The Maison de Reims Krug, the famous champagne whose bubbles dazzled everyone from Queen Elizabeth II to Ernest Hemingway, including Oscar Wilde, Coco Chanel and even Axl Rose from Guns and Roses, has just celebrated its 180th anniversary in style. Krug wanted to celebrate the anniversary of its foundation, at its headquarters on Rue Coquebert in the capital of Champagne, with a high-flying menu.
The dinner has been created by the renowned chef Arnaud Lallement of the three-star restaurant L’Assiette Champenoise in Tinqueux, and cooked by his team, led by chef Olivier Mirgalet. There was no shortage of delicacies such as the blue lobster in homage to Lallement’s father, with potatoes and paprika, and the juice from the heads of this prized shellfish, or the pularda from La Cour d’Armoise, with mushroom ravioli and poulette cream.
The menu of this chef, who at the age of 26 already achieved his first Michelin star, evolves to the rhythm of the seasons, always aimed at expressing the quintessence of the products. The memorable dinner has been harmonized with champagnes, served blind, as stellar as the Krug Clos d’Ambonnay 2006, a very fine pinot noir with a price of around 3,790 euros per bottle, or the creamy and elegant Clos du Mesnil 2006, a chardonnay which sells for around 1,800 euros a bottle. It has been, in the words of Olivier Krug, the sixth generation of the founding family of that brand and director of the Krug welcome house, “a menu from a family restaurant paired with the champagnes of a family home”. Arnaud Lallement, for his part, highlighted the relationship of “friendship and love” between his establishment and Krug.
The lucky guests of the celebration, which lasted two days, were even able to taste a glass of Clos du Mesnil at the foot of the walled vineyard of Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, where its highly prized Chardonnay grapes are born. There were also tastings of base wines that reflect the singularities of their terroirs and two great and historical verticals: ten vintages of Krug Grande Cuvée (editions 162, 163, 165 and 166 shone) and five of Krug Rosé (the 24th edition is extraordinary). . With them, it is irrefutably certified that each vintage shows its own personality despite following the same philosophy. The occasion was also used to present the last two editions of both champagnes.
The 171st edition of the Krug Grande Cuvée, recreated from the 2015 vintage (58%) and offered at a price of 285 euros per bottle, has been made from 131 wines from 12 different years (from the 2000 vintage the oldest). Created with pinot noir (45%), chardonnay (37%) and pinot meunier (18%). It is pale straw in color, clear and bright, with a constant release of tiny bubbles that form a perfect rosary and crown. It shows creaminess with a citrus soul (lemon and grapefruit) and with hints of toasted bread and spices.
Despite being the son of a hot and dry vintage, although with providential rains in August, its marked acidity makes this Brut very long and bright. Vibrant youth almost 8 years after harvest. Krug’s chef de cave, Julie Cavil, who says that this edition “is a journey into the geography of Champagne and also a journey through time”, likes to pair it with spicy Asian or Arabian dishes, such as tajine. Olivier Krug highlights his great gastronomic versatility, although he points out that if he shared it with a Spaniard, he would do it with a good Iberian ham.
The new edition of Krug Rosé, the 27th, is offered for 400 euros per bottle. This Brut has been created with 10% red wine and 38 different wines, up to 9 vintages (2005 being the oldest). It has also been recreated from the 2015 vintage (45% of the total blend), and has been made with Pinot Noir (57%), Chardonnay (23%) and Pinot Meunier (20%). It is salmon in color with faint bluish reflections.
Its small bubbles also parade forming a perfect rosary and a generous crown. It displays ripe fruit (cherries, strawberries, and raspberries) as well as wilted red flowers. Liveliness and roundness, acidity and maturity are combined. Juli Cavil assures that it is very gastronomic, and not only ideal to accompany desserts.
Every year this famous champagne brand pays homage to an ingredient “and the many pleasures it can reveal when paired with a glass of Krug Grande Cuvée or Krug Rosé”. If last year they worshiped rice, this 2023 they have dedicated it “to the vibrant citrus called lemon”. It is the first fruit that they have chosen as the only ingredient, “because of its acid character and its electrical energy, which provide tension and balance to the pairing” of its new editions of the Grande Cuvée and its rosé. They ensure that “imagining, creating, sharing, innovating, learning and discussing is what happens when Maison Krug pools talent around free experimentation”.
Within the framework of the Single Ingredient campaign, from June to September, the creativity of chefs and sommeliers will be given free rein with lemon paired with Krug in the Leña establishments of the Dani García Group in Marbella, Estimar de Rafa Zafra in Madrid and Barcelona , Roostiq in Madrid and Marbella, El Portal in Alicante, Llisa Negra by Quique Dacosta in Valencia, Andreu Genestra in Mallorca, the Marbella Club Marbella, The View Restaurant (Hotel 7 Pines) in Ibiza, Casamar with Quim Casellas in Llafranc and Catalina de Óscar Manresa and his daughter Nicole in Gavà Mar.
For 180 years they have been pursuing the dream that their founder left written in 1848 in a dark cherry-colored notebook, which today is their corporate color. This brand was established in Reims in 1843 by Joseph Krug, a visionary maverick who is said to have “an uncompromising philosophy.” Having understood that the true essence of champagne is “pleasure itself”, his dream was to produce the best product he could offer, every year, regardless of annual climatic variations. Paying close attention to the character of the vineyard, respecting the individuality of each plot and its wine, as well as building an extensive library of reserve wines from many different years allowed Joseph Krug to fulfill his dream.
Thus, individuality is the cornerstone of Krug’s philosophy. Each parcel, individually vinified, is, in itself, a single ingredient in the creation of his champagne. With a very original approach to production, he decided to go beyond the notion of vintage to create the most generous expression of champagne every year. Joseph Krug went beyond all known limits in the creation – in the assembly – of champagne. It is currently owned by the luxury group Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy.
Winemaker Julie Cavil has no doubt that “cultivating differences is an unlimited source of creativity.” In statements to La Vanguardia Magazine, he affirms that “Krug is a man’s dream, a somewhat particular philosophy with which Joseph Krug understood that behind blended wines there is a mixture of three grape varieties, that there is also a terroir and that each plot of vineyard has the potential to express something, a different melody”. She adds that thanks to all this they are able to offer an “exceptional” champagne every year, where acidity is the backbone, despite subjecting their wines to malolactic fermentation and one step in the barrel.
Julie Cavil likes to enjoy a glass of champagne on any occasion. She says that she always has a bottle ready in her fridge, although she hasn’t always been like that. Years ago, when she worked for an advertising agency in Paris, she only uncorked champagne for celebrations. She also reveals that “in Champagne I have discovered that you can wash down a whole meal, from start to finish, with champagne”. She says that this, which she describes as “sublime”, is not known to everyone.
