Location: 176 N Canon Dr, Beverly Hills, CA 90210. (310) 385-0880
Date: October 20, 2016
Cuisine: New American
Rating: Impressive
Today’s lovely luncheon is a combo Sage Society Krug event!
Nothing like Krug for lunch.
It was located in “Prive” one of the Spago private rooms.
Krug Grand Cruvee 163 Edition – ID 215034. 94 points. Mint, white flowers, pastry and yellow orchard fruit meld together in Krug’s NV Grande Cuvée. This is one of the very best versions of the Grande Cuvée I can remember tasting in recent years. The impression of total silkiness on the palate is classic Krug. Even though this release is exceptional today, I would be tempted to cellar a few wines for the future, as the best Grand Cuvées age effortlessly. This release is based on 2006 and includes wines from 11 vintages going back to 1990.
Falafel fritters.
Spago staple, sweet sesame cones with ahi tartar.
Pork belly macaron. Pretty awesome! Half dessert, half savory.
Salmon, creme fraiche blini. Another Spago classic that doesn’t disappoint.
The serious looking “krew”.
We got Krug goodies. A cookbook, and the history of the domain.
Spago bread. This one was olive.
Le menu.
Krug Clos du Mesnil 2002 – ID 115024. VM 96. The 2002 Clos du Mesnil is brilliant right out of the gate. Vibrant, focused and crystalline, the 2002 hits all the right notes. Lemon peel, grapefruit, slate and white flowers give the 2002 its high-toned personality. The ripeness of the vintage has softened some of the typically angular young Clos du Mesnil contours. Best of all the 2002 is a rare Clos du Mesnil that drinks well right out of the gate, even if it will surely be more complex with more time in bottle. The 2002 has been absolutely stellar on both occasions I have tasted it so far. The 2002 was vinified by Nicolas Audebert, who is now making the wines at Rauzan-Ségla and Canon.
Sunnyside Up Egg, rye crisp, potato chip espuma. A classic champagne pairing of egg and caviar.
Wolfgang Puck materialized to say hi and grab his glass of du Mesnil!
Krug 2002 – ID 315043. 92-94 points. I have tasted Krug’s 2002 Vintage on multiple occasions but have yet to encounter a bottle that is fully expressive or that lives up to the level of the year. The 2002 needs several hours of air and even so, it remains incredibly reticent, both by Krug standards and relative to the other Champagnes of the vintage, nearly all of which have been released by now. My best advice to Vinous readers is to taste the 2002 before making a decision on whether to buy it or not.
Pan Roasted Maine Lobster Tail. Vanilla Dressing, Mizuna, Bartlett Pear. Interesting vanilla tone with the pear. Perhaps my lobster was very slightly overcooked.
Krug Rose – ID 414068. 94 points. The NV Brut Rosé is brilliant and finely-sculpted in the glass, with floral aromatics, pulsating minerality and chiseled fruit. Less austere than it can be, the Rosé impresses for its combination of tension and textured, phenolic weight. There is so much to like.
Slow Roasted Veal Loin!
Glazed carrots, wild mushrooms, chardonnay reduction. This was the best “prime rib” I’ve ever had — super tender as it was veal. Oh, and there were truffles too. The reduction was fabulous as well.
Krug 4 ways.
Standing is Maggie Henriquez, President and Directeur General of Krug! (the title makes me think of Napoleon). We learned a lot about Krug!
Krug Grande Cuvee 158th edition – ID 108002. A super rare “based on 2002” Grand cuvee. Amazing!
And an older Krug Grande Cuvee, probably from the 80s. Very slightly corked, but mostly blew off and was rather lovely.
Petits fours & Mignardises. I ate like a whole plate.
The lineup.
Maggie and Liz Lee of Sage Society, our hostess and superlative organizer.
I’m always blown away by the quality of Krug. Really, just one of those domains that makes sure the quality is always top notch.
Spago too continues to be fairly impressive. Service was flawless and the food was very good. Particularly that veal was stunning.