Most hosts think hard about what goes on the plate next to a great champagne. Krug has been thinking about what goes into the ear. With Every Note Counts, the house founded in Reims in 1843 opens a new chapter in its musical journey: an encounter between its Cellar Master Julie Cavil and the composer and pianist Max Richter, two people who share a liking for precision, for the generosity of time and for emotion placed with care.
One harvest, three champagnes
The starting point is the 2008 harvest, which Krug counts among the last classic northern climate years in Champagne. From its wines Julie Cavil composed three distinct expressions, each revealing a different facet of the same year:
- Krug Clos d’Ambonnay 2008: one plot, one grape, one year.
- Krug 2008: the vintage of the year itself.
- Krug Grande Cuvée 164ème Édition: assembled from 127 wines across 11 different years.
From solo to symphony
Max Richter answered in his own language and wrote an original piece for each champagne. Clarity belongs to Krug Clos d’Ambonnay 2008, a work for a soloist about the radical purity of a single plot. Ensemble belongs to Krug 2008, a chamber composition that evokes the ideal circumstances of the year. Sinfonia belongs to Krug Grande Cuvée 164ème Édition, the orchestral answer to what Krug calls the most generous expression of Champagne. Together the three movements form what Krug calls a re-composition of the year 2008, one that resonates across the senses rather than standing still in time.
The project grew out of immersion and long exchanges. Their exchange led from the vineyards of Champagne to Max Richter’s studio in Oxfordshire, as each explored the other’s creative process and their shared attention to detail, nature and balance. For Krug the parallel is plain: in an orchestra as in an assemblage, every note, visible or invisible, counts for the harmony of the whole.
Tasting, live music and dinner in London
The encounter came to life during an immersive evening at the Roundhouse in London that brought together tasting, live music and fine dining. An exclusive documentary follows the journey behind the scenes and shows the experience of champagne beyond the glass.
What a host can take from it
Music and wine have met at private tables for as long as there have been private tables, but Krug’s approach is unusually disciplined: one year, three wines, three pieces, each written for its glass. At home the idea translates into a simple plan. Pour the three in the order of the music, from solo to full orchestra, and give the room a quiet moment with each. Our guide to wine service covers temperatures and the order of pouring, a sommelier for one evening takes the bottles off the host’s hands, and our market guide shows what a private dinner in London needs.
