94+ I am often impressed by how Krug’s flagship bottling of Grande Cuvée can taste so good upon release, given the fact that this is one of Champagne’s greatest bottlings for long-term cellaring and the wine improves...
94+ I am often impressed by how Krug’s flagship bottling of Grande Cuvée can taste so good upon release, given the fact that this is one of Champagne’s greatest bottlings for long-term cellaring and the wine improves immeasurably with cellaring. This particular bottle had been tucked away in the cellar for five years (and hence was released just before the Krug ID was added) and is just beginning to reach that level where the secondary aromatic and flavor elements start to vie with the original panoply of sensations. The bouquet is stellar, wafting from the glass in a blend of apple, wheat toast, orange zest, a touch of toasted almond, a magnificent base of soil nuances and just a whiff of smokiness in the upper register. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, crisp and beautifully complex, with a lovely core, elegant mousse, superb acids and stunning length and grip on the complex and wide open finish. This still has the energy and cut of a young release of Grande Cuvée, but now coupled with secondary layers of complexity. It is a beautiful moment to be drinking this wine, but it will continue to climb with the unfolding years and is still not even close to its true apogee.