Krug 2006

A stunner, with mouthwatering vibrancy and focus married to all of the opulence of a great 2006 Champagne. Richly fragrant, offering nutmeg, cardamom, jasmine, lemongrass, espresso and grilled nut notes enmeshed in a core of black currant and tangerine fruit flavors. Beautifully creamy and complex, this glides across the palate on the long, lasting finish. Disgorged winter 2017 to 2018. Drink now through 2030.

This is a very deep and layered vintage Champagne with a round, ample mouthfeel. It’s full-bodied with lots of cooked apple and mirabelle, as well as biscuit undertones. Hints of stone and flint. It’s flavorful. Delicious now and will age beautifully. Drink or hold.

ID 118014. To be released in October 2019. (With potential stress because the 2019 harvest is likely to be so late.) Saved by a fine August. This was assistant winemaker Julie Cavil’s first tasting of the still base wines and is therefore her first known vintage on the market! Chef de Caves Eric Lebel was ill that summer. Outstanding Pinot Noir. Quite rich and polished. No hint of astringency. But zesty on top and with lots of undertow. (I’ve never heard anyone say of a Krug vintage that it shouldn’t have been released.) Long with a particularly rich finish. (JR)

With a youthful golden straw hue, the 2006 Champagne Millesime Brut reveals powerful aromas of toasted incense and, like the 2011, is forward with an orange citrus-toned profile as well as notes of smoke, fresh apricot, honeycomb, and toasted hazelnut. It takes on broader shoulders and a more structured feel, with a refined, silky mousse, a pithy texture, and a good deal of depth throughout. The finish is long and full-bodied, with notes of marzipan on the back palate. Both of these vintages feel more immediate but should stand the test of time over the next 15 years. Krug ID: 118014

Krug pulls off a tour de force with its 2006 vintage. A year that can sometimes lack a bit of verve is here elevated into a wine of great freshness, without the slightest aromatic fatigue. Both full and precise. Bravo.

As I reported when it was released, Krug’s 2006 Brut is clearly one of the vintage’s highlights. Offering aromas of dried fruits, pear, freshly baked bread, caramelized apples, honeycomb and toasted sourdough, it is full-bodied, deep and layered, with superb concentration, racy acidity and an impressively tightly wound profile for such a demonstrative vintage. I noted last year that this is surprisingly reserved for the vintage, and if anything, that trait is even more evident today. While many 2006 Champagnes are likely to be at their best in their demonstrative youth, this is a wine unquestionably built for the long haul.