Dear Mr -------------,
First, please accept my deepest apologizes for not answering sooner your
message about Krug Grande Cuvée and Private Cuvée.
We are actually finalizing the Krug blends and the whole life rythm
at the Maison is modified as we are a very small team...!
Until 1972, Krug used to ship 2 cuvées under the name of PRIVATE CUVEE :
The first one without any vintage reference.
In 1972, the House took the decision to change the name of this cuvée into
KRUG GRANDE CUVEE (This Cuvée is our flagship, the signature
of the Krug taste since the creation of he House in 1843).
But, as the minimum of ageing for this cuvée is 6 years, the first labels
of Krug Grande Cuvée appeared on the markets only in 1978.
The second one with a vintage reference (small mention on the left bottom corner of the label)
Krug changed the name of this cuvée into KRUG VINTAGE with the vintage 1964.
The first labels of Krug Vintage 1964 appeared on the markets in 1972, after 8 years of ageing
(indeed, the ageing of a Krug Vintage is between 8 and 14 years, there is no rule,
the tasting only decides !)
For your information, Krug Grande Cuvée is not, despite the fact that it is not dated,
what people usually refer to with the expression "non vintage" champagne but a unique
and original "prestige cuvée" blended over 6 to 10 different years.
The benefits of this "multi-vintage" blending approach are both harmony, ampleness,
complexity and consistency of style blend after blend.
Before the blending exercise takes place, all our single "vins clairs", coming from
strictly selected plots throughout the mosaic of champagne vineyards, are "born" by first
fermentation in small oak casks. This, again, is unique in Champagne and immensely
contributes to the style of Krug and its combination of richness and elegance, power and
subtlety, ripeness and freshness, but also to its legendary longevity.
Finally, I should also mention that after blending and bottling, Krug Grande Cuvée is
matured at Krug for 6 years before release (against 15 months for a non vintage !),
in order to slowly develop its complexity and subtleties.
For all these reasons, Krug is known to enjoy an extraordinary longevity under one
condition of course : proper storage after it has left our cellars. A bottle which has been
kept for few years on the market but at proper storage conditions will normally be superb.
Many thanks again for your interest for Krug,
