The potential for a Krug vintage champagne is identified during the blending of Krug Grande Cuvée. Once the non-vintage blend has been secured and all of the reserves earmarked, the wines displaying the most pronounced character of the vintage are blended to create the vintage champagne.

Krug 1996, with radiant, rich gold colour and resplendent bubbles, first caresses the sense with its rich mature aromas before exploding in a bouquet of freshness; it elevates contrast and character to unprecedented extremes. With firm texture, its full, ripe flavours are followed by fresh pear, candied lemon, ripe summer fruit, honey, gingerbread and hints of delicate mocha. Krug 1996 is undeniable extraordinary!

1996 in Champagne was a very special year, said to be one of the best vintages of the century and often compared to the legendary 1928. At the House of Krug, even Paul Krug II, known for his strictly objective observations, also noted it may well have been “the next 1928”. In other ways, it was strange and eccentric, it is also known as something of a ‘wild horse’, galloping between extreme maturity and freshness. Krug 1996 is also the last Vintage blended by three generations of the Krug family working together; Paul II, Henry and Remi, and Olivier. With extraordinary ratings, together with Krug’s other Champagnes, it has made Krug the world’s best-rated Champagne and like all Krug Champagnes, it can age beautifully.

Extremely wide temperature variations during the cycle, rainy winter, massive frosts in February, sunny and dry spring ending in a very dry month of September with warm, sunny days and very cold nights, the perfect conditions for a great harvest. The result was ripened grapes with an extremely high freshness. The year 1996 is to become a year that will go down in Champagne’s history books.

Vineyards: Predominately Premier & Grand Cru
Grape Varieties: 48% Pinot Noir, 31% Chardonnnay, 21% Meunier