This morning we got offered an old rarity – 24 bottles of nonvintage Krug ‘Private Cuvee’.
Estimated reading time: 2 minutes
All the bottles are coming from one clay cellar in Normandy, and have not moved since their original purchase.
Krug’s NV Private Cuvée was the predecessor to today’s Grand Cuvée, from 1862 up until 1978. Mature NV Krug are incredibly ageworthy, serious Champagnes that more often than not outshine the vintage bottlings.
You will rarely come across these, and especially in such optimal drinking condition – the levels and colours are all fantastic – only the labels are disintegrated and destroyed after nearly 60 years in this clay cellar.
TASTING NOTE ‘Krug Private Cuvée is the predecessor to Krug Grande Cuvée and Krug now communicates that this was largely the same wine as Grande Cuvée. I do not really agree as it is quite clear that Grande Cuvée is always a little lighter, more multifaceted and more Chardonnay-driven floral. Private Cuvée was certainly also a multivintage but with more weight and reminded much more of the vintage wine than Grande Cuvée does. The style from the 20’s to the 60’s is strikingly constant and if you find a bottle with a good level and with a price tag you can handle, it is a chance you must not miss.’
96(96)p
