Krug Brut Champagne 2011

98 points James Suckling: "It shows reserved character but with a lot of energy and tension. Concentrated citrus fruit, candied lemons and mandarin peel with hints of savory herbs and spices. Notes of brioche and caraway seeds. Full-bodied, complex and nervy on the palate. It has fine, silky bubbles yet it’s structured and firm with a lot of power. It builds up on the finish with freshness and vibrancy. Drink or hold. (5/9/24)"

97 points Audrey Frick (JebDunnuck.com): "Because 2011 was a challenging vintage for Champagne, it would be very easy to over-generalize, as many readers may have had less than ideal experiences elsewhere. But Krug’s 2011 Champagne Millesime Brut is not your average Champagne. With a rounded nose, it pours a medium golden straw hue and is creamy with aromas of orange blossoms, custard, fresh pear, hazelnut, and delicate smoky incense. Medium to full-bodied and refined on the palate, it has a rounded and pristine profile, with ripe, balanced fruit floating through the palate, a pinpoint mousse, and a delicate hint of almond skin on the finish that I would expect to become more pronounced with age. Following the more tension-driven vintage of 2008, which was characterized by a more high-toned and lemon-tinged profile, this wine will be accessible sooner (probably also the case for the future release of 2012) and will undoubtedly provide an open window for drinking over the coming 15 to 20 years. Drink 2028-2048. Krug ID: 322038. Drink: 2028-2048. (2/28/24)"

97 points Wine Spectator: "[$470 list] There's an exuberant appeal to this vivid, fragrant Champagne, with wafts of lime blossoms, cardamom, ground coffee and anise aromatics finely layered with flavors of crushed black cherry, glazed tangerine and grilled nut that show a streak of salinity. Yet this reveals its true class with the deft integration of rich flavors with chiseled acidity and refined, plush texture. Long and seamless, this is not just a catchy tune but a maestro conducting a symphony. Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay. Disgorged summer 2022 (Krug ID 322038). Drink now through 2040. (9/25/24)"

96 points John Gilman (View From the Cellar): "The 2011 vintage of Krug will be released at the start of the spring, and not surprisingly, it is a brilliant young wine. The final blend of this vintage is forty-six percent pinot noir, thirty-seven percent chardonnay and seventeen percent pinot meunier. The wine was disgorged in the summer of 2022. It offers up a beautifully expressive bouquet of apple, pear, fresh apricot, salty soil tones, caraway seed, almond, brioche, dried flowers and a gently smoky topnote. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, focused and complex, with lovely generosity of chardonnay fruit on the attack, a fine core, lovely soil signature, elegant mousse and a long, poised and seamlessly balanced finish. There is a lovely undercarriage of structure in this wine and it will be interesting to follow it in the bottle and see if it closes down for a bit of hibernation, or if it always drinks with the lovely generosity that it is showing right out of the blocks. Though the wine is wide open in personality right now, I would still be inclined to at least tuck it away in the cellar for a half dozen years or so, just to allow some of its secondary layers of complexity to float to the surface. A fine, fine Vintage Krug. 2030-2085+. (Mar/Apr 2024)"

93-95 points Essi Avellan, MW: "(46% Pinot Noir, 37% Chardonnay, 17% Meunier). Not many producers released a 2011, but Krug found a story to the year that they wanted to tell. It was a difficult and unpredictable harvest year with ripeness issues. The resulting wine remains restrained with an enticing delicacy to it that combines both fresh and candied fruit. Floral fragrance, white peaches, dried apricots, herbaceous whiffs and earthy-savoury tones. The stylish oaky note stays in fine sync with the reserved fruitiness. Rather light-weight and chiseling on the palate for Krug, it comes across airy and vibrant. Post-disgorgement ageing will add on gravitas and sweet fruity charm over mid-term ageing. Krug ID 322038 tasted. (Mar 2024)"

93 points Antonio Galloni (Vinous): "The 2011 Vintage is a very pretty wine in this highly challenging vintage. Apricot, mint, dried herbs and a kiss of French oak open nicely in the glass. There is some of the savory character of 2011, but it is nicely woven into the wine’s fabric. To be sure, the 2011 is a slender vintage at Krug. That is especially evident in the wine's light-ish mid-palate and overall feel, yet all the elements are impeccably balanced. I expect the 2011 to be a relatively early maturing Vintage and would not push my luck on aging. Disgorged: Summer 2022. Krug ID: 322038. Drink: 2024-2036. (Mar 2024)"

93 points Tom Hewson (Decanter): "Krug has termed the 2011 vintage ‘spirited roundness’. Krug has sought to elevate what cellar master Julie Cavil terms the ‘duality’ of the vintage: the ‘generosity’ of the Chardonnay and the ‘strict, solid’ Pinot Noir. As such, the fruit is more tilted to greengage and lime than sunnier yellow or orange tones, intriguing in its subtle creaminess and detailed with notes of charcoal, green tea and toasted almond. There's a proper snap of cooked lime freshness keeping it taut, yet an up-front juiciness of white pear flesh and pale stone fruit promising immediacy. The 'roundness' moniker rings true, although it is a fairly reserved, quiet sort of roundness rather than anything powerful or decadent. It's rare to get a solo taste of the 2011 vintage presented with such ambition, and there's no surprise in finding that Krug has backed it with a rewarding wine. Drinking Window: 2024-2032. (2/6/24)"