I just returned from the most over-the-top wine trip of my life—and it wasn’t even to a wine-producing country! Champagne Krug invited me, along with about 80 of their top ambassade from around the world, on a two day “Highlands Quest”—filled with more great Krug than anyone has a right to drink in a lifetime. I still don’t think it has all sunk in… But looking back on my notes, the wines started at the level of very great and just went up from there. From the U.S.A., we were 7: Pauline Rougier from Krug’s office in New York, Mark Bright from Saison in San Francisco, Brahm Callahan from Grill 23 in Boston, Chef Justin Cogley from Aubergine in Carmel, Chef Nathan Rich from Twin Farms in Vermont, Marc Smoler from Hart Davis Hart in Chicago, and me.

After meeting at the Kimpton in Edinburgh and being fitted for a kilt, we went to Mansfield Church for a Krug-and-music experience and an aperitif—the world premiere of the Krug Grande Cuvée 170ème Édition Brut Champagne, which should arrive in the U.S. before the end of the year. Like all Krug bottles, these had the Krug ID on them, which can be used with the Krug App or on the Krug website to find out all of the details of the wine. These bottles were ID 1210127. The 170th edition is composed of 51% Pinot Noir, 38% Chardonnay, and 11% Meunier and is made from 12 vintages spanning 1998 through 2014. While we listened to a composition that was commissioned specifically to go with the wine on an elaborate surround sound system in the beautiful acoustics of this ancient church, we all had a glass or two. I loved the wine for its bright style, which is typical of the 2014 releases, but this also had the perfectly clean brioche that Krug is so famous for. The Meyer-lemon-like drive in the mouth was matched by beautiful noisette nuttiness as the wine warmed. I found it spectacularly concentrated without a trace of heaviness, and the finish had excellent acidity to carry the fabulous chalkiness. An impressive start.

We climbed into taxi cabs and took a half-hour drive through the country, eventually arriving at the surprise destination of Barnbougle Castle where we were greeted by bagpipers. I had to pinch myself—it seemed otherworldly! We sat down in the 60-foot barrel-vaulted banqueting hall to have our dinner. For the first course, we were served nothing less than the 2003 Krug “Clos du Mesnil” Brut Blanc de Blancs with beetroot-cured Shetland salmon with garden beets and sea herbs, lime crème fraiche, and caviar. These bottles were ID 415069 and 100% Chardonnay from one walled plot in the center of the hallowed ground of Mesnil grand cru. Almost no vintage blanc de blancs was made from this year because two-thirds of the Chardonnay crop was destroyed by a devastating April frost. Thanks to the protection of the wall, this site was almost completely unaffected. The 2003 vintage was famously hot, but at Krug this one small vineyard took two months to pick—they started in August and finished in October! This was because some of the vines had shut down in the heat and stopped ripening. The wine had a golden color and was loaded with warm buttery brioche and caramel on the nose. I found it to be quite Meursault-like, and I loved the way this rich, pillowy blanc de blancs paired with the smoked fish, which seemed to bring out the still-fresh grapefruit character in the wine.

Our next course was deep-fried haggis in oatmeal dust, creamed Swede butter, and whisky sauce. Before we ate, the haggis was brought out and we listened to poetry read to it by one of our bagpipers, then Olivier Krug himself made the first ceremonial cut! This was nothing I had ever seen before! To pair with it, we were served 2003 Krug Vintage in Jeroboam ID 217021—what a fantastic combination… In Jeroboam this 19-year-old Champagne was still nearly water-clear, with only the slightest hint of white-gold color. It was composed of 46% Pinot Noir, 29% Chardonnay, and 25% Meunier and only disgorged in spring of 2017 since it was in 3-liter format. Krug makes precious few Jeroboams—and I have to say that the large format had us all speechless with the combination of richness from this warm vintage and spectacular freshness. The nose was more baguette than brioche and the wine had everything from complex dried fruit to an array of toasted nuts, all while maintaining a zingy acidity that ably cut the super-rich fried haggis. That pairing made the wine show its lighter side and was a master stroke by the Krug team of synergy.

Our next course was roast North Sea halibut fillet, new potato and wild garlic “risotto,” spring peas, and a truffled wine and buttered sauce, paired with the Krug Grande Cuvée 159ème Édition. This was Krug ID 419043 and composed of 51% Pinot Noir, 30% Chardonnay and 19% Meunier from vintages spanning 1988–2003. It was a later disgorgement, from autumn of 2019, so it spent 15 years on the lees. It was the wine of the night for me, perhaps the wine of the trip. After many years of visiting and doing events with Krug, I consistently find the wine of the night to be the oldest Grande Cuvée, and as Olivier Krug is fond of saying, their range does not have a hierarchy. The smaller-production wines are priced higher, yes, but for me, Grande Cuvée with extra time is pure magic. “Spectaculary complete” was my all-caps note, and I found this wine to have a silky bead, a panoramic aroma, and a finish of supreme finesse. The idea that reserve wines can be used to give freshness to a ripe vintage just as they can be used to give depth to a lean one has been executed at the highest level in the 159. What a wine.

Our last course paired with Krug was Gressingham duck breast and confit leg, blistered young roots, Ramley apples and pan juices served with Krug Rosé 20ème Édition from Jeroboam. Most of my dining compatriots called it the wine of the night, for very good reason. These Jeroboams were Krug ID 217020 and composed of 47% Pinot Noir, 37% Chardonnay, and 16% Meunier with five vintages from 2002 to 2007 inside. It was disgorged in spring of 2017. Julie Cavil, the cellarmaster, explained that the goal with Krug Rosé is “to give every fruit you can have, but all in balance, all elegant,” and this goal was resoundingly achieved in this spectacular Jeroboam. The drive and chalk on the back end of this dry rosé was its most notable quality, and my all-caps conclusion was that it was “more Mesnil than the Mesnil” on the finish! The strawberry color gave way to a nose of vanilla cake and subtle, super dark cherry fruit. In the mouth the outstanding purity and uncountable array of dark fruits blew us all away. The wine had the savory cut for the rich duck and was simply unforgettable.

After a late night, we had an early morning wake up call to board a glamorous dining car, where we were served a multi-course breakfast that was more than anyone should eat in a day. The views on the trip up into Highlands from Edinburgh were breathtaking. After a few hours and many calories, we reached Ardkinglas House, where we were split into clans to play Highland games—our team competed in “put the stane,,” “caber toss,” “tug ‘o war,” and, my personal favorite: whisky tasting! All too soon we were breaking for lunch and served an incredible spread of local specialties: foragers soup, smoked haddock, local salmon three ways, Loch Fyne Oysters, smoked Highland venison, Aberdeen Angus Beef, roasted vegetables, and clootie dumpling for dessert. We stuck with one wine, the not-even-out-yet Krug 26 Ème Édition Brut Rosé Champagne. This was ID 121017, which is composed of 44% Pinot Noir, 30% Chardonnay, and 26% Meunier and is made of seven vintages spanning 2005 to 2014. It was disgorged in winter of 2021/2022 with red wine contributing 11% and coming from Aÿ and Taissy. This wine has a gorgeous salmon color that mirrored the salmon carpaccio that we were eating. The nose was delicate, and I loved the wild strawberry fruit combined with the subtle sourdough toast. In the mouth the wine had a punch-like array of wild fruit, but never lost its elegance, and the finish, like the Jeroboam of 20ème Édition had fabulous chalk driven by refreshing acid. The finale was super long, and it was difficult for me not to get carried away with it… But I knew that dinner was on the way!

After lunch, we took an hour and a half ride east, and were treated to gorgeous views of Loch Lomond on the way to the fabulous Gleneagles Estate where we would dine and stay for the evening. We had a little bit over an hour to prepare for our black-tie evening in the spectacular ballroom, where we were prepared an unforgettable meal by chef Stephen McLaughlin of the two Michelin star Restaurant Andrew Fairlie. The theme for the wines on this evening was the 8’s… We just kept getting luckier!

The first course was cauliflower cream, white crab claw, nori dashi, and golden osetra caviar paired with the monumental 2008 Krug Brut Champagne, which I recently featured in these pages. What a start. The bottle was ID 120005 and composed of 53% Pinot Noir, 25% Meunier, and 22% Chardonnay. My note from the evening read “Layers of Nutella and toasted bread, clean, exotic lime—so much aroma! Scintillating, electric wine in the mouth with so much concentration and hidden power. The back end is carried by a bullet train of acidity, bringing all that fine chalky character into infinity.” Yes, for me, this confirms this is the best young vintage Krug I have ever had. Julie Cavil says the house’s nickname for the vintage is “classic beauty.” I could not agree with her more strongly. Hopefully we will get a little more for our Krug loving customers!

Our next course was an incredibly decadent home-smoked Scottish lobster tail with warm lime and herb butter, paired with the Krug Grande Cuvée 164ème Édition. This was ID 317025 and spanned 2008 all the way back to 1990 with 11 vintages in the blend. The Champagne is composed of 49% Pinot Noir, 35% Chardonnay, and 17% Meunier and was disgorged in the summer of 2017. This Grande Cuvée is still a baby, but starting to show some of the spectacular nutty character that the straight vintage did, and the cut of the 2008 in it was perfect with the ultra-rich lobster. The texture was silky, but the power and chalk were so strong. This is the Krug magic!

The next course was crown of squab, spiced basmati rice, and poivrade sauce paired with the 1998 Krug Brut Champagne. The bottle was ID 409001 and the wine was composed of 45% Chardonnay, 35% Pinot Noir, and 19% Meunier, the most Chardonnay ever used in a Krug vintage. It was disgorged in Autumn of 2009. This wine was golden in color and had the richness and creamy character of a perfectly aged Meursault. The nose was loaded with classic buttery brioche character and in the mouth the nutty array of flavors reminded me of the best Manzanilla Pasadas that I have had. Paired with the food, the wine changed completely, showing much more vibrance and even some fine limey drive. What a treat.

With our desert, polenta and caramelized pear and toasted rice ice cream, we were served the monumental 1988 Krug Collection, their late-release vintage. This wine combined the charms of old and young so perfectly that it almost left me speechless. It was ID 417035 and composed of 50% Pinot Noir, 32% Chardonnay, and 18% Meunier, disgorged in autumn of 2017. The color was golden, and the nose was loaded with ripe apple fruit and rich, toasted brioche. The front of the palate showed off the mature savor of chantarelle mushrooms, but the back palate was electric, long, and chalky. The finale was so clean and fresh it was hard to believe the wine was 34 years old.

We wrapped up the evening with fabulous live music, a rare 1997 Glenmorangie presented by none other than Master Distiller Dr. Bill Lumsden himself, and finally Krug Grande Cuvée 161ème Édition from Jeroboam. You will have to forgive me; I did not get the Krug ID… The wine was composed of 44% Pinot Noir, 37% Chardonnay, and 19% Meunier from 12 vintages spanning 1990 to 2005. With a combination of brioche and popcorn-butter richness balanced by the electricity of that large-format freshness, it was simply magical. The last line from my notes on this wine was the last line from my notes on this trip. It read “I am a lucky man to be here.”

A toast to you,

- Gary Westby, Champagne Buyer

The Krug Highlands Quest: A Once in Lifetime Trip!

K&L Wine Merchants

www.klwines.com