 Krug Champagne |
As I perused K&L Merchant’s online list of new wines recently, I noticed a bottle of Krug Champagne listed for $3,999. I guessed this was a case price for an older vintage – wrong, this was for a bottle!
It was a 1995 Krug Clos d’Ambonnay. I next assumed Ambonnay was a big bottle size, like a Methuselah or a Salmanazar, that I had never heard of. Wrong again. Ambonnay is a village in the northern part of Champagne.
This Champagne, Krug’s well-kept secret, has been in the making since 1995. The inspiration came from the success of its single-vineyard Clos du Mesnil, a blanc de blanc (all Chardonnay). The first vintage was 1979, and there have been 15 subsequent bottlings in the past 30 years.
I bought three of the 1979 bottles when it became available. One was taken to a tasting, and it finished last out of 15 Champagnes. This was Champagne with a huge pedigree, and we decided it must have needed more time. This was in the early 1990s, when it had to be nearly 15 years old. I don’t know what happened to the second bottle. I am sure it was consumed but probably not memorably enough to remember. The third I still have.
These bottles sold for nearly $150 each 20 years ago. It was a big splurge for me and, as it turns out, a good one. I checked out the current price on wine-searcher.com, and there is only one bottle for sale in their entire worldwide network. It is en route to a wine shop in Los Angeles. I almost fell off my chair, as the price is now a very cool $5,699. The 1996 vintage was released at $800 and can be purchased at Costco online for $899. Most vendors sell it for $1,099.
The Clos d’Ambonnay is Krug’s new blockbuster. It is a blanc de noirs, made exclusively from Pinot Noir grapes. The vineyard is only 1.5 acres in size. At the prerelease party last October, the stated price was between $3,000 and $3,300. It will be released this spring. Only 3,000 bottles were produced, so it is no small wonder the asking price is now $4,000.
Krug has made vintage cuvees since 1843, and a member of the Krug family has always done the blending. Krug, Roederer Cristal, Dom Perignon and several others are Prestige Cuvees, and as such they are only made during exceptional vintages. Less than half the years are vintage years. Non Vintage (NV) bottlings are a blend of several years. Krug had always prided itself on making vintage wine – until approximately 20 years ago, when it realized it had no market during NV years. All of a sudden, Krug produced an NV Champagne called Grande Cuvee. It is available in most fine wine shops for under $150.
The Grand Cuvee truly expresses the art of blending. The entire Krug family does the blend using their palates and recollections to re-create the previous blend.
Krug has a unique taste, likely the result of fermenting and aging in small oak casks. It is the only prestige Champagne house to do this. All its Champagne is aged a minimum of six years. Many producers now machine-riddle their bottles in large computer-controlled wire baskets. Krug still uses wooden riddling racks and turns every bottle by hand.
Krug Champagnes age well. The nuances change and flavors are enhanced. Every now and then a bottle of the legendary 1928 will surface, and no one is disappointed – it will always be different in a better way.
I have visited Krug twice – it is an awesome experience. Usually you are alone for the tasting and tour, and you are treated as royally as the Champagne tastes.
Steve Hicks is a wine adviser and consultant. For more information, e-mail shicksvine@aol.com.
