This is a fantastic bottle of 1995 with a superb core of ripe fruit and praline and dried apricot. Full-bodied. Impressive length of almonds and other nuts. Peaches, too. So open and exciting. Wonderful example of mature Champagne with unique energy. Disgorged in 2006. Drink now.

Possessing a beautiful golden color with orange and even Amber reflections, the 1995 Louis XV Brut is a 50/50 blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from several grands crus—Verzenay, Ambonnay, Mailly and Bouzy for the Pinot and Avize, Cramant, Mesnil-sur-Oger and Chouilly for the Chardonnay. What a gorgeous bouquet is this! Vinous and slightly oxidative, with hints of figs and dates, toffee, Madeira, Vin Jaune, Sherry, biscuits, toasted rice, white mushrooms, earthy flavors, licorice, oriental spices, vanilla, dried oranges and apricots and a thousand more flavors. If you like matured Champagnes, you'd die for this. On the palate, however, this is a fascinatingly pure, fresh, tight and delicate Champagne that is lithe and perfectly balanced but also concentrated. The finish is again pure, fresh and mineral, with stewed apricot and peach flavors in the salty aftertaste. This is a great delicacy delivered onto the palate with sophisticated intensity and stunning tension. The wine was fermented in stainless steel, malolactic included, and disgorged in 2006 (!) with a dosage of seven grams per liter. "With aging, the Chardonnay grand cru is always taking over the Pinot Noir," finds de Venoge's chairman Gilles de La Bassetière, whose 1995 was still made by Eric Lebel, the winemaker chez Krug since 1998. If you have opened the 1995, please share it, or at least, drink it the same day! The wine loses a bit of its charming creaminess the second and third day, whereas the acidity remains fresh and gives the wine a more austere character then.

The 1995 Brut Miilésimé Louis XV, an equal blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from Grand Crus, displays a golden hue with amber glints. Its smooth nose unites creaminess, honey, dried cep and roasted cashew nuts, swirling aromatically around golden plum fruit. The palate is vividly fresh, edged with honeyed evolution yet sprightly and bright, oozing with ripe golden plum and a touch of golden sultana. Exquisite lemony freshness defines the lasting finish. What a class act! Lovely now and evolving, with plenty of mileage yet. Dosage is 6 grams per liter. (Lot DVI) - Anne Krebiehl MW