KRUG Champagne: exceptional champagne without compromise

The first time I tasted KRUG champagne is still very clear in my memory. I treated myself to a glass of champagne at l’Avenue at Saks restaurant during a trip to New York to unwind and visit Genesis House New York, just before the 2022 Christmas celebrations with the view of the gigantic Rockefeller Center Christmas tree, it was magical. This exceptional event, at least for me, happened again recently at the media launch of KRUG Week 2024 at chef Olivier Vigneault’s Jatoba restaurant in Montréal. It’s an exceptional champagne with an aura of mystery that we’re going to try to help you discover more in this article. I had the chance to talk to Jean-Sébastien Charette, Regional Marketing Manager for Moët Hennessy in Canada, about this emblematic champagne from Reims in France.

The history of the Maison

Maison KRUG was founded in 1843 by Joseph Krug (born Johann-Joseph in Mainz, France [now in Germany], on the banks of the Rhine), the right-hand man of the chairman and accountant of the maison de champagne Jacquesson. He later became a taster, developing his interest in champagne and even marrying, in 1841, Mrs. Emma-Anne Jaunay, the sister-in-law of Adolphe Jacquesson, founder of the House and inventor of the champagne cork. In the mid-1800s, techniques were not as advanced as they are today, but to make a good champagne, the year had to be exceptional. 

“Mr. Krug had a vision, to create the best champagne year after year. That was his dream. He had to have the best product from the region, regardless of the vagaries of climate change. He wanted impeccable quality, and there’s no hierarchy between his champagnes (we’ll come back to that),” explains the regional marketing manager for Moët Hennessy in Canada. Joseph Krug’s ideas caught the attention of Hippolyte de Vivès, owner of a champagne house known for its access to excellent producers and vineyards. As Joseph was still working for another house, M. de Vivès invited him to experiment with him in secret between 1839 and 1842. It was only at the end of 1842, strongly encouraged by Hippolyte who wanted to pursue a political career that Joseph left the comfort of the Jacquesson Champagne House to take over Hippolyte’s business. And so, in November 1843, the House of Krug was founded at the venerable age of 43 (remember that people didn’t live as long in those days).

“In 1848, he recorded his vision in the pages of his personal black cherry notebook. In it, year after year, he would record everything that happened, his thoughts, the demands he made to obtain this exceptional champagne. It’s an incredible legacy that he leaves for future generations, one that Olivier Krug talks to us about regularly,” adds Mr. Charette.

The principles of the Maison

Although the brand has been bought twice, first by Rémy Cointreau in the 1970s or 1980s (the information is unclear) and then by the LVMH group in 1999, the family is still involved. “Olivier Krug (6th generation) and his team strive to pursue this vision year after year. One important thing about the House is its expertise and the quality of its champagnes. Firstly, the expertise is unrivalled, and I say that as a great lover of champagne of all brands,” says the marketing specialist. 

As Mr. Charette tells us, the expertise of the famous Champagne House is based on 3 principles: 

• Individuality: The Importance of DNA is reflected in each bottle. KRUG truly believes in the importance of the parcel. Each parcel must correspond to a single wine. This is the basis of the plot-by-plot approach, which guarantees indisputable quality and a wider range of products. The Maison determines which parcels will produce wines of great character using the three grape varieties of the region: pinot noir, chardonnay and pinot meunier.    
• Mastering the art of blending: The 6-strong team, led by cellar master Julie Cavil, has a selection of 400 reserve wines: 250 from the current year and 150 from previous years. This enables them to create the best KRUG Grande Cuvée year after year. So you won’t find a champagne that tastes like the previous year, but as Mr. Charette informed us, the best champagne possible with the grapes at their disposal.
• Patience: To reach perfection, they give the champagne time to mature, which takes a minimum of 7 years for the Grande Cuvée and even up to 9 years. For the vintage champagne, Clos d’Ambonnay and Clos du Mesnil, it takes a minimum of 10 years. For example, for the latter two, it’s one plot, one year and one grape variety.

As we said earlier, there is no hierarchy in Krug champagnes. Mr. Joseph Krug used to say: “In principle, a good Champagne House ought to make two Champagnes of the same quality. […] Champagne Number 1: this composition should be altered every year to re-create the most generous expression of Champagne. Champagne Number 2: […] the Champagne of circumstances.” Mr. Charette clarifies this thought by telling us that KRUG N° 1 is the founder’s dream, to create the best expression, the most complete expression of champagne regardless of the weather, and this dream is called Grande Cuvée. For KRUG N° 2, it is the expression of the circumstances of a particular year, created only in years that tell an interesting story (the vintage). If the story is not interesting enough, there is no vintage champagne for that year. There could also be N° 3, which contains Clos d’Ambonnay and Clos du Mesnil, which is a year, a parcel and a grape variety, as mentioned above.

It should be noted that all the champagnes are aged in oak barrels and once in reserve, they are transferred to stainless steel vats for consistency. For reserve wines, there are around 14 years’ worth of champagne in the KRUG cellars.

As far as production is concerned, we don’t know how many bottles are produced, a secret that the House keeps treasured to itself. But it’s good to know that 25% of the grapes come directly from the estate, while the rest are sourced from champagne producers. The property, which is not open to the public but is open to certain special visitors, is the former KRUG family home.

KRUG ID: your own personalised bottle

For a small company with a small production,’ says Mr. Charette, ’to have set up this tool so that consumers can find out more about the bottle they are drinking is simply incredible. ’It’s a huge amount of information, including the composition of your bottle, a musical tasting experience, an exchange with Julie Cavil, the cellar master, anecdotes with members of the House, food and champagne pairings and advice on how to store and serve your bottle of Krug champagne.

Unique Ingredient, KRUG Champagne annual event

For KRUG, individuality is the art of considering that each parcel of vines, through the wine made from it, is a unique ingredient in KRUG Champagnes.

Each year, the house pushes this vision even further by showcasing a unique ingredient (rice and lemon, for example) and inviting its community of chefs who are part of its KRUG Ambassades (including Olivier Vigneault from Jatoba in Montréal and Gus Stieffenhofer-Brandson from Published on Main in Vancouver) to come up with food and champagne pairings that highlight the new editions of Krug Grande Cuvée and Krug Rosé. 

We’ll tell you more about KRUG Week 2024 (these events take place throughout the year, depending on the Ambassade), which features the Unique Ingredient, the flower, in a dedicated article that you can find here.

What’s more, to mark the 10th anniversary of the Unique Ingredient’s gastronomic adventures, the House is unveiling a brand new culinary experience, “Inside Krug’s Kitchen,” to be held in Paris from 23 to 30 September 2024. This culinary event is the work of a collective of 10 *** Michelin Chefs from the Krug Ambassades, in the former emblematic Gare des Invalides. As there are still a few places left, don’t hesitate to join us backstage in the Krug kitchen, where each of the chefs has come up with a recipe inspired by Krug Grande Cuvée or Krug Rosé, reinterpreting one of the 10 unique ingredients of the House of Krug. For more details, click here.

The KRUG champagnes range

Find out how the team at the Maison describes its different wines.

KRUG Grande Cuvée: The Most Generous Expression of Champagne

Krug Grande Cuvée is the annual re-creation of the dream of Joseph Krug to craft the highest quality Champagne he could offer, every year, regardless of annual climate variations. Krug Grande Cuvée is always a blend of over 120 wines from at least 10 different years, which confer a fullness of flavours and aromas that would be impossible to express with the wines of a single year. Each year, a new Édition of the most generous expression of Champagne is created.

KRUG Rosé: The Rosé Champagne for Bold Gastronomic Experiences

A relatively recent addition to the House, Krug Rosé is inspired by the dream of the fifth generation of the Krug family to create a rosé Champagne that did not exist, one that could be re-created every year. It is an unexpected rosé Champagne combining elegance and boldness from a broad selection of plots’ wines with fruit characters of all types and spicy notes with astonishing breadth and depth.

KRUG Millésimes: The Story of a Year, Captured by Krug

A Krug Vintage is a “Champagne of circumstances”, as described by founder Joseph Krug in his personal notebook. These Champagnes are blends of the most expressive wines from a single year, enhanced by a stay of over ten years in the cellars. Every Krug Vintage celebrates the distinct character of a particular year: the music of the year, captured by Krug.

KRUG Clos du Mesnil: The Purity of a Single Plot of Chardonnay from a Single Year.

Krug Clos du Mesnil expresses the purity of a single plot of Chardonnay harvested in a single year. This 1.84-hectare vineyard, overlooked by the village church, has been protected by walls since 1698. It is located in the heart of Mesnil-sur-Oger, one of the most iconic villages for Chardonnay in the Champagne region.

KRUG Clos d’Ambonnay: The Intensity of a Single Plot of Pinot Noir from a Single Year

Krug Clos d’Ambonnay expresses the intensity of a single plot of Pinot Noir harvested in a single year. Clos d’Ambonnay is a tiny walled plot of 0.68 hectares, located in the heart of Ambonnay, one of the most distinguished villages for Pinot Noir in Champagne and the main source of grapes for the House since its very earliest years.

KRUG Collection: Time’s second revelation of a Krug Vintage

Krug Collection is time’s second revelation of a Krug Vintage and the pinnacle of the art of time sublimation. A very limited number of bottles of each Krug Vintage are kept under ideal conditions in the Krug cellars as they wait to blossom into a second life, revealing a totally unprecedented personality. Krug Vintage thus receives its cork as Krug Collection, the breathtaking second movement of an already admired opus.

To find out more about KRUG Week 2024 in Canada, click here.

Find out more about the brand here.