Editors notes
2003 was described by many as the "most challenging" Champagne vintage of the last 40 years, but Krug has made a masterpiece.
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Critic Scores & reviews
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Jancis Robinson MW
19"Pale gold. Pungent nose. Very tight. Hint of putty on the nose. Opens out on the palate. Masses to chew on. Real concentration. Perfect for drinking now. Dry but complete. Intellectual and great balance. Very impressive. 19/20 Jancis Robinson MW"
Other vintages
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Locations
France
Wine is being produced throughout France and has been done for over 2,500 years with certain Châteaux dating their history back to Roman times, around 6th Century BC. Ranking second in the world in per-capita consumption and first in total production quantity. More so than the overall quantity of wine is the quantity of truly great wines coming out of France makes the nation the envy of wine-making nations worldwide.
Two concepts pivotal to the higher end French wines, in particular, are the idea of 'terroir' and the Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) system. Terroir refers to the way the geography, geology and climate find their way into the glass, telling a story of the origin of the wine. The AOC was set up in 1935 and has the primary goal of protecting the authenticity of the wines and the livelihoods of the producers. Appellation rules strictly define which varieties of grapes and winemaking practices are approved for classification in each of France's several hundred geographically defined appellations, which can cover entire regions, individual villages or in some cases, like in Burgundy even specific vineyards.
Classic wine regions in France include Champagne (home of Champagne), Burgundy (Pinot Noir and Chardonnay), Bordeaux (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, Petit Verdot), Alsace (Aromatic varietals), Loire Valley (Chenin Blanc, Crémant) and the Rhône Valley (Syrah, Grenache Mourvedre)
The Bordeaux classification of 1855 is still in use, as is the Sauternes and Barsac Classification of the same year. Wines from certain regions can be bought En Primeur, which is when the wine is sold prior to it being bottled.
Champagne
Champagne is a wine region to the north-east of Paris where wine has been grown since the Romans first planted in the 5th century and the region is most well known for the sparkling wine that goes by the regions name.
Champagne is made from 3 grapes. The two red grapes Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier and the white grape Chardonnay. All three are commonly blended though a ‘blanc de blanc’ meaning ‘white from white’ indicates that only Chardonnay was used. Conversely a ‘blanc de noir’ or ‘white from black’ indicates that the two red grapes were used.
A common misconception is that Champagne was invented by Dom Pérignon. Although this is not the case, he made considerable contributions to the quality and production methods used in the region. The very first bottles of Champagne were created by accident, and coined ‘the devil’s wine’ for all the popping corks. Sparkling wine in Australia was referred to as Champagne but this practise has long been disallowed.
Methode Champenoise is the traditional method by which Champagne is produced and if you see Millisime on a bottle, it represents the fact that the wine comes from a particular vintage rather than being blended, which is the more common practice.
Icons such as Dom Pérignon and Kristal are world reknowned, but we find as much pleasure in the smaller Champagne houses such as Gosset and Jacquinot. Magnums are perfect for the festive occasions and half bottles are also available.
About the brand Krug
Champagne Krug House, located in Reims, France is the only house whose range of five Champagnes is all considered 'Prestige'. Now owned by Moet Hennessey, Krug is still family-run with Oliver Krug, 6th generation as House Director. Joseph Krug founded the house in 1843 after having previously spent eight years with the Jacquesson Champagne house. To Joseph, the 'essence of Champagne is pleasure itself', and he set out to craft a series of Champagnes where none was more prestigious than the other.
At Krug: 'Time does not constrain, it strengthens', with the cuvees ageing longer than any other house. The Grand Cuvee spends six years in the cellar while Vintage Champagnes are kept for over ten years before release. Some are more rare than others, including Clos du Mesnil, a single plot of Chardonnay (1.84 hectares) in Mesnil-sur-Oger and Clos d'Ambonnay, a tiny plot of Pinot Noir measuring just 0.68 hectares. Like Krug's Vintage Champagnes, these unique wines are produced only in exceptional years.
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