This mouthwatering Champagne shows a lovely sense of finesse, with firm acidity deftly married to a rich profile of crème de cassis, toasted brioche and lime blossom, accented by hints of café au lait, singed orange peel and exotic spice. Long and plush on the finish. Disgorged 2014. Drink now through 2024.

Very fine mousse Sweetly spicy, soil-inflected aromas of nutmeg, nut oil, toasted biscuit, smoke and minerals, with the ineffable yeast autolysis character of the greatest Champagnes. Huge, rich and ripe; combines an almost exotic character with great nervosite (no one blends old and young juice more skillfully than Krug). Wonderfully full and thick but with vibrant, perfectly integrated acidity. Urgent yet suave. The finishing flavors of toasted bread, nuts, spices and orange zest go on and on.

With its minimum of six years' bottle aging, this is a beautifully integrated, mature wine. It has a wonderful toast character, layered over sliced pears and ripe acidity. With its complex poise between lightness and richness, this remains an intensely impressive wine.

The NV Brut Grande Cuvee emerges from the glass with freshly cut flowers, almonds, pastry and spices. This is a relatively floral, bright Grande Cuvee with fewer of the oxidative qualities that are typical of the house style. According to Krug's ID Code, this bottle is based on the 2004 vintage, which explains the wine's tense, taut personality. Another year or two on the cork will only help the wine gain expressiveness and depth. Today, the Grande Cuvee is quite reticent and not showing the full breadth of its personality. This bottle carries ID Code: 211024. Disgorged: Summer 2011.Anticipated maturity: 2013-2020.