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More wines available from Krug
750ml - 1 Bottle
Bottle:
$4090.96
$4352.08
Somewhat surprisingly, Krug presents the much-anticipated 1996 Blanc de Noirs Clos d’Ambonnay as the first wine in...
Pre-Arrival
Krug Champagne Brut Krug Collection 1982
1.5Ltr - 1 Bottle
Bottle:
$4199.95
$4333.22
Disgorged at the same time as the original Krug Vintage 1982, this is one of the most profoundly complex Champagnes...
Pre-Arrival
Krug Champagne Brut Krug Collection 1990
750ml - 1 Bottle
Bottle:
$1253.95
$1333.98
Krug's just-released 1990 Collection is magnificent. Remarkably fresh for a 26 year-old wine, the 1990 Collection...
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Winery
Krug
Vintage: 2008
2008 saw very high yields across wineries in much of the southern hemisphere, as a result of highly favorable climatic conditions. Although in many areas, these high yields brought with them something of a drop in overall quality, this could not be said for South Australia's wines, which were reportedly excellent. Indeed, the 2008 Shiraz harvest in South Australia is said to be one of the most successful in recent decades, and western Australia's Chardonnays are set to be ones to watch out for. New Zealand's Pinot Noir harvest was also very good, with wineries in Martinborough reportedly very excited about this particular grape and the characteristics it revealed this year.
Pinot Noir also grew very well in the United States, and was probably the most successful grape varietal to come out of California in 2008, with Sonoma Coast and Anderson Valley delivering fantastic results from this grape. Elsewhere in United States, Washington State and Oregon had highly successful harvests in 2008 despite some early worries about frost.
However, it was France who had the best of the weather and growing conditions in 2008, and this year was one of the great vintages for Champagne, the Médoc in Bordeaux, Languedoc-Roussillon and Provence, with Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay grapes leading the way. Italy, too, shared many of these ideal conditions, with the wineries in Tuscany claiming that their Chianti Classicos of 2008 will be ones to collect, and Piedmont's Barberesco and Barolo wines will be recognized as amongst the finest of the past decade.
Varietal: Champagne Blend
The sparkling wines of Champagne have been revered by wine drinkers for hundreds of years, and even today they maintain their reputation for excellence of flavor and character, and are consistently associated with quality, decadence, and a cause for celebration. Their unique characteristics are partly due to the careful blending of a small number of selected grape varietals, most commonly Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. These grapes, blended in fairly equal quantities, give the wines of Champagne their wonderful flavors and aromas, with the Pinot Noir offering length and backbone, and the Chardonnay varietal giving its acidity and dry, biscuity nature. It isn't unusual to sometimes see Champagne labeled as 'blanc de blanc', meaning it is made using only Chardonnay varietal grapes, or 'blanc de noir', which is made solely with Pinot Noir.
Region: Champagne
There are very few wine regions in the world quite as famous as Champagne, and the sparkling white wines which are produced there are drank and enjoyed all over the globe as a result of their excellent quality, distinctive features and their association with grandeur and celebration. Wineries have been operating in the cool, damp north-easterly region of Champagne for hundreds of years, and over time have mastered the art of making the most of the Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Petit Meunier grape varietals which grow there across the rolling hillsides and kept in the region's unique 'Champagne caves'. Most commonly, these three varietals are blended together to produce the sparkling white wine, but the popularity of single variety Champagne wines are on the increase.
Country: France
French winemakers are subjected to several laws and regulations regarding the wines they produce, and how they can be labeled and sold. Such procedures are designed to increase the overall quality of the country's produce, and also to ensure that wines made in each particular region or appellation are of a character and type which is representative of the area. Thankfully for consumers of wine world-wide, the French have a particularly high reputation to uphold, and seem to do so flawlessly. Every year, wineries from all over France produce millions upon millions of bottles of fine wine, making the most of their native grape varieties and the excellent terrain which covers most of the country. From the expensive and exquisite red wines of Bordeaux and Burgundy, to the white wines and cremants of central France, the French are dedicated to providing the world with wines of the highest quality and most distinctive character.