Krug Grande Cuvee; Champagne fit for kings!

I had an incredible opportunity this morning to taste 3 classic Krug Champagnes, the third being the great Krug Grande Cuvee. To call this the Cadillac of Champagnes would be an insult! More like the Lamborghini Reventon I’d say (you might want to “google” that so we’re on the same page). Blended from multiple growths, over six to ten different years, and as many as 150 parcels, this champagne truly is an ageless symphony of harmonizing aromas and flavors that continue to open and evolve with every savored sip. I found it to have a very complex and ever changing nose of butter-cream, grain, biscuit, honey, and ripened tree fruit with incredible depth and boldness. That’s just the beginning! Let me see if I can paint a more vivid picture. Imagine your grandmother’s apple pie baking in the oven (assuming she was a great cook resulting from generations of teaching and the beneficiary of treasured family recipes from at least a century past), homemade completely from scratch with a rich and flaky buttery crust and fresh specially seasoned apple filling. You’re getting closer, but there’s still something more. You know where the apple filling oozes out around the finger pinched crusted edge, thickens, turns to a syrupy golden brown, and even burns (just a little) here and there? Now you’re getting it! You really have to try this champagne for yourself to grasp its quality. A culmination of Krug family tradition dating back to 1843 founded by Johann-Joseph Krug, the Grande Cuvee is truly a sensational taste experience fit for kings.

Carrying a 95 point rating from Wine Spectator, quality does come at a price - especially when it’s in limited supply. Considering that Krug champagnes account for less than half of 1 percent of champagnes available in the market, count yourself lucky to even find the Grande Cuvee, let alone for anything less than a worthy $150. But hey, it’s CHRISTMAS! Not to mention that we're about to break from the chains of 2010, and celebrate in a new year of hope and breakthrough... Krug Grande Cuvee would be a great pinnacle on which to start.

Aging Wines: What to lay down and what to drink

A wine is worth aging if it has the ability to improve in quality over time. While wine is perishable and capable of going bad, there is an evolution that takes place in the bottle involving complex chemical reactions associated with sugars, acids, and tannins that will affect the aroma, color, mouth-feel, and overall taste. While the preferred profile of a wine is going to be subjective, most “in the know” will agree that not all wines will improve with age. Grape variety, viticultural practices, region, vintage, and style will influence a particular wine’s ability to successfully age and mature, as will the condition in which it’s kept.

In general, wines with high tannin levels and/or a low PH will have a greater capability of aging – most notably complex or full bodied red wines such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Nebbiolo, Syrah, Pinot Noir, and Sangiovese to name a few. Although, just because a wine has a greater capability of aging, doesn’t necessarily mean it will be significantly beneficial. In reality, probably less than 10% of all red wines, and 5% of all white wines are likely to improve significantly enough with age to justify laying it down for more than a year or two. In fact, most inexpensive to moderately priced wines (say $5 to $25 per bottle) purchased in stores today are ready to drink now. A good reason to age a particular wine would be to soften over-powering tannins and better reveal a more mature bouquet of flavors and aromas. There’s really no good reason to age a wine that already has soft tannins and an enjoyable fruit structure. In fact, aging an inexpensive to moderately priced wine can be more detrimental than not, as the fruit and floral aromas may begin to diminish, and volatile chemical and alcohol related off aromas set in.

With age, you’ll notice that white wines will tend to darken, and red wines will lighten as oxidation takes its toll on the pigmentation. Both will take on a yellow or golden hue that will ultimately appear as straw in whites and amber or brick in reds, before finally turning to brown as they begin to break down, over-oxidize, and eventually spoil. Additionally, almost all wine will begin to develop sediment with age as tartaric acid begins to crystallize, and proteins and tannins bond to form particles of matter. In any case, if you decide to lay a wine down, be sure to keep it out of sunlight and at a consistent temperature as close to 65 degrees as possible. Once opening, the use of a decanter will help blow off volatile off aromas, restore a pleasant bouquet, and separate unwanted sediment.

I believe that more wine is consumed too old, rather than too young, as I too have been guilty of aging wines for no better reason than because I was saving good bottles for perfect occasions that never seem to be good enough to warrant opening them. I wonder how many bottles of wine are left behind, or go bad, because they were forgotten or left behind by those passing on. Enough is enough! There is no promise for tomorrow! Pull that cork, bond with some American, French, Italian, Spanish, or Argentinean terroir, and enjoy life while you can!