Krug - Grande Cuvee Brut NV (750ml)

Krug Grande Cuvee is as a symphony, a composition where the instruments all play together, complementing each other in total harmony," says winemaker Henri Krug. The flagship of the house, Grande Cuvee is imposing in character from the first moment in the glass. The "birth" of Krug Grande Cuvee, through its first fermentation exclusively in small oak casks, ensures the unique personality and dimension that is the Krug Style.The composition of the "cuvee" is a stunning mosaic of flavors where the three champagne grapes, 20-25 growths and 6-10 different years, combine to give Krug Grande Cuvee its complexity, elegance and consistency year after year, blend after blend. To maintain this consistency Krug reserves a large selection of unblended still wines from previous vintages, blending them with the youngest crop to create a fully balanced taste. These "reserve" wines may represent between a third and a half of the cuvee. There is no formula or recipe for Krug Grande Cuvee. Each year the Krug family meets to re-create "their" Krug Grande Cuvee. This is done with careful attention to the most minute detail so that after six years of aging, it will be in perfect continuity with previous Krugs. The bouquet is wonderfully creamy, leading to magical combination of weight and balance on the palate. The long, lingering finish is both nutty and toasty, ending with a final flourish of freshness, leaving one longing for more.

Very fine mousse Sweetly spicy, soil-inflected aromas of nutmeg, nut oil, toasted biscuit, smoke and minerals, with the ineffable yeast autolysis character of the greatest Champagnes. Huge, rich and ripe; combines an almost exotic character with great nervosite (no one blends old and young juice more skillfully than Krug). Wonderfully full and thick but with vibrant, perfectly integrated acidity. Urgent yet suave. The finishing flavors of toasted bread, nuts, spices and orange zest go on and on.

With its minimum of six yearsâ?? bottle aging, this is a beautifully integrated, mature wine. It has a wonderful toast character, layered over sliced pears and ripe acidity. With its complex poise between lightness and richness, this remains an intensely impressive wine.

The NV Brut Grand Cuvee offers up attractive suggestions of pears, quince, spice, brioche and minerals. As is often the case here, the Grand Cuvee reveals notable elegance and finesse. The use of reserve wines in the blend gives this wine an unusual level of complexity. Readers should expect a fair amount of bottle variation, something I myself have encountered with some frequency over the years. Some bottles can be fantastic, others less so. Although the Grand Cuvee is a good introduction to the Krug house style I find it increasingly difficult to get excited about this wine. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2011.