BYOK: Dinner with Olivier

Ai Fiori (Langham Hotel on 5th Ave)
Tasted Wednesday, November 10, 2021 by MC2 Wines with 129 views

Introduction

Big fan of the format where collectors each bring a bottle of wine to share and then Krug brings a few goodies including the new '08 (which yes, does seem to be worth the hype).

Flight 1 (17 Notes)

  • NV Krug Champagne Brut Grande Cuvee Edition 169eme

    France, Champagne

    Starting the night off with the newest release of the Grande Cuvee which is a champagne that has a special place in my heart because it was probably the first good champagne that I 'got'. This is good. Nice structure, very fresh, lots of spice notes. It's young and still tight and all of that but these do seem to age very well and this feels like it would do the same if given some time.

    Post a Comment / 2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2008 Krug Champagne Vintage Brut

    France, Champagne

    What a treat to get to try the almost pre-release version. There is not enough of this wine to go around. I think what surprised me most is how clear and light this was. Very bright and slightly ethereal. There's flavor there but this is still quite young. Looking forward to holding our bottles for a long time.

    Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • NV Krug Champagne Brut Grande Cuvée Edition 164eme

    France, Champagne

    The Grand Cuvee that I think tipped this wine up another level. Served next to the Vintage 2008 (which is the same year as the base of this wine). Toasty and spicy and more flavorful. This is more energetic than it's brother at the moment but it's also had a lot more time. More complex. Enjoyable and yet still very young in drinking window.

    Post a Comment / 2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • NV Krug Champagne Brut Rosé

    France, Champagne

    The Rose with the 2008 base. Fun to try the three '08s together. This is brighter red fruits, very fresh and young. A hint of dustiness to it that kindof keeps the wine more intellectual. Oddly this reminded me of pop rocks for some reason. Perhaps because the bubbles are really sparkling there.

    Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2006 Krug Champagne Clos du Mesnil

    France, Champagne

    I've had very little exposure to the single vineyards from Krug so I was intrigued to get to try them. This is one grape, one place, one year and Krug started making it back in 1979. This is chardonnay in that light and airy and slightly ethereal form where the bubbles just kindof melt in your mouth and you have to concentrate to taste the wine on the way down. It's really young and probably too young. Perhaps with some age there will be a bit of that extra backbone and complexity that I love in Krug. Right now it's a different style but still lovely (although I'd hold it - not ready yet).

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2006 Krug Champagne Vintage Brut

    France, Champagne

    Much bigger and bolder than it's Clos du Mesnil cousin. This has a real backbone to it. Not quite as deep as the '08 but this wasn't meant to be that vintage. Still quite lovely just much too young.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 1998 Krug Champagne Clos d'Ambonnay

    France, Champagne

    I tend to skew more Pinot than Chard so I was really excited to get to try this one and probably had some overly lofty expectations. This started off a bit brooding and even kindof darker. Some carmelized orange peel. And then oddly as it had time in the glass it got lighter and softened and brightened and you could see it's still quite young to be drinking. Surprised at the evolution but very fun to see.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 1998 Krug Champagne Vintage Brut

    France, Champagne

    Preview of our weekend wine for La Fete which is fun although this was a bottle. I had heard that the '98s were drinking well now, but this to me was a bit on the shy side. Some of that may be it was served right next to the '62 which was anything but. It's a bit nutty and very fresh and still quite young.

    Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 1962 Krug Champagne Vintage Brut

    France, Champagne

    Show stopper. Thinking back on this dinner a few days later I still easily remember this wine. It just jumped out of the glass at you and after you had it the rest suddenly seemed like absolute children. The power of old champagne. It's oxidized and caramel and nutty and this huge depth of flavor. Almost reminds me of a cognac. A wine that requires contemplation. Later in the night quite a few folks liked the 'custom blend' of this and the '06 and I can see why - the bubbles were fairly done here and the flavor here totally overpowered so you kept those great notes and got more bubbles, but there was something about it as it originally came out of the bottle. Just a truly special treat.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2002 Krug Champagne Vintage Brut

    France, Champagne

    It's hard to come on the heels of the '62 and especially when you are a fairly young wine yourself but sometimes it must be done. This was fresh and bright and young and maybe a bit of apple notes. Quite light which isn't a descriptor I think of for Krug but I'm sure it's because of the older wine right before.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 1996 Krug Champagne Vintage Brut

    France, Champagne

    Oxidized and brioche-y and a bit nutty. Aside from the '62 a lot of the earlier wines felt like they were just on the too young side. Here it's young but we're starting to cross into wines that can be drunk now without feeling too guilty.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 1995 Krug Champagne Vintage Brut

    France, Champagne

    Bigger and more depth of flavor than I really expected. I think this might be a bit advanced for its age but in a good way. Seemed like a higher oxidation and a bit less of the caramel and a bit more of the slightly burnt style but with the bubbles it worked.

    Read 4 Comments / Post a Comment / 2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 1988 Krug Champagne Vintage Brut

    France, Champagne

    From a mag which meant this was also really quite young (surprising how young). There's a slightly sour note, a bit of nuttiness. It feels quite primary still. Intriguing wine though.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 1988 Krug Champagne Vintage Brut Collection

    France, Champagne

    Bright and nutty and pretty and drinking pretty well. My handwriting was not the best in the notes on this one, but I think this was still showing a touch younger than I'd expect although again that could have been the '62 driving that.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 1985 Krug Champagne Clos du Mesnil

    France, Champagne

    Really interesting to get to try one of these with some age. My takeaway is that this is a champagne that can really go the distance. Very precise and beautiful and light and yet it is starting to get some hint of a mouthful and more structure to it.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 1981 Krug Champagne Vintage Brut Collection

    France, Champagne

    I was so excited to get to try this one. There aren't many 'great' birth year wines for '81 and this is none of them. It's beautiful. Again younger but you can tell there is some age here. It's very crisp and fresh and bright. Apparently a top vintage for Chard. Drinking well but if we had another bottle I'd be looking to pop it on a 70th birthday.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 1996 Domaine Denis Mortet Gevrey-Chambertin Au Vellé

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin

    I'm not always a big Burgundy fan but at the end of a night with a lot of bubbles it actually was kindof nice to get a light red to finish off. This was I think quite reasonable for a burg and it was a hint of spicy and drinking pretty well.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

Closing

The thing with old champagne is that once you have it it can make everything else seem somehow like it's in black and white. That's a bit what the '62 did for me although all of the wines were quite good.

×
×