Elite Traveler September-October 2017

fullest expression of champagne, has come to life. Now the number of each Édition is displayed on the bottle’s front label, bringing to light the rarity, uniqueness and collectability of Krug Grande Cuvée. Right now, I am particularly excited about the much-anticipated presentation of Krug 2004. After 12 years in the cellars, the story of the year 2004 captured by Krug is ready to be enjoyed. Named Luminous Freshness by the house, every time I taste this balanced and vibrant champagne, I am enveloped by the sensations of early summer mornings in the Champagne region. It will be presented alongside Krug Grande Cuvée 160ème Édition, composed around harvest of 2004, a blend of 121 wines from 12 different years. These two different expressions of nature, both of the same level of distinction, perfectly embody the approach my ancestor envisioned — one that all Krug champagnes follow to this day. The unique story of each bottle of Krug 2004 will be revealed via its Krug ID, the six-digit number on the back label of every bottle of Krug champagne. Simply entering the Krug ID online at Krug.com, on the Krug

welcome guests and offer them an immersive journey into the universe of Krug. Tasting sessions take place in the Room of 400 Wines. These represent the house’s 250 wines of the year and 150 reserve wines, each one capturing the essence of a single plot of vines. Every year these are tasted and assessed by the house’s tasting committee before the cellar master Eric Lebel, guided by his great intuition and talent, chooses that year’s champagnes. Today Eric and the wine-making team perpetuate the house’s extraordinary heritage of craftsmanship. My ancestor’s unique philosophy lives on in Krug Grande Cuvée, the fullest expression of champagne, recreated every year from a blend of over 120 different wines from more than 10 different years. This April, Eric and his team finished the blend for Krug Grande Cuvée 172ème Édition, the 172nd edition of the dream of the house’s founder that will leave Krug’s cellars after a stay of at least seven years, gaining in expression and finesse. Every year since the foundation of the house, one creation, one blend, one bottling and thus one new Édition of Krug Grande Cuvée, the

app, on Google or Twitter opens the doors to an array of information, including the story of its creation, its composition, serving and storing tips and food and music pairing suggestions. As a house with a contemporary spirit and a history of pioneering, Krug embraces new digital technology and its potential to It was in this spirit that the house created the Krug music pairings. For me, the joy of savoring a masterfully crafted champagne while listening to a piece of music allows one to travel down a direct pathway to emotion, and I am very glad that everyone can now share this experience. Each year, the house invites musicians in whose standards of excellence it feels a kinship to an extended tasting of its different champagnes. Inspired by what they taste, these artists choose a special playlist to reflect what they felt and how they connected to their tasting experience. These selections take the whole tasting experience to another dimension. I will leave you to discover the specially chosen music pairing for Krug 2004 as well as the house’s other champagnes via the Krug app. delight and strengthen our connection with Krug lovers.

Above: The cellar stocked with prestigious wine at the House of Krug Left: Olivier Krug and a bottle from the latest batch of the business’s champagne

Photos Jenny Zarins