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Champagne Brut Clos d'Ambonnay 1996 75cl

AOC Grand Cru | Montagne de Reims | Champagne | France
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Critics scores
95 Robert Parker
Somewhat surprisingly, Krug presents the much-anticipated 1996 Blanc de Noirs Clos d?Ambonnay as the first wine in our tasting. This incredibly refined Champagne opens with a superb, well-delineated bouquet and an impeccable, almost imperceptible mousse. At first very refined, the wine tightens up in the glass considerably as the acidity comes to life on the palate. The purest essence of crushed rocks and minerals define the finish. Today the 1996 Clos d?Ambonnay comes across as incredibly young and searing, in fact at this stage, it reminds me most of the vins claires I tasted at the estate last year! The wine will require considerable patience, but given its lack of track record, it seems reasonable to wonder whether the wine will ever be truly as expressive as the 1995, or the other wines in Krug?s 1996 lineup. No disgorgement date provided. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2026.
92 Wine Spectator
A warm, inviting Champagne, despite its vivid structure. Sweet spices, leather, cedar and kumquat aromas give way to Meyer lemon, candied berry and briar flavors. This is racy, with a clean, bracing finish. Still very young, with the acidity dominating the finish. Best from 2014 through 2040. –BS
Producer
Krug
Unarguably the most prestigious of all the great Champagne houses, Krug produces the most sought after wines in the world. While the multi-national high-quality goods conglomerate, LVMH bought Krug in 1999, several family members have remained on the board. Six generations later, the house continues in the legacy of founder Joseph Krug with Olivier Krug, representing the family name since 2009. In order to preserve their passion and unique savoir-faire style, the house has chosen to limit their production to guarantee the unparalleled quality of their wines. These are truly exceptional Champagnes, made from hand-selected plots, artfully blended by Krug’s Chef de Caves, Eric Lebel and the Tasting Committee, their wines are then developed at a slow pace creating impressive and structured blends. They were the first to use the term “multi-vintage” rather than “non-vintage” to describe their Grand Cuvée. This exclusive blend is made from at least ten different vintages and aged for more than six years on the lees before being blended to produce the house style. The House of Krug also produces a rare small single-vineyard wine, Clos de Mesnil, as well as a very fine Rosé.