Is it..?
A) Petrus 1965 ? No because it was never made.
B) Lafite 1787 ? Not anymore because sadly the cork fell in!
C) Enfield Blanc 2009 ? (There's a bloke in Enfield in North London making wine from Bacchus grapes grown in his back garden. The choice of Bacchus is appropriate because it is apparently "ideally suited to cool climate wine production" ! The production is tiny. That's a relief ! ) Good try, but no, wrong again.
OK forget that. Here's another one:
Is it..?
A ) Petrus - (coming from an 11.4 hectare plot of Merlot in Pomerol, Bordeaux)
B) Le Pin - (coming from a 2 hectare plot of Merlot in Pomerol, Bordeaux)
C) Romanee Conti - (coming from 1.8 hectare plot of Pinot Noir in Vosne Romanée, Burgundy)
Answer: None of the above.
Krug Clos d'Ambonnay 1996 |
And the answer is perhaps surprising because it's not a still wine but a Champagne and one which is new to the market.
The Champagne in question is Krug, Clos d'Ambonnay a 'Blancs de Noir' made of 100% red Pinot Noir grapes coming from a miniscule 0.7 hectare walled, single vineyard in the village of Ambonnay on the southeastern slope of the Montagne de Reims. This jewel of a Champagne vineyard produces just 3000 bottles per vintage for the whole world .
Well our man in Enfield had the right idea in keeping production small - but he just hasn't got quite the same "terroir"!
Of course the famous house of Krug, which traces its history back to 1843, has for generations been well known for making some of the very best Champagnes money can buy. With Moet Hennessy's financial backing, Krug is still a family run concern; the production is small and the wines are "hand made". Even the entry level non-vintage Krug Grande Cuvée is fermented in small wooden casks and hits the market at £95 per bottle. Krug has already enjoyed huge success with its single vineyard Blancs de Blancs: Clos du Mesnil, a 2 hectare walled vineyard planted with 100% Chardonnay grapes and first made in 1979. A great vintage of Clos du Mesnil like 1985 or 1990 might cost up to £1000 per bottle today.
The Blanc de Noirs Clos d'Ambonnay therefore seems an obvious younger brother to its sister the Clos du Mesnil. The Krug family patiently kept this sibling a complete secret from the outside world for 13 years only launching the first vintage; the 1995 in 2008. Perhaps the trinity will eventually be completed with a single vineyard Pinot Meunier....? The Krugs are tight lipped on this subject.
Tom and Fred |
The 1995 Clos d'Ambonnay was originally released at an astonishing £1550 per bottle - the world's most expensive release price for any wine. This was new ground and Champagne afficionados and collectors had to swallow hard and speak to the bank manager before taking the plunge. They were however rewarded as prices traded up-wards on the secondary market. Supply and demand is a powerful force !
Its successor, the 1996, already a very famous vintage in Champagne, is due for official release in February 2010. Who knows what the price will be ? Not cheap would be my guess !
But prices aside our nice friends at Krug asked if we'd be interested in tasting it in advance. No multiple choice needed here, the answer was yes !
Olivier Krug travelled to London specially for the occasion and the red, Pinot Noir coloured carpet, was appropriately rolled out.
Olivier, ably assisted by Krug's sales director Fred Scarlett (who at 6ft 5inches might also pass as Olivier's body guard!), hosted a small 'black tie' dinner at Mark's Club in Charles Street www.marksclub.co.uk/home. Being about the only person at Farr Vintners who owns a black bow tie the onerous task of attending fell to me.
I have always been a huge fan of 1996 Champagnes as the vintage's top wines combine both generous ripeness of fruit with a steely minerality and firm structure and at 13 years of age the best wines are just beginning to come into their own. Krug vintage 1996 is a Farr Vintners' favourite and it was hard to imagine either this or the highly perfumed and elegant Clos du Mesnil 1996 being bettered.
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But bettered they were. The Clos d'Ambonnay 1996 is quite extraordinary - hard to explain but as if the excellent straight Krug 1996 had been distilled and concentrated into a more profound, complex and awe inspiring marvel.
Olivier Krug told us "Where Clos d'Ambonnay 1995 was all about purity, with the 1996, the clear influence of vintage itself is more marked". I couldn't agree more; d'Ambonnay 1996 has wonderful core of sharp, mineral acidity cutting precisely through its centre supported by a cocktail of citrus and exotic fruits. It's the epitome of what a great 1996 should be. To use Olivier's tasting note: "the wine is full of spices, honey, opulence, freshness, balance and endless length" - and that is no understatement, this is a truly magnificent wine.
So we will wait until February to see what prices will be paid for this sparkling liquid gold !
And now for the last part of my Quiz:
Olivier Krug and bodyguard
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A) Los Angeles
B) Athens
C) Seoul
Answer: You guessed it - none of the above !
But Fred Scarlett won a rowing Gold Medal at the Sydney Olympics in 2000 and has been drinking Krug ever since !
