Krug, Krug, Comtes

Lauren generously offered the have me help her drink her Christmas gift, a 1990 Krug. I brought my bottle of 95 and Paul chipped in with the NV which unfortunately was corked. So we goaded him into chilling down the 90 Taittinger to round out the evening. All in all a great night with great friends sharing great wines. Life is good.
Instead of doing a full dinner we just got a bunch of items that go well with Champagne. Inspired pairings proved to be the Sturgeon caviar over creme fraiche on roasted potatoe slices, smoked oysters and brillat savarin cheese. I loved the subtle fishy saltiness of the caviar over the creaminess paired with the Champagnes. The smokey oily oysters also balanced out the bright acidity of the rich Krugs. The brillat savarin really took things to another level to me. After having tried this triple cream cheese with Champagne upon an online recommendation last year I was determined to bring it for Krug night. One of the best cheeses I have ever had it stands by itself quite nicely as does the 1990 Krug(or most any Krug for that matter) but taking a sip after a bite of the cheese set off the fireworks taking it to another level. Sometimes wine and food pairings work having a complimentary effect. Occasionally they disconnect your conscious brain and make your senses the center of attention.

• NV Krug Champagne Brut Grande Cuvée Flawed

  France, Champagne

  Corked

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• 1995 Krug Champagne Vintage Brut

  France, Champagne

  Tight to start with slight sulfur aromas. After an hour open it starts to bring out a strong nectarine component on the nose. Apples and pit fruits on a still very young palate. Some tartness and the trade mark powerful Krug acidity. I'm not as enamored with this vintage of Krug as many are as I don't see the power and deep complex fruit that usually mark it to me. This is still an excellent wine though that I would recommend leaving alone for a few more years or open it and leave it alone for an hour or more before drinking.

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• 1990 Krug Champagne Vintage Brut

  France, Champagne

  Terrific transforming nose that previews this wines maturity with strong caramel and butterscotch initially it continues moving into nuts, rendered butter and rich vanilla desserts. Perfectly balanced with plenty of creamy richness and a strong building acidity the palate seems to be at the cusp of maturity. Outstanding wine that will only get better.

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• 1990 Taittinger Champagne Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut

  France, Champagne

  Provenance on this was a bit in question but it still gave a great performance. A sherried quality is immediately noticeable but didn't seem to mar the nose which was intoxicating with its rich caramel butterscotch goodness. Though the fruit still seems bright it did lack a midpalate almost giving it a disjointed quality. The finish is still strong and tart as well as the fruit up front being strong. Given better storage this is most likely a knock out versus our only very good.

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