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  • Country ranking ?

    478
  • Producer ranking ?

    35
  • Decanting time

    10min
  • When to drink

    Now
  • Food Pairing

    Seafood, Salads & Consommes

The Tb points given to this wine are the world’s most valid and most up-to-date evaluation of the quality of the wine. Tastingbook points are formed by the Tastingbook algorithm which takes into account the wine ratings of the world's best-known professional wine critics, wine ratings by thousands of tastingbook’s professionals and users, the generally recognised vintage quality and reputation of the vineyard and winery. Wine needs at least five professional ratings to get the Tb score. Tastingbook.com is the world's largest wine information service which is an unbiased, non-commercial and free for everyone.

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The Story

Unique to the House of Krug, every Krug Vintage is crafted to be different, to reveal the expression of a particular year. A year with character, a year with a special story to tell in a way that Krug alone can relate. To narrate this story, Krug has blended very expressive wines from a single year, enhanced by a stay of over ten years in the cellars. Krug Vintage is the story of a year as seen by Krug; there are as many stories as there are Krug Vintages.

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Wine Information

For many people, there are champagnes and then there is Krug; that is how legendary this house is. Established in 1843 by Johann-Joseph Krug, the house has for six generations admirably stuck to its quality principles, to its generous burnt style and to its fabulous ageing potential. After the retirement of the fifth-generation brothers Henri and Rémi Krug, the house has been looking for its place within the LVMH Group. After two years at the company’s helm, Margareth Henriquez has found a direction and new winds are blowing through Krug, in the form of a more open-minded outlook. An excellent example is the idea implemented by Henriquez of equipping bottles with an easy-to-read ID that indicates the wine’s age and corking date.
The winemaking team, led by sixth-generation family representative Olivier Krug, is youthful. Cellar master Eric Lebel believes that a wine is always better made by a team than by an individual, therefore both Henri and Rémi Krug are still involved in the blending.
Krug vinifies each batch of grapes separately in small oak barrels. Annually the house produces 200-250 different wines, which is a huge quantity compared to its size. This gives the winemakers an enviable palette to work from when considering the final blends. Krug’s treasures include extensive stocks of earlier reserve wines, some of them 15 years old.
In contrast with other houses, Krug begins its series with the luxury blend. Rémi Krug would always bristle if someone mistakenly called the Krug Grande Cuvée non-vintage: “Krug is not non-anything! The Grand Cuvée is multi-vintage, a blend of fine wines from several years.” Other cuvées are like “pinpoints in the Krug universe”. The single-vineyard wines, the 100 per cent Chardonnay Clos du Mesnil and the 100 per cent Pinot Noir Clos d’Ambonnay, provide a key to understanding Krug. After Henri and Rémi Krug first produced the Clos du Mesnil vineyard champagne in 1979, they began searching for a counterpart. After nearly twenty-five years they found it in Clos d’Ambonnay, and its first vintage, 1995, was launched in 2007.
Vintage Krugs are classics that leave room for the special characteristics of each year. The Collection series gives old vintages, stored in perfect conditions, a new life in the hands of collectors. Launched in late 2010, the fabulously honeyed 1989 is now at a perfect age for enjoyment. Krug resisted producing rosés for a long time, but the Krug Rosé NV, produced since the mid-1980s, is an enchanting addition to the Krug series with its vinous baked quality.

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Vintage 1961

The 1961 vintage in Champagne is celebrated as an exceptional year that yielded wines of outstanding quality and finesse. In this vintage report, we will delve into the key characteristics and highlights of the 1961 Champagne wines.

Weather Conditions: The weather conditions in Champagne during the 1961 growing season were instrumental in shaping the extraordinary character of the vintage. The year began with a mild winter, followed by a spring that brought ideal conditions for flowering. Summer was warm with consistent sunshine, allowing the grapes to ripen slowly and steadily. The weather remained favorable throughout the harvest season, resulting in grapes of exceptional quality.

The 1961 Champagne vintage is widely regarded as one of the greatest in the 20th century. These Champagnes are known for their remarkable aging potential and complexity.

Appearance: The 1961 Champagnes typically exhibit a pale golden hue with a fine and persistent effervescence, showcasing their freshness and vitality even after many years of aging.

Nose: On the nose, the 1961 Champagnes offer a captivating bouquet with aromas of citrus zest, white flowers, and hints of toasted brioche. There is a pronounced minerality that adds depth and complexity to the aromatic profile.

Palate: In the mouth, the 1961 Champagnes are marked by their remarkable depth, finesse, and balance. The bubbles are finely integrated, providing a creamy and luxurious mouthfeel. The acidity remains vibrant, lending a refreshing quality to the wines. Flavors of ripe orchard fruits, honeyed notes, and subtle nuttiness intermingle harmoniously. These wines are exceptionally well-balanced, showcasing the elegance and longevity for which Champagne is renowned.

Overall Impressions: The Champagne 1961 vintage is considered a legendary year in the region's history. These wines have aged gracefully and continue to captivate wine enthusiasts with their complexity and character. They are a testament to the exceptional winemaking prowess of Champagne and offer a timeless experience for those fortunate enough to encounter a bottle from this vintage.

For collectors and connoisseurs, the 1961 Champagne wines represent a pinnacle of excellence in the world of sparkling wine. They are a reminder of the enduring appeal and enduring quality that Champagne is known for and serve as a benchmark for exceptional vintages in the region.

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Average Bottle Price

2015 2013 2010 1995
1 894€ +16.0% 1 633€ +25.7% 1 299€ +808.4% 143€

This data comes from the FINE Auction Index, a composite of average prices for wines sold at commercial auctions in 20 countries. The average prices from each year have been collected since 1990. This chart plots the index value of the average price of the wines.

Tasting note

color

Deep, Gold and Evolved

ending

Long, Lingering and Spicy

flavors

Mineral, Apricot, Toasty, Nutty, Citrus and White fruits

nose

Intense, Complex, Ripe and Tempting

recommend

Yes

taste

Perfectly balanced, Concentrated, Well-structured, Mature, Medium-bodied, Firm, Harmonious, Focused and Dry

Verdict

Outstanding and Masterpiece

Written Notes

Beautiful magnum with perfect level. Golden yellow colour with lively bubbles. Wonderfully appealing nose full of creaminess and elegance. Peculiar rich mushroom-like nose with walnuts adds a great deal of complexity to the wine. Lovely, crispy taste with very elegant rich mousse enhances the flavours of apples, citrus, biscuits and minerals in the lingering long aftertaste. 

  • 96p
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Information

Origin

Reims, Champagne

Vintage Quality

Outstanding

Value For Money

Satisfactory

Investment potential

Very Good

Fake factory

There is a possibility

Glass time

25min

Other wines from this producer

Blanc de Blancs

Clos du Mesnil Vinothèque

Grande Cuvée

Grande Cuvée 160ème Édition

Grande Cuvee 161st edition

Grande Cuvée 162ème Édition

Grande Cuvee 163th edition

Grande Cuvee 164th edition

Grande Cuvée - 165ème Édition

Grande Cuvée -166ème Édition

Grande Cuvée 167ème Edition

Grande Cuvée 168éme edition

Grande Cuvee 169th Edition

Grande Cuvée 170ème Édition

Grande Cuvée 171ÉME Edition

Grande Cuvée Edition 167

Krug Clos d'Ambonnay

Krug Clos du Mesnil

Krug Collection

Krug Rosé

Krug Rosé 25ème Édition

Private Cuvée

Private Cuvée Extra Sec

Rosé - 18ème Édition

Rose 21st Edition

Rosé 22 Edition

Rosé 27ème Édition

Vintage

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