1996 Krug Grande Cuvee
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Tasting notes
Mushroom on the nose – this is still very focused, clean and fresh. Marries precision with complexity – a glorious amalgam of biscuity, lessy notes, a hint of cool cellars, a long, lingering and (still) tight finish at the end. Still has a long way to go. Shows the art of Krug in a very pure form. (AWH)
Critic scores
The Wine Advocate
Jancis Robinson MW
More reviews and scores
Very fresh nose and a bone-dry finish. More obvious fruit and more acidity than the 1990 Krug served alongside. Admirably long but still developing. (JR)
ID 407001. Disgorged autumn 2007. 48% Pinot Noir, 31% Chardonnay, 21% Pinot Meunier from 17 villages. Known as ‘extreme and charismatic’. Contrary to what people believe, 1996 was not an easy vintage: to deal with this extreme freshness is always a challenge. Harvest took place between 20 September and 30 September. Tasted blind. Deep orangey apricot colour with a sluggish bead. Fully mature nose with notes of dried apricots and nuts. Wholly enveloping pleasure on the nose! Hint of caramel and also something very exotic indeed. Something you wouldn’t find in any other champagne, surely. Dry, clean finish.
ID 407001. 42% Pinot Noir, 32% Chardonnay, 26% Pinot Meunier. Deep golden straw. Less intense nose than the Grande Cuvée ID 313054. Edge of bread dough. Firm with masses of acidity. Quite demanding. The acidity of the year dominates this wine for the moment. Very dry impression. Almost austere. I would age this wine longer to allow it to soften a bit. Very much less flattering than the Grande Cuvée based on 2006 tasted alongside. (JR)
About the producer
Krug is a remarkable Champagne House which only makes prestige cuvées. The wines – with their distinctive rich, complex, oxidative style – are some of the region’s best.