Krug Clos d’Ambonnay 1996 Blanc de Noirs

2024.11.20

Clos d’Ambonnay: a 0.68-Hectare Walled Plot at the Summit of Krug

Krug Clos d’Ambonnay is made exclusively from Pinot Noir grown in a single walled plot of just 0.68 hectares, which Krug defines as the pinnacle of Pinot Noir terroir. Every bottle comes from one vineyard and one single vintage.

Ambonnay is a Grand Cru village in the Montagne de Reims. This small, wall-enclosed clos was chosen as the Pinot Noir counterpart to Clos du Mesnil, the house’s celebrated Chardonnay plot.

Only Six Releases in Roughly Two Decades

Often described as the zenith of luxury and opulence in champagne, Clos d’Ambonnay is bottled only in the rare vintages when Pinot Noir reaches complete ripeness and its most eloquent expression. Since its debut with the 1995, only five further releases have followed — 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002 and 2006 — six in roughly two decades.

Tasting Notes: the 1996 Vintage

Nearly thirty years of ageing have drawn astonishing concentration and vibrant acidity into a single, seamless whole. It unfolds like a symphony of freshly baked brioche, warm tart pastry, hazelnut and luscious apricot confit — a champagne that redefines elegance and grandeur.