Krug plans late-release Grande Cuvée

Krug has been keeping back a proportion of its multi-vintage Grande Cuvée for late release to prove just how well the Champagne ages.

Krug Grande Cuvée currently spends between 6-7 years maturing on its lees, and then a further 10-12 months resting in Krug’s cellars post-disgorgement, meaning it is released around 8 years after the blend is created.

However, speaking to the drinks business last month, Krug CEO Margareth Henriquez said that since her arrival at the house in 2009, she had started retaining a proportion of the Grande Cuvée for later release, suggesting that she would use the “Collection” label for this multi-vintage blend, a term used by Krug for its vintage Champagnes which are held for an extra 10-15 years on their lees – presently, Krug is selling the Collection 1989.

“I dream one day of a Collection of Krug Grande Cuvée,” said Henriquez.

Continuing she explained, “Collection is a bottle which sleeps with the lees, and then, when it’s in the right phase, we disgorge it one year and a half before release.”

She told db that she began holding back 6-8,000 bottles of Krug Grande Cuvée based on the 2003 base vintage, which was the blend being disgorged soon after she took over the management of the house. (This figure represents 5-6% of Krug’s annual production).

“I started keeping back Grande Cuvée with the 2003 base, because when I arrived in 2009, we were on 2003.” She then commented, speaking about the previous base harvest, which was an exceptional year in Champagne, “We only have a few bottles of Grande Cuvée from 2002, which is unfortunate, as it is delicious.”

She also said that a future Grande Cuvée Collection would be a single second late-disgorgement. “It would be just one late-release of Krug Grande Cuvée,” she stated, in contrast to Dom Pérignon, which has three releases of any single vintage of its Champagne, which the house call Plentidues.

Although Krug Grande Cuvée can employ more than 50% reserve wines from older vintages, and is released ready to drink, Henriquez said it has a remarkable capacity to age.

“The most beautiful Krug I ever tasted was the Grande Cuvée based on the ’96 harvest – and we have only 14 bottles, we have nothing,” she said.

Krug’s “Collection” label currently applies only to its vintage Champagnes

Although each release of Krug Grande Cuvée contains a mix of wines from at least 10 different harvests, a single “base” vintage makes up at least 50% of the blend in each annual release. The current expression of Krug Grand Cuvée uses the 2006 vintage as its base, and the wine spends a minimum of six years on its lees, and 10 months resting post-disgorgement in Krug’s cellars in Reims.

As previously reported by db, Henriquez said that Krug is to highlight the unique nature of each annual blend of its multi-vintage Grand Cuvée with a new numbering system, and starting next year, the release will be labelled as the “160th Edition”.

She also said that she “loved” the recent introduction of a Krug Grande Cuvée Limited Edition – a gift set featuring two bottles each of Krug Grande Cuvee based on the 2003, 2004 and 2005 harvests.

Not only does such a set highlight the distinctive nature of Krug Grande Cuvée depending on the base vintage, but also the enhanced complexity from extended ageing, although in this case, the maturation is post-disgorgement, whereas in the impending “Collection”, it is on the lees.

On the subject of disgorgement, Henriquez also told db that she wants to extend the time Krug Grande Cuvée rests post disgorgement from 10-12 months to, ideally, a minimum of 1.5 years.

The reason? “If the Champagne is consumed too close to disgorgment then it can be closed,” she said, referring to a lack of aromatic expression.