champagne, krug

World's Best Champagne

Filed under: Wine

Luxist readers from around the world have nominated their favorite makers of champagne and sparkling wines. Here's the list of the top five that made the list of the world's best:

Cristal
For a champagne founded in the same year as the United States of America, Louis Roederer's Cristal has changed remarkably little over the years compared to the country across the pond.

Founded in 1776 as Dubois Pere & Fils, the company was renamed after the founder's nephew, Louis Roederer, who took over in 1833 and renamed the champagne house after himself. One of Roederer's greatest moves was expanding the brand into Russia. The champagne enjoyed years of success among well-heeled Russians, and Tsar Nicholas II eventually requested a special champagne to be made for the Imperial Court of Russia. The result was Cristal, a sweet and delicious wine that broke with tradition – instead of being packaged in a dark bottle like, say, Dom Perignon – Cristal came in crystal-clear bottles, hence the name. As legend has it, the transparency was a feature designed so that Tsar Nicholas could tell if somebody was trying to poison his bubbly.

Gallery: Louis Roederer's Cristal Champagne

Dom Perignon
France's King Louis XIV, called The Sun King because everything revolved around him, had an uncanny connection to the champagne that eventually found its way into his court. In 1694, Dom Perignon, the monk who developed the regal wine, had a goal to create the best wine in the world. Sure enough, Dom Perignon became the most expensive wine sold in France that year. The 1921 vintage became the first prestige cuvée ever, with an initial batch sold in 1936. It has been served at all manner of glamorous occasions, including the Shah of Iran's 1959 wedding, as well as Prince Charles and Princess Diana's nuptials in 1981. Since Dom Perignon is a vintage champagne, it's not made in years considered to be weak.

Gallery: Dom Perignon

Tags: awards-main, Champagne, Cristiano Ronaldo, dom perignon, krug, louis roederer, luxist-awards, Pommery, Veuve Clicquot

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Krug Champagne: A Passionate Commitment to Crafsmanship

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine

Krug Champagne
Many champagne houses claim a lengthy lineage, but perhaps more than any other, Krug has kept its business all in the family. That's one of the reasons its champagne has maintained the qualities needed to earn a Luxist nominee in the best sparkling wines/champagne category.

One of the most important aspects of the champagne-making process is assemblage, the step where different grapes from different vineyards and years are carefully selected and blended to give a champagne its unique character. Starting in 1843, Krug has been blended by a Krug family member every single year. The house boasts that only its generational approach to winemaking can maintain the same high standards over the years.

Gallery: Krug

In making champagne, time is a key element, and Krug has plenty of it. All of Krug's champagnes are aged for at least six year in cellars far below the French city of Reims. Grapes are hand-picked and pressed; the product is then placed in 205-liter small oak casks. Krug is the only premier champagne house that still ferments all of its wines in oak, which gives its offerings a unique and complex taste.

Today, Krug and its Grand Cuvée are among the most prized holdings of luxury conglomerate LVMH. Keeping with tradition, though, the Krug family still runs the show.

Vote for the winemaker that you think is the best of breed. The voting period ends on June 30th, with winners announced on July 1, 2010.

Tags: awards-main, Champagne, Krug, luxist-awards, WIne

Krug Champagne Recovers Unique Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

All Rolls-Royces are special, to paraphrase George Orwell, but some are more special than others. Take this 1979 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow II, for example. In 1984, Krug Champagne acquired the vehicle and had it retrofitted to the form you see here: an extended-roof panel van/shooting brake, with two seats up front and two refrigerators in the back.

Decked out in white and burgundy with Krug's crest and more chrome than a Google developers' conference, the winery – now part of the Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy group – sold the vehicle a number of years ago, but has since relocated it and acquired it anew. The unique, one-of-a-kind Rolls will be displayed at the House of Krug in Reims, Champagne-Ardenne, France.

Gallery: 1979 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow II Krug Champagne panel van

Tags: 1979 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow II, 1979 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow II Krug Champagne panel van, champagne, house of krug, krug, krug champagne, Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy, Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy, lvmh, rolls royce, rolls-royce, silver shadow

Can Champagne and Hot Dogs Be A Perfect Match?

by Amy Cortese (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine

When it comes to Champagne, the French have got it right: they drink it all the time. In the US, we tend to save it for special occasions, like weddings or New Year's Eve. That's too bad. Because Champagne is truly one of the most versatile wines.

That's probably what Jeffrey Pogash had in mind when he organized a Champagne and hot dog tasting the other day. Yes, the lowly hot dog sharing the table with the most prestigious of beverages!

And these weren't just any old Champagnes. Pogash, director of communications at Moët Hennessy USA, the wine and spirits division of luxury purveyor LVMH, brought along some bottles of Krug and Ruinart, along with the more amply-produced Dom Pérignon, Moët & Chandon and Veuve Clicquot.

Then again, these weren't your standard issue dirty water dogs, either. The tasting was held at Bark, a year-old Brooklyn joint that features artisanal hot dogs made from locally raised pork and beef (none of the nasty bits either -- we're talking shoulder and jowl) braised in smoked lard butter and stuffed into natural casings. In fact, all the ingredients used at Bark, from the pork to the cheese to the heirloom baked beans, are sustainably, lovingly even, from the sound of it, produced by some earnest local soul.

Still, could these haute dogs stand up to some of France's finest bubbles? An 8-course tasting menu (nine, including dessert) would tell.

Tags: Bark hot dogs, champagne, krug, krug champagne, Moet Hennessy, Ruinart, Veuve Clicquot

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New Record Set For Champagne At Auction

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine, Auctions

People all over the world may be switching from champagne to cheaper bubblies but the rare vintages still have their price. Last weekend at Acker Merrall & Condit's first Hong Kong auction of 2009, a 1928 Krug set a new world record for the most expensive bottle of Champagne sold at auction. Decanter reports that the 75cl bottle, from the Krug Collection range (the library collection of the renowned Reims Champagne house) went for HK$164,560 ($21,200) which was far above above the highest estimate of HK$120,000.

The old record belonged to a Methuselah (the size of eight regular bottles) of Louis Roederer, Cristal Brut 1990, Millennium 2000 which sold for $17,625 in 2005. The 1928 Krug is one of the great famed vintages and always fetches a high price.

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Tags: bottle, champagne, krug

Harrods' $7,500 Holiday Hamper

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining, Spirits, Wine

Famed deluxe London department store Harrods came out with the ultimate holiday hamper this season, described as the "very best money can buy." Only eight of the extravagant Chairman's Choice hampers were made available by special order at about $7,500 apiece. Presented in an exclusively designed, limited edition handmade basket with leather trim, the hamper's contents include fruit, flowers, farmed smoked salmon, a truffle ham, half a Stilton cheese, double cream brie, and of course heaps of Beluga caviar. Drinks-wise, there's 30-year-old Macallan single malt Scotch, Krug champagne, Hennessy cognac, and several bottles of wine including the famous Chateau d'Yquem.

[via JustLuxe]

Tags: Caviar, Champagne, Harrods, Hennessy, Holidays, Krug, London, Macallan

Vintage Krug Champagne in Sotheby's Sale

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine, Auctions

There's an opportunity to score some great vintage champagne at Sotheby's Finest and Rarest Wines Sale in London on Tuesday and Wednesday. The impressive collection includes many bottles of Veuve Clicquot, Dom Pérignon and Taittinger, among others, but the finest selection of is from the famed French house of Krug, whose new bespoke cellar case we wrote about the other day. The top-priced champagne lot is comprised of a decade's worth of Krug's stunning Clos du Mesnil (above) - 10 bottles starting with its very first offering in 1979, estimated at $5,800 - $7,200.

The Clos du Mesnil is Krug's lone exception to the rule of blending, "since it is the product not merely of a single grape variety and a single year, but of a single historic vineyard" (dating back to 1698). Considering that a single bottle if the '79 retails for $5,700 in some places, we expect that this lot will either go much higher, or someone's going to get a really great deal.

Tags: Champagne, Clos du Mesnil, ClosDuMesnil, Krug, Sothebys

Krug 'On My Own Terms'

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine

As the ultimate holiday gift for champagne connoisseurs, the famed French House of Krug is offering a bespoke cellar case containing six bottles of Krug's prestigious Grand Cuvée. Called Krug 'On My Own Terms', the luxe case can be ordered with a personalized plaque in either metal, mirror, or saddle leather bearing the Champagne Krug coat of arms and the recipient's name or initials. The case costs $1,000. Krug, founded in 1843, is now part of the LVMH empire. The Grand Cuvée is described as "the timelessly stylish signature of Krug." The cellar case is the latest in a line of luxurious Krug offerings, including the Escape Artist trunks and Hat Box.

[via JustLuxe]

Gallery: Krug Special Offerings

Tags: Champagne, Krug, Krug Champagne, KrugChampagne, LVMH

$16,000 Box of Pre-Embargo Cuban Cigars at Auction

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Cigars, Spirits, Wine, Auctions

A rare box of pre-embargo Romeo y Julieta Cuban cigars stars in Christie's Fine and Rare Wines and Vintage Cigars sale in London this Thursday. Expected to fetch up to $16,000, the box of 100 cigars from Winston Churchill's favored brand, labeled "Selección de Luxe", was originally purchased at Saks Fifth Avenue in New York prior to the enactment of the U.S. embargo against Cuba in 1962. The mint condition cigars in a wooden presentation case consist of 25 Petit Coronas, 25 Coronas, and 25 each of two sizes of Perfectos. Also featured in the luxurious sale are several cases of vintage Krug champagne, headed by a couple cases of Vintage 1985 estimated at about $3,000 each.

Tags: Champagne, Christies, Cuba, Cuban cigars, CubanCigars, Krug, Romeo y Julieta, RomeoYJulieta

Krug's Luxury Tent Experience

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Wine

I've seen a lot of luxury tent experiences but the new Mongolian yurts at Krug's Clos du Mesnil in Champagne is one of the priciest. The eight double-berth tents in Krug's famous Clos du Mesnil vineyard at Mesnil-sur-Oger in Reims cost £40,000 in total which works out to £2,500 per person. The yurts are luxurious with carpets, four poster beds, Egyptian cotton sheets, fresh flowers and candles but they don't include toilets or showers. Generators are cut off at 1am so late night forays have to be conducted by lantern light.

Decanter checked out the facility and has a video of the experience. The real perk is the Champagne, guests are served Krug Grand Cuvée, Krug Rosé, Krug 1996 and Krug Clos du Mesnil 1998 and the food is supplied by world-class chefs. The winery reports that they have already booked one package for August and expect that, despite the high price and relatively rough accommodations, others will want to sign up for this unique experience.

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Tags: champagne, france, krug

The NY Times Tastes the Krug Clos d'Ambonnay

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine

We first mentioned Krug's new and highly anticipated single vineyard 1995 Clos d'Ambonnay back in the fall, and although it's not due for release until May Eric Asimov for The New York Times got to take a taste and, according to him, it's "worth every penny." So just how many pennies is he giving the nod to? About 300,000 of them, as the Clos d'Ambonnay is expected to sell for between $3000 and $3500 per bottle.

Will you be springing for a bottle of your own? Money or not, good luck getting your hands on it -- there are only 250 cases in existence.

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Tags: 1995, champagne, france, krug, wine

Krug Debuts Pricey New Single-Vineyard Champagne

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine

The wine world is buzzing about the new offering from Champagne Krug. The Clos d'Ambonnay is a blanc de noirs made entirely from Pinot Noir and sourced from a single vineyard in the grand-cru-rated village of Ambonnay. The new wine, Clos d'Ambonnay 1995 is estimated to sell for $3,000 to $3,300 per bottle (a fact which has led to some outcry among wine bloggers). The 1995 is the first vintage to be released and won't come out in the States until next spring. Crazed Champagne fans may end paying even more than the exorbitant price listed above since there are only 250 cases were made.

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Tags: champagne, champagne, krug, Champagne,Krug, france, krug, wine

The Krug Escape Artist Collection

by Nicole Weston (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

When an expensive bottle of Krug just isn't enough, a gift set is in order. The Krug Escape Artist Collection is a limited edition of thirty handmade trunks in three styles that celebrate luxury and the partnership of the champagne-maker with bespoke trunk-maker Pinel & Pinel. The blue trunk (left) is "the trunk of the hedonist," and includes a pair of cigar holders, XCAR cigar cutter and a lighter, along with two bottles of Krug 1995. The red trunk (center) has poker cards, casino dice and 200 pro chips, as well as two bottles of Krug Grand Cuvée. The silver trunk (right) represents "style and glamour" and holds a Samsung T9 MP3 video player with Bluetooth, a JBL "On Tour Plus" sound system and two bottles of Krug Rosé. Each trunk costs approximately $17,000.

[via popgadget]

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Tags: champagne, krug, The Krug Escape Artist Collection, TheKrugEscapeArtistCollection

Most Expensive Champagnes

by Gustad Mody (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine

Not including hard to find exotics, Krug, Clos du Mesnil 1995 tops the Forbes most expensive champagne list at $750 a bottle. Only 12,624 of the bottles were produced. Coming in at second is Bollinger Blanc de Noirs Vielilles Vignes Francaises 1997 at $400 a pop. Despite coming from the Pinot Noir grape, it is a fine golden color. Dom Pérignon Rosé 1995 make is in the top 3 of course at $350. Aromas of strawberries and cream show Dom’s style of delicacy and finesse.