Krug leaves other great champagnes in its wake, as it fills the senses to overflowing. A blend of 48% pinot noir, 35% chardonnay and 17% pinot meunier; 12 years on tirage. It has an incredibly complex play between berry fruits and spicy brioche flavours and it's hard to imagine a better structured and balanced wine. Special.

From the first whiff, the Krug 2006 has an alluring array of delectable scents, ranging from subtle notes of smoked almonds and flowers to gentle spices including curry and caraway. On the palate, the mouthfeel is generous and plush but has an underlying tannic tension to it, and finishes with a refreshing, nuanced bitter note. Its combination of freshness and power provide the right material to stay the distance of a decade or two. The blend comprises 48% Pinot Noir, 35% Chardonnay and 17% Pinot Meunier. Disgorged end of 2018. Dosage: 4g/l.

With a youthful golden straw hue, the 2006 Champagne Millesime Brut reveals powerful aromas of toasted incense and, like the 2011, is forward with an orange citrus-toned profile as well as notes of smoke, fresh apricot, honeycomb, and toasted hazelnut. It takes on broader shoulders and a more structured feel, with a refined, silky mousse, a pithy texture, and a good deal of depth throughout. The finish is long and full-bodied, with notes of marzipan on the back palate. Both of these vintages feel more immediate but should stand the test of time over the next 15 years. - Audrey Frick

As I reported when it was released, Krug's 2006 Brut is clearly one of the vintage's highlights. Offering up aromas of dried fruits, pear, freshly baked bread, caramelized apples, honeycomb and toasted sourdough, it's full-bodied, deep and layered, with superb concentration, racy acids and an impressively tightly wound profile for this demonstrative vintage. I observed last year that this is surprisingly reserved for the vintage, and if anything, that quality is even more in evidence today. While many 2006 Champagnes are likely to be at their best in their demonstrative youth, this is one wine unquestionably built for the long haul. - William Kelley

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

A stunner, with mouthwatering vibrancy and focus married to all of the opulence of a great 2006 Champagne. Richly fragrant, offering nutmeg, cardamom, jasmine, lemongrass, espresso and grilled nut notes enmeshed in a core of black currant and tangerine fruit flavors. Beautifully creamy and complex, this glides across the palate on the long, lasting finish. Disgorged Winter 2017-2018. Drink now through 2030. — AN

This is a very deep and layered vintage Champagne with a round, ample mouth feel. It’s full-bodied with lots of cooked apple and mirabelle, as well as biscuit undertones. Hints of stone and flint. It’s flavorful. Delicious now and will age beautifully. Drink or hold.

The heat of the 2006 season ripened this wine to a fleshy roundness, even as Eric Lebel’s blending skills brought the wine to a brisk balance and a stark beauty. The wine is 48 percent pinot noir, mostly from the Montagne de Reims, with 35 percent chardonnay and 17 percent pinot meunier (from Leuvrigny and Sainte-Gemme). Its youthful brightness has sustained fresh apple flavors, red-apple-skin tannins and lemon-blossom scents through 12 years of aging, the only sign of that age borne out in notes of brioche. It’s a substantial wine, with a long life ahead.