Pinot Meunier Archives - Iconica

Krug Vintage Champagne 1998

Iconica — Thu, 17 Oct 2024 08:03:22 +0000

Krug Vintage Champagne 1998

At Krug, each vintage celebrates the distinct character of a specific year. A Krug Vintage blends the most expressive wines from that year. After over ten years in the cellars, the wines reach their full potential. Each vintage is unique, capturing the essence of the year’s “music.”

Krug 1998 showcases astonishing purity, precision, elegance, and a long finish. Krug focused on Chardonnay in this vintage due to the grape’s outstanding quality that year. It is only the second vintage, after 1981, where Chardonnay dominates, making it a “Hommage au Chardonnay.”

The Season

The weather in 1998 presented classic Champagne contrasts. August brought intense heat, breaking the 1962 record, with temperatures reaching 39°C. The winemaking team anxiously monitored the vineyards as the heat scorched 5 to 10% of the potential harvest.

Heavy rains at the end of August added to their worries, but by early September, dry and mild conditions arrived, providing much-needed relief. The third week of September offered ideal weather for harvesting. Despite the extreme climate variations, 1998 produced both an abundant yield and high-quality grapes.

The Blend

The Chardonnays from the Côte des Blancs and Trépail played a pivotal role in tempering the opulence of the other wines impacted by the summer heat. These Chardonnays re-energized the blend, ensuring excellent cellaring potential.

The story of 1998 revolves around these exceptional Chardonnays (46%), which took center stage. Most of the Pinot Noirs (35%) came from the southern Montagne de Reims, forming the solid foundation of Krug 1998, while the Meuniers (19%), primarily sourced from Leuvrigny on the left bank of the Marne Valley, contributed a unique freshness due to less sun exposure.

1998 was my first vintage at the House of Krug and only the second Krug Vintage—after Krug 1981—to be led by Chardonnay. Henri Krug agreed that, in a year where Chardonnays excelled, the blend should honor their success. For the tasting committee, Krug 1998 carries the warmth and roundness of 1989, paired with the elegance and freshness of Krug 1988. Krug 1998 is a tale of remarkable purity, precision, elegance, and a long-lasting finish.

Food Pairing

Krug 1998 can be enjoyed with delicate fish such as sea bass or turbot accompanied by lemon sauces or citrus fruit. As well as spicy or exotic dishes – including Japanese, Chinese, Indian or Thai – with crystallised ginger and other spices.

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Krug Vintage Champagne 2000

Iconica — Thu, 17 Oct 2024 07:50:29 +0000

Krug Vintage Champagne 2000

At the House of Krug, every Krug Vintage celebrates the distinct character of a particular year. A Krug Vintage is a blend of the most expressive wines from a single year enhanced by a stay of over ten years in the cellars. Every Krug Vintage is different: it is the Music of the year, captured by Krug.

Krug 2000 is rich, precise, complex and indulgent. The House of Krug wanted to create a vintage for the last year of the millennium, to capture the unusual and climatically chaotic season. Nicknamed Stormy Indulgence by the House, this vintage brings together the complexity and generosity of a very exciting year. Krug 2000 is one of the most intense, dramatic and romantic Krug Vintages ever created.

The Season

The mild winter of 2000 was marked by alternating dry and rainy periods. This was interrupted by a violent tornado on December 26, 1999. A hail-free but rainy spring delayed budding, though growth remained steady. Full bloom occurred in early June.

On July 2, an unusually violent hailstorm hit nearly 4,000 hectares, affecting 13% of the appellation’s total area. Some hailstones, as large as pigeon’s eggs, severely damaged or destroyed the Pinot Noir crops north of Montagne de Reims. Summer was milder but stormy, fueling hope for a good harvest.

Harvesting began on September 11, 2000, and concluded by September 25. Despite the weather challenges, the large grape size indicated strong potential for a good yield.

The Blend

Following tasting sessions, the winemaking team chose a blend from plots in Trépail and Villers-Marmery (Chardonnay), where ripe citrus notes balanced the white grape varieties from Avize and Mesnil, as they believed the whites needed refinement.

The blend’s structure closely follows Krug’s classic style, featuring grapes from well-known plots in Ambonnay, Bouzy, and Aÿ, showcasing the outstanding Pinot Noir from Montagne de Reims’ southern slopes.

Meuniers from Saint Gemme and Villevanard, a staple in Krug Champagnes, completed the blend. The final creation strikes a perfect balance between Pinot Noir (42%) and Chardonnay (43%), with 15% Meunier adding the final touch.

Food Pairing

Krug 2000 can be enjoyed with caramelised scallops and pineapple, spicy sauces, rich gravies, squab, confit of vegetables or citrus fruits, sweet and sour sauces or even spices. It is also excellent with desserts containing roasted fruits such as bananas, peaches or citrus fruits.‍

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Krug Vintage Champagne 2006

Iconica — Thu, 17 Oct 2024 07:32:38 +0000

Krug Champagne 2006

Krug 2006 is a story of indulgence, roundness and elegance, nicknamed “Capricious Indulgence” by the House.

When we create a blend for a new Krug Vintage, we want to tell the story of the year – of what surprised and enchanted us. In 2006, all three Champagne grapes showed beautiful indulgence and maturity across our selected plots. It was a year for elegant and balanced Meuniers evocative of pears and apples. The Chardonnays were classic with ample aromas. Pinot Noirs of the Marne revealed promising structure and great potential.

The Season

The year 2006 was considered a hot one in Champagne, with extreme highs and 23 days recorded over 30°C. It was a capricious climate that went from dry periods to intense rainfall – in August, 2 months of rain fell in only 2 weeks. Fortunately, the sun returned to complete the ripening period shining on a beautiful harvest. Grapes had a balance close to that of 2002 and 1989, which were also beautiful and generous years.

The Wine

For Krug, the year 2006 gave birth to a great and classic Krug Champagne. Krug 2006 is generous, intense in aromas on the palette, without any excess, with an ending leaving a sensation of greatness and distinction.

For the final blend, the selected wines were those best exhibiting the unique, silky roundness of the year with a good structure and length. Pinot Noir constitutes almost half (48%) of the blend, with the majority coming from plots in Montagne de Reims Nord, Sud and Les Riceys. Ripe and full-bodied Chardonnays (35%) add roundness and opulence while Meuniers (17%) from Leuvrigny and Sainte-Gemme bring tension and length.

The generous aromatic and expressive profile of Krug 2006 comes after 12 years in the cellars, gaining in balance and finesse.

Food Pairing

Krug 2006 is a delectable match for all cuisines, especially the most aromatic. Dishes with character such as tajine with lemon confit, ratatouille, and slow-roasted leg of lamb. As well as vegetable tian, game, foie gras, flavourful fish or duck breast grilled over grape vines.

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Krug Vintage Champagne 2004

Iconica — Thu, 17 Oct 2024 06:58:39 +0000

Krug Champagne 2004

The story of the year 2004, captured by Krug. With harmonious tension and elegant radiance, Krug 2004 reveals the vibrant story of a fresh year. For this reason, the House chose to give it the nickname “Luminous Freshness”. Combining delicacy, balance and bountiful citrus of all types, evoking the sensations of early summer mornings in Champagne.

The Season

After a chill start to the growing season, the beautiful weather from mid-September to early October ensured that 2004 was a generous year following the challenging extremes and small yields of 2003. Nature’s elation afforded a breadth of choice and the harvested grapes were in very good condition.

T‍he Wine

For Krug, the year 2004 gave birth to highly expressive, bright, undeniably elegant and discreet wines with a shining structure. Paying close attention to every vineyard’s character, respecting the individuality of each plot and its wine allowed Eric Lebel to identify the music of the year. He brought it to life by creating a composition marked by elegance and bountiful citrus.

Krug 2004 is a dialogue between shining Chardonnays (39%) and the backbone of Pinot Noir (37%) combined with the vivacity, tension and citrus notes of Meunier (24%). The elegance of Krug 2004 comes after over 12 years in the cellars gaining in harmony, expression and finesse.

Krug 2004 is the last of the second trilogy in the history of the House, the first being 1988, 1989 and 1990 and the second 2002, 2003 and 2004. As with all Krug Champagnes, Krug 2004 will continue to gain with the passage of time.

Food Pairing

Krug 2004 promises a delectable pairing with sea urchin, salmon tartar or caviar. It also beautifully accompanies artichoke in a lightly spiced creamy mayonnaise sauce, delicate white fish in lemon sauce and olive oil or sole meunière as well as Thai cuisine with ginger and lemongrass. Fresh goat’s cheese and candied citrus underline the Champagne’s freshness, while a lemon meringue tart makes for a perfectly paired dessert.‍

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