Krug’s Plot-by-Plot Blending
Krug has made Champagne in Reims since Joseph Krug founded the house in 1843. Its current cellar master, Julie Cavil, works with a tasting committee that assesses around 400 wines after each harvest. The team records each plot wine separately before selecting components for a new Grande Cuvée Édition.
What is selected
Four hundred is the approximate number tasted and appraised, not a claim that all four hundred enter the blend. Grande Cuvée combines wines from more than one year. Krug ferments its plot wines in small, old oak barrels and then uses tasting and selection to build each release.
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When one plot stands alone
Clos du Mesnil is a Chardonnay Champagne from a single walled parcel and harvest in Le Mesnil-sur-Oger. Clos d’Ambonnay is its Pinot Noir counterpart from Ambonnay. Both are made only when the plot wine warrants a separate release. They show the individual material that the blending process seeks to understand.
The Wall of 400 Wines is inside Krug’s Reims house. The house says it is not open to the general public.
Questions
Frequently asked
Who founded Krug?
Joseph Krug founded Maison Krug in Reims in 1843.
Can the general public visit Maison Krug?
No. Krug says its Reims house is not open to the general public. Its Family House is used for work and invited hospitality.
The field
How it compares
| Place | Notes | Awards |
|---|---|---|
| Krug | Reims, $$$$ | · |
| Bruno Paillard | Reims | · |
| Charles Heidsieck | Reims | · |
| Henriot | Reims | · |
| Piper-Heidsieck | Reims | · |
| Ruinart | Reims | 50 Best |
| Taittinger | Reims | 50 Best |
Similar places
The Sunday email
Read about the people behind wineries like Krug in the Sunday email.
Every Sunday we send a lead story and up to four more about the chefs, winemakers, sommeliers and hoteliers behind the restaurants, bars, wineries and hotels we cover.
Recent stories
Free. One email a week, and you can unsubscribe from any issue.