Here is our 2022 wine buying guide, including our favourite bottles of Krug Champagne in each of the three most popular categories.
Krug’s flagship wine, the Grande Cuvée
To create its brut Champagne, Krug uses around 120 distinct base wines from at least 10 different vintages, with some being as ancient as 15 years old. As a result, each year’s release has its own signature taste and scent.
Before 1978, Krug’s Grande Cuvée was called the Private Cuvée. In 1978, Krug redesigned its bottles to have the distinctive thin necks that are now synonymous with the brand’s wines.
To sample some truly grand wines, here are some Grande Cuvées to try:
Krug 168eme Edition Grande Cuvée Brut (Premium)
Reserve wines make up 42% of this exceptional Champagne. Taste the hazelnut, nougat, almond, and honey, and smell the fresh blossoms.
Fork up $400+ for a bottle of Krug’s 160th-anniversary edition of their classic Grande Cuvée Brut.
The flowery flavour of this premium cuvée is complemented by hints of dried and citrus fruits, marzipan, and brioche.
Price of 1964 Krug Private Cuvée: $1,950 and above.
Elegant and lively, this matured brut Champagne with notes of roasted almonds and dried citrus.
Krug Rosé
Krug Rosé is the only other non-vintage wine produced by the House beyond the Grand Cuvée. The Pinot Noir grape skins that were fermented in the bottle gave the wine a soft pink hue.
Krug has released a rosé version of its Brut Champagne.
Notes on its flavour describe it as having scents of rosehip, mulberries, pepper, and pink grapefruit.
Top-notch Rose from the greatest vineyards.
Collection Krug
Vintage wines that have been carefully stored in the Krug cellars for many years after bottling are what make up the Krug Collection.
Regular sampling ensures that they continue to improve in drinkability. They are aged for a second time in the bottle before being disgorged and marketed as a second revelation.
Best-selling Champagne flutes
Popping open a bottle of Champagne? Check out our list of best-selling Champagne flutes on Amazon.
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