Krug Champagne Brut Krug Collection 1996 750ml

Originating from a late September harvest and disgorged at the end of 2023 with a dosage of six grams per liter, Krug’s 1996 Brut Collection presents itself with a golden-yellow hue, offering up a rich bouquet of honeycomb, espresso roast and dried apricot mingled with quince and lemon oil, followed by a medium- to full-bodied palate that is layered and structured around a vintage-typical incisive spine of acidity. Though more civilized than is often the case in this vaunted vintage, it concludes with a saline, lemon-tinged finish. It represents an aromatically mature bottle that will delight lovers of older Champagne and serves its purpose by offering a wine of impeccable provenance; yet even if one might reasonably expect its evolution to have followed a somewhat different trajectory from that of the original release owing to its late disgorgement, there is little reason to defer opening it, as it is already drinking at great generosity.