Krug Millésime 2013 Champagne

Krug Millésime 2013 Champagne – The Expression of a Unique Year

Krug Millésime 2013 Champagne is an exceptional wine that captures the technical and climatic essence of a singular year in Champagne. Dubbed ‘Élégance Gourmande’ by the House, this cuvée is distinguished by an aromatic profile of great precision, structured by a rigorous balance between freshness and evolving complexity.

Terroir and Expertise

The year 2013 was characterised by a late growing cycle, marked by a prolonged winter and a cool spring. Maximum sunshine during the summer months allowed for optimal, slow ripening of the grapes, preserving remarkable acidity at the time of harvest, which took place between September and October. The blend of Krug Millésime 2013 Champagne combines Pinot Noir (44%), providing structure and depth on the mid-palate, Chardonnay (35%), which imparts a briny tension and great integrity, and Meunier (21%), ensuring precise fruitiness and integrated roundness.

In keeping with the House’s historic method, the first fermentation took place in small traditional oak barrels, promoting gentle micro-oxygenation and the development of a complex texture. After blending the various crus selected for their integrity, the bottles underwent extended ageing for over ten years in the cool chalk cellars of the House in Reims, allowing the yeasts to perfect the cuvée’s structure before disgorgement.

Sensory Profile

Colour: Visually, the wine displays a deep, brilliant golden colour, enlivened by fine, regular and persistent effervescence.

Nose: The initial nose reveals great technical purity. It opens with notes of ripe citrus (yellow grapefruit, lemon zest) and white fruits. Upon aeration, the bouquet is enriched with hints of toasted almonds, toasted brioche and a subtle chalky minerality, reflecting its development on the lees.

Palate: The attack is clean, characterised by a crystalline tension. The mid-palate unfolds with a dense, finely chiselled texture, where the liveliness of the acidity is perfectly integrated with the roundness of pastry and dried fruit aromas. The finish is long, airy and marked by a salty aftertaste and very precise, noble bitter notes.

Serving Advice and Food Pairings

To fully express its organoleptic potential, Krug Millésime 2013 Champagne should be served at a temperature of between 9°C and 12°C. A white wine tasting glass is recommended to allow the complex aromas to unfold, rather than a narrow flute.

This great Champagne lends itself to food pairings of great technical precision:

• Starters: A scallop carpaccio with hazelnut olive oil or matured oysters.
• Main courses: Poached turbot with mousseline sauce, roasted Breton lobster with beurre blanc, or braised sweetbreads.
• Cheeses: A 24-month matured Comté or an exceptional Parmesan, whose tyrosine crystals will echo the wine’s mineral structure.

Why choose this cuvée?

Krug Millésime 2013 Champagne is a masterful demonstration of the art of blending applied to a late vintage. Unlike standardised approaches, Krug delivers a wine that combines the incisive freshness of the great Chardonnays of 2013 with the structural power of the Pinot Noirs from the Montagne de Reims. It is a wine with exceptional cellaring potential, which will continue to develop its tertiary complexity over the coming decades.

Frequently Asked Questions

• What is the exact composition of Krug Millésime 2013 Champagne?
  The blend consists of 44% Pinot Noir, 35% Chardonnay and 21% Meunier, all vinified in small oak barrels.
• How long has this champagne been aged in the cellar?
  This cuvée rested on its lees for over 10 years in the House’s cellars in Reims before disgorgement.
• What is the ageing potential of the Krug 2013?
  Thanks to its high structural acidity and oak ageing, this vintage has an ageing potential of 20 to 30 years.
• How best to serve this great vintage?
  It is recommended to serve it between 10°C and 12°C in a wide-bowled wine glass. Avoid flutes that are too narrow, as they trap the bouquet.
• What makes the 2013 vintage special in Champagne?
  2013 was a late-ripening year with a long winter and a very sunny summer, which produced grapes that were both very ripe and possessed remarkable acidity and freshness.
• Does this wine contain reserve wines?
  No, unlike the Grande Cuvée, Krug Millésime is made exclusively from grapes harvested in the year indicated on the label, in this case 2013.