The Krug cooler by Junji Tanigawa or creative excellence
Le rafraîchissoir par Junji Tanigawa
Krug and Japan: shared feelings
For over twenty years, Krug and Japan have enjoyed a passionate and sincere relationship.
In 1989, Olivier Krug discovered the Empire of the Rising Sun, and immersed himself in the Japanese culture and mentality, imbued with tradition and authenticity.
Carrying these same ancestral values, the House of Krug has made Japan its preferred territory.
Krug Lovers in Japan:
For several decades now, the Japanese have been among Krug’s biggest fans.
These “goodwill” ambassadors rally and unite personalities around the world, as free-spirited as Joseph Krug himself once was.
Sure of their choices, these epicureans defy fashions and assert their constant quest for excellence, their attachment to tradition and their obsession with detail.
This year, two Japanese artists have created a work as unexpected as it is beautiful: a sophisticated cooler, fashioned by a Japanese master blacksmith. Thus was born the first copper bucket by Junji Tanigawa.
The Krug cooler by Junji Tanigawa: the union of Krug and Gyokusendo
Olivier Krug et Junji Tanigawa atelier
Visiting the House in Reims, Junji Tanigawa, a renowned and ultra-inventive designer, designed a unique bucket to preserve Krug’s aromas and finesse. He chose Gyokusendo, a company that has specialized in copper shaping for 200 years. Motoyuki Tamagawa, the company’s manager and master craftsman, handcrafts a unique work of art: the copper bucket is born.
Krug and Gyokusendo: sharing the act of creation
The meeting between Krug and Gyokusendo was inevitable. Olivier Krug, 6th generation, and Kakubei Tamagawa, 7th generation, perpetuate their exceptional know-how, combining the same desire for discovery and respect for tradition.
In 1843, Joseph Krug went beyond traditional Champagne-making. Perfectionist, sensitive, idealistic, this 43-year-old neophyte rethought the savoir-faire of Champagne, creating his own rules to craft exceptional cuvées every year.
Recreating the same gestures, Kakubei Tamagawa and his Gyokusendo company have elevated copper shaping to the level of Artisanat d’Art.
Innovation is paramount
In France, Joseph Krug, creator of Krug Grande Cuvée, designed the first prestige cuvée; In Japan, Tamagawa-do invented a unique copper coloring process.
Man is central
These two companies have put man at the center of their vision. Driven by their quest for perfection, their obsession with detail, the remarkable quality of their raw materials and the right gesture of the craftsman, they have preserved their traditions and remained rooted in their original terroir. Champagne for Krug and Tsubame, Niigata for Gyokusendo.
The relationship with time is similar
Their creations defy the ages. Just as works in copper endure, patinating to the point of embellishment over the years, Krug Cuvées – such as Krug Millésime and Krug Collection – transcend and reveal new facets over time.
Ancestral techniques and generosity are at the heart of every creation
Each copper bucket is unique, hammered using ancestral techniques; each sip of Krug Grande Cuvée reveals singular, immediately recognizable sensations to the palate.
The Krug cooler by Junji Tanigawa: creating to reveal the senses
The combination of the legendary know-how of Krug and Gyokusendo gives birth to the first Krug copper bucket.
Hand-crafted, this cooler is ambivalent: highly sophisticated yet at the same time extremely pure, true to Japanese design. The refined minimalism of its shape evokes the elegant lines of the traditional Japanese kimono.
The Krug cooler by Junji Tanigawa is surprisingly made of copper. This surprisingly prosaic metal is perfectly suited to the impertinent spirit of Krug.
Without water or ice, the Krug refresher by Junji Tanigawa keeps Krug Grande Cuvée at the ideal temperature of 10°C for one hour. Thus preserved, the champagne delivers flavors of fresh and dried fruit, flowers, spices and citrus.
Some will be surprised by the toasty attack, with hints of hazelnut and nougat, evolving towards a taste of barley sugar and fruit paste. Tasters will appreciate the elegance, fine bubbles and happy contrasts of Krug Grande Cuvée.
Motoyuki Tamagawa, President of Gyokusendo, commented: “We took into consideration not only the design, but everything to do with its functionality. Our hand-crafted expertise enables us to create the ideal shape for the cooler, perfectly suited to the lines of Krug Grande Cuvée.”
The Krug cooler by Junji Tanigawa and the Tanabata festival
On July 7, 2011, Olivier Krug invited French and Japanese aficionados to celebrate the Tanabata festival at Clos d’Ambonnay in Reims.
Around Olivier Krug, master craftsman Motoyuki Tamagawa created the Krug cooler on the floor and in front of the guests, in the presence of Junji Tanigawa.
Everyone then headed to Le Clos d’Ambonnay to celebrate “Tanabata”.
Every July 7, this Japanese festival honors the stars and celebrates the meeting of Orihime and Hiko-boshi. According to Japanese legend, the Milky Way, a river of stars crossing the sky, separated the two lovers. They only meet again once a year, on July 07.
On this occasion, the Japanese write down their wishes, sometimes in the form of poems, and hang them on the branches of trees or bamboos. Thanks to Orihime and Hikoboshi, their wishes will come true.
For this star party, exceptionally celebrated in Reims, guests wrote their wishes on small cards, which were then hung on a hundred-year-old tree in the Clos d’Ambonnay.
While serving Joseph Krug’s vision, the Krug cooler by Junji Tanigawa brings together two talents of French and Japanese craftsmanship.
On sale from November in the best wine shops at a guide price of €1300.
Junji Tanigawa, “space composer” and Krug enthusiast
In 2002, this original designer set up his own design studio, JTQ.
His artistic credo: to use space as the ultimate medium. Junji Tanigawa takes part in numerous exhibitions, events and scenographic designs in Japan and France. He has received several awards, including the Grand Prix and Encouragement Prize of DDA (Japan Design Display Association).
The design of this cooler enabled him to achieve a fusion of culture, exceptional craftsmanship and art brut.
GYOKUSENDO: Artisan D’Art au Japon
Founded in 1816 by Kakubei Tamagawa, for 200 years this family has been the only one to master Tsuiki, a particularly complex technique of hammering and shaping copper. Supplier to the Imperial Household since 1894, National Treasure since 1980, Living Treasure since 2010, Gyokusendo prides itself on its expertise in the art of metalwork. We only work with materials of outstanding quality that will endure the test of time.
Cette publication est également disponible en : Français (French)
