We had an amazing opportunity to host Dallas’ top sommeliers, including Dallas’ Master Sommeliers Melissa Monosoff, James Tidwell, and Barbara Werley, for an exclusive tasting with our special guest of honor, owner of the best Champagne House in France: Olivier Krug of the legendary Champagne House of Krug.
For six generations, the finest Champagnes have run through the Krug family bloodline (must be nice…) along with their passion and strong philosophy on what makes a great Champagne. It was Olivier’s great-great-grandfather, Joseph Krug, who in 1843 created the distinguished house after he left what was then, the largest Champagne house, Jacquesson. Joseph wanted to deliver a Champagne that would delight and absolutely thrill the consumers with every Champagne experience by achieving only the exceptional. Fast forward 172 years and through the generations that have honed and enriched Krug’s untouchable art of blending; you will find Olivier Krug’s contribution to his family’s estate and philosophy to stay true to Krug’s original and now renowned reputation as a Grande Maison de Champagne and as the only Champagne house specializing exclusively to Prestige Cuvee.
Olivier was such a lively and gracious host as his life passion showed through in his explanations of his wines and his family story. With a room full of extremely talented and knowledgeable sommeliers, of course there were deeper discussions on the technical (geeky) side of the business as we exchanged thoughts on the challenges of offering classic Champagnes from Negociant houses to guests that are living in a new age of the privately sourced, hand-crafted, small production houses of what we call ‘Grower Champagne’. And as the point was made by the somms, simply being a ‘Grower’ does not automatically categorize the Champagne in elevated quality as it only states that the Champagne was made from fruit sourced 100% from that sole producer.
We tasted through an amazing flight of Krug wines from the NV Grand Cuvee to the 2003 Clos du Mesnil and a side by side of the 2000 Vintage and 2003 Vintage, finishing with the vibrant NV Krug Rose while listening to their stories with Olivier Krug; it was truly a memorable and honorable experience.
NV Krug Grand Cuvee- The Grand Cuvee was extremely balanced with beaming power and finesse. Orange zest with a touch of toasted ginger spice, wild white floral notes on the nose with a palate more citrus and white cherry fruits, warm spice and brioche on the palate. Always a favorite at Graileys.
2003 Krug Clos du Mesnil- sourced from a single vineyard from a very warm year, the 2003 Krug Clos du Mesnil is a Champagne you do not want to miss! It was extraordinarily elegant with beautiful notes of fresh pear, lightly toasted pastries, and an amazing savory layer of smoke and brine that pleased the palate with every sip.
2000 Krug Vintage- Broader and stronger in texture, this vintage boasts flavors of preserved pear, toasted almond and honeysuckle and spice.
2003 Krug Vintage- the flavors and bubbles were powerful and creamy in this beautifully executed Champagne. Loads of caramelized apples, bruised pear, and baked bread dominated the palate with hints of wild honey and spice that added complexity to this impressive Champagne.
NV Krug Rose- bright with fresh ripe strawberries, white cherries and a touch of rose. This is one of my favorite Champagne Roses. Vibrant bubbles gracefully pricked the palate with hints of lemon, rhubarb and spice.
