2006 Krug, Vintage Brut, Bottle (750ml)

RP97 As I reported when it was released, Krug's 2006 Brut is clearly one of the vintage's highlights. Offering up aromas of dried fruits, pear, freshly baked bread, caramelized apples, honeycomb and toasted sourdough, it's full-bodied, deep and layered, with superb concentration, racy acids and an impressively tightly wound profile for this demonstrative vintage. I observed last year that this is surprisingly reserved for the vintage, and if anything, that quality is even more in evidence today. While many 2006 Champagnes are likely to be at their best in their demonstrative youth, this is one wine unquestionably built for the long haul.

AG97 The 2006 Vintage is a rich, opulent Champagne. Passion fruit, apricot, tangerine peel and spice all show the signs of a warm, radiant year. All the elements are so well balanced. The 2006 is an especially opulent Krug endowed with fabulous balance and tons of class. Warm weather during the summer yielded an extroverted Champagne that is already quite delicious. There was some disease pressure in August, but favorable weather in September helped stave that off. The rich, dense style of the 2006 stands in sharp contrast to the 2004 and 2008 in this tasting. Disgorged: Spring 2019.

JD97 With a youthful golden straw hue, the 2006 Champagne Millesime Brut reveals powerful aromas of toasted incense and, like the 2011, is forward with an orange citrus-toned profile as well as notes of smoke, fresh apricot, honeycomb, and toasted hazelnut. It takes on broader shoulders and a more structured feel, with a refined, silky mousse, a pithy texture, and a good deal of depth throughout. The finish is long and full-bodied, with notes of marzipan on the back palate. Both of these vintages feel more immediate but should stand the test of time over the next 15 years.