Krug, Rose 28eme Edition

Chef de Cave Julie Cavil says it’s always a big challenge to create this cuvée, as it’s not an easy edition to make. (If the Grande Cuvée is the symphony, they consider the Rosé more like the chamber ensemble.) In the glass, the NV Champagne Rosé Edition 28 pours a peachy/salmon color, which is a very different from color past editions. On the palate, it has a zesty, refined mousse and reveals a bit of white pepper spice along with notes of peony, raspberries, orange peel, and wet stone.

Pinot Noir 58%, Chardonnay 25% and Pinot Meunier 17%. Base vintage 2016. Reserve wines: 38%, dating back to 2010. Red wine 10%, from Aÿ and Mareuil sur Aÿ. 6 years on lees, disgorged winter 2023, dosage 6 g/l. Pale orange-pink. Intense aroma orangey red fruit. Excellent fruit depth with a backbone of freshness. A bold wine. Rounded yet with immense clarity, like looking through a glass to pure red fruits. There's a touch of spice from the oak. Like the 172nd Grande Cuvée this is also a touch floral, like an orange rose. Tastes drier than the 172nd. Olivier Krug suggests pairing it with lamb. Beautifully well knit. Clear, long. Fresh and very youthful with not that much autolytic character. Less elegant than the Grande Cuvée but more texture and likely to be more versatile with food. (JH)