1996 Krug Clos d'Ambonnay

Krug, established in 1843 by Joseph Krug, is one of Champagne's most prestigious and distinctive houses. Located in Reims, Krug is now part of the LVMH group but maintains its commitment to the founder's vision of creating only prestige cuvées every year. The house is renowned for its unique approach of blending individual vineyard plots and reserve wines to create complex, richly-textured champagnes. Krug's flagship wine, Grande Cuvée, is recreated each year, blending over 120 wines from ten or more different vintages.

Krug sources grapes from various vineyards across Champagne, including both their own plots and those of long-standing grower partners. The Champagne region, situated about 150 kilometers east of Paris, is divided into five main growing areas: Montagne de Reims, Vallée de la Marne, Côte des Blancs, Côte de Sézanne, and Aube. Each of these sub-regions contributes distinct characteristics to the grapes, allowing Krug to draw from a diverse palette of flavors and aromas for their complex blends. This northernmost wine region of France is known for its cool climate and chalky soils, ideal for producing high-quality sparkling wines.

The terroir of Champagne is characterized by its unique chalk subsoil, which provides excellent drainage and heat retention - crucial factors in the region's cool climate. This chalky base is often overlaid with varying amounts of clay, sand, and limestone, creating a diverse range of soil compositions across the region. The area's gently rolling hills, ranging from 90 to 300 meters in elevation, offer varied exposures that influence grape ripening. Champagne's semi-continental climate, with cold winters and warm summers, combined with its northerly latitude, results in a long, slow ripening period. This climate produces grapes with the high acidity and subtle flavors that are essential for Krug's distinctive, full-bodied, and complex champagnes.