Krug Vintage Champagne (Gift Box) 2011

98 James Suckling It shows reserved character but with a lot of energy and tension. Concentrated citrus fruit, candied lemons and mandarin peel with hints of savory herbs and spices. Notes of brioche and caraway seeds. Full-bodied, complex and nervy on the palate. It has fine, silky bubbles yet it’s structured and firm with a lot of power. It builds up on the finish with freshness and vibrancy.

97 Jeb Dunnuck Because 2011 was a challenging vintage for Champagne, it would be very easy to over-generalize, as many readers may have had less than ideal experiences elsewhere. But Krug’s 2011 Champagne Millesime Brut is not your average Champagne. With a rounded nose, it pours a medium golden straw hue and is creamy with aromas of orange blossoms, custard, fresh pear, hazelnut, and delicate smoky incense.

97 Wine Spectator There's an exuberant appeal to this vivid, fragrant Champagne, with wafts of lime blossoms, cardamom, ground coffee and anise aromatics finely layered with flavors of crushed black cherry, glazed tangerine and grilled nut that show a streak of salinity. Yet this reveals its true class with the deft integration of rich flavors with chiseled acidity and refined, plush texture. .

93 Decanter Krug has termed the 2011 vintage ‘spirited roundness’. Krug has sought to elevate what cellar master Julie Cavil terms the ‘duality’ of the vintage: the ‘generosity’ of the Chardonnay and the ‘strict, solid’ Pinot Noir. As such, the fruit is more tilted to greengage and lime than sunnier yellow or orange tones, intriguing in its subtle creaminess and detailed with notes of charcoal, green tea and toasted almond.