KRUG. The name alone inspires salivation, doesn’t it? To glimpse a bottle — O...You and I are overcome with jealous rage if one is opened and we are not privy to taste it. Or is that just me?
At the Academy, one bottle is bestowed upon the student who receives the highest score in WSET Level 3. One student revels in the dry taste of victory. How sweet it is (well, maybe around 6.5g/l RS).
Sixth-generation family member, Olivier Krug, oversees management of the brand to this day even with LVMH as owners. Asked by Wine-Searcher.com’s Caroline Henry back in 2012 what he thought of the takeover, Krug said, “When this new generation of people took over we rediscovered our history. We all learned a lot of things about the past – even I did. We started to focus on why the house had been founded, and how the house had differed from all the other houses.” She also asked him about making a zero dosage wine, to which he replied that Krug would not make one, because he felt the most generous expression of Champagne requires a bit of sugar.
In a lengthy interview with awomansparis.com, Maggie Henriquez, President and CEO of Krug was asked about her favorite Krug vintage. She said, “The best vintage or best Champagne is the one you love and the one that gives you pleasure. So, every one of us will decide, but the most requested one has been Krug 1928. Paul, the grandfather of Olivier, said Krug 1996 would be in the same ranking as Krug 1988. I have never tasted Krug 1928, but I understand is was wonderful. The only thing I could guarantee is that if we could taste today, the Krug Grande Cuvée recreated in 1928, 1988 and 1996 would be a source of immense astonishment. I had the opportunity to taste the Krug Grande Cuvée made from the 1996 harvest and it is the best Champagne I have ever tasted.
And now, to get you thinking about Krug, and perhaps about taking the WSET Level 3 and ensuring you pass with distinction and the highest score in class, we’ve provided some sexy, as well as contemplative, images of the Krug Grande Cuvée Brut below.
Your Champagne should be stored in a wine cellar, or in a cool dry place, away from light; ideally between 10 to 15 °C (50 to 59 °F).
“The richness of your Krug Champagne is fully revealed between 9°C and 12°C (49°F – 54°F). Serving your bottle too cold would refrain the aromas’ expression,” according to the Champagne house itself.
In response to Wine-Searcher.com’s Caroline Henry who asked about serving Krug in a flute, Olivier Krug said that the ideal glass to serve Krug in is one, “That will allow the wine to tell its story.”
“A flute,” he told her, “can never express this generosity; instead, we need a glass which allows the wine to do so. We worked with Riedel for over five months to design and develop what we feel is the optimum glass.”
At a luncheon at the Napa Valley Reserve, Maggie Henriquez, CEO, told a select audience that, “When I was first invited to join Krug, I discovered that it used to be very arrogant, very pretentious. This was the style of the historic Champagne houses,” she noted. “Krug, of course, is a prestigious house, a luxury brand. It was founded in 1843, but it’s the twenty-first century now, and today it’s different. People want to know the story of the house, to hear about its history, to learn of the heritage, and to get to know about its savoir-faire, the skill of its people, its special style.”
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