KRUG

Light gold. Remarkably perfumed nose projects an exotic bouquet of deep, leesy yellow fruit, minerals, honeycomb, smoked meat and flowers, with Asian spices building expanding in the glass. Almost painfully concentrated, offering a surreal parade of orchard and pit fruits, smoked meat, toasted brioche and marrow braced by intensely salty, stunningly incisive minerality. Imagine a Frankenstein's monster of Chablis Le Clos and Clos Ste. Hune-but one with perfect balance, of course-and you get an idea of what I found in my bottle. The energetic, stony character builds exponentially on the finish, which didn't seem to, well, finish. The best analogy I can come up with for the intensity, focus and clarity of this Champagne is liquefied barbed wire. Utterly hallucinatory and one of the most amazing wines I've ever been fortunate enough to drink. At the risk of sounding completely out of touch with reality, this is a value. Rating: 99 Josh Raynolds, www.vinousmedia.com (Nov 2007)

Just tasted this new release and am thoroughly impressed (June 28, 2007) The 1995 seemed rather austere and surly when I tasted it earlier this year and one might have expected the combination of Krug reticence and the record high acidity of the 1996 vintage to produce something extremely difficult to appreciate at this relatively early stage. But not a bit of it, this is one of the most expressive champagnes to have come my way recently. It is notably deep gold and on the nose I found notes in the truffles/mushrooms spectrum, confirmed with a main course of turbot with truffled leeks , crayfish, tiny broad beans, white onion risotto and an hollandaise lightly flavoured with capers served by the Dorchester's Henry Brosi (yes, I am celebrating finishing the forthcoming sixth edition of the World Atlas of Wine). But on the palate that 1996 acidity rides to the fore and shows that there is still enormous life and vivacity in this wine with its enormous density and many layers. Bone dry, this should have a glorious future although it's difficult to imagine where that quite evolved nose nose will go. Olivier Krug told me that he and their chef de cave Eric Lebel have a little bet on the relative evolution of the 1996 and 1995. Lebel thinks the 1996 will do a sort of switchback whereas the 1995 will continue to bloom in a linear fashion whereas OK thinks the reverse. I certainly look forward to seeing the 1995 come out of its shell a little more.Jancis Robinson OBE MW - www.JancisRobinson.com (Jul 2007)

A powerful, majestic Champagne. Deep and compelling, with aromas of whole-grain toast, coconut and dried citrus that draw you in. Lean and racy on the palate, with a creaminess that's yet to be integrated. A classic '96, with ripe, exotic aromas and a steely structure. Still a baby, with the long, resonant finish confirming its potential. Best from 2009 through 2040. 10,000 cases made Rating: 99 The Wine Spectator, www.winespectator.com (Jul 2007)