Krug: Every note counts
Cellar Master Julie Cavil and composer Max Richter reveal how time, texture and restraint shape both a vintage and a score in their collaboration uncorked by Krug.
Working in harmony
Cellar Master Julie Cavil and genre-defying composer Max Richter apply the same principles to their respective crafts of wine and music-making: patience, intention and experimentation. They have bridged the gap between their fields and home bases – Cavil in the Champagne region, Richter in England’s Oxfordshire countryside – in a new musical chapter unveiled by Krug. Richter has drawn inspiration from three of Cavil’s newest creations, composing musical pieces that reflect each cuvée’s sparkling notes.
The three champagnes form a new composition of the 2008 harvest. That year’s cool, steady climate resulted in near-perfect grapes, producing bottles that Cavil describes as ‘a classical vintage with a twist’.
To fully get a sense of each other’s craft, these two masters embarked on a journey that began in Reims, where Richter visited the Krug Family House, took part of the daily tasting sessions and discovered the new winery in the village of Ambonnay. Cavil then travelled to Richter’s studio in Oxfordshire, where she explored the idyllic countryside and witnessed his artistic process.
The trilogy of 2008 cuvées provided an exceptional canvas for Richter’s work, drawing out from the composer three original pieces crafted with care and precision: proof that whether in champagne or music, every note counts.
Musical mirrors
Intensity is the core of Krug Clos d’Ambonnay 2008, which inspired Richter to compose ‘Clarity’: a soloist’s singular expression of one grape, one year, one plot. The Krug 2008, meanwhile, is varied, expressive and sometimes paradoxical – drawing on the whole 2008 harvest. The chamber piece ‘Ensemble’ reflects this harmony: many elements united at the perfect moment, as they did in its eponymous year.
Richter’s piece for the Krug Grande Cuvée 164ème Édition had to be as ambitious as its muse – a blend of wines from 127 plots, sourced between 1990 and 2008. He translated it to the melodious ‘Sinfonia’, a “full orchestra” of Champagne.
Craft in conversation
At the heart of this partnership is a deep and mutual respect for each other’s craft. Both Cavil and Richter are uncompromising in their respective artforms, but work in ways that allow room for experimentation, sensations and a shared pursuit of pleasure. “In music, you have a destination in mind, but, at a certain point the material starts to take over and have its own life,” says Richter. “The same is true in Julie’s world, full of exploration, curiosity, patience and nuances.”
The admiration is fully reciprocated. Richter’s method “resonates” with Cavil, she says – particularly his “willingness to experiment, and reinterpret classical forms with subtle twists.”
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