1996 krug, clos d'ambonnay
Why We're Buying
Krug Clos d'Ambonnay is a vintage blanc de noirs that compliments the estate's Krug Grande Cuvée. The legendary Champagne house only releases its pinot noir-dominant sparkling wine during single years, cultivating all the grapes from a 0.68-hectare plot. The wine ages for 12 years before its release, with bottles retailing around $3,000.
Critics Scores
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 1996 Clos d’Ambonnay is very similar to the Clos du Mesnil in this vintage. It has the same piercing purity and minerality with the heft of the Pinot still to fully emerge. Hints of menthol, spices and berries wrap around the eternal finish. Clos d’Ambonnay, from a single, walled-in parcel in the village of Ambonnay, is in many ways the red equivalent of Clos du Mesnil.
Wine Spectator
A warm, inviting Champagne, despite its vivid structure. Sweet spices, leather, cedar and kumquat aromas give way to Meyer lemon, candied berry and briar flavors. This is racy, with a clean, bracing finish. Still very young, with the acidity dominating the finish. Best from 2014 through 2040.