1971 Krug Vintage

We commenced with a glorious magnum of Krug. I must confess that I am occasionally disparaging about vintage champagne - my counter-reaction to all the hype that seems to surround luxury grandes marques. Yet 1971 was a stupendous year for vintage champagne, and this ranks among the best. The 1971 Krug Collection has a deep salmon, almost onion-skin colour, to the extent that it seems like a rosé! The nose is quite ethereal, offering scents of pressed rose petals, bergamot tea and hints of dried apricot, and later manifesting a discreet potpourri aroma. The refined, poised palate is beautifully balanced - nothing powerful or ostentatious – and presents subtle citrus peel, lime and morello cherry notes. There is pitch-perfect salinity on the finish that begs you back for another sip. This is everything you really want from mature champagne: Krug firing on all cylinders.