Wine Advisor
Krug, Vintage Brut 1995
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 1995 Vintage provides a fascinating contrast to the 1996. This is a tightly wound, sinewy Champagne loaded with brioche, toasted oak, lemon rind, flowers and minerals. The mousse is extremely fine and the style decidedly more linear and fresh than the 1996. Though deceptively medium-bodied in style, the wine appears to be built for extended cellaring.. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2025. My visit to Krug in November was illuminating, as I spent several hours tasting through a number of 2008 vins claires and reserve wines with Director of the Maison Olivier Krug and Director of OEnology Eric Lebel. Although Krug ages its young wines exclusively in French oak barrels, these wines were remarkably pure and transparent; suggesting that much of the signature Krug toastiness may come from the extended period the wines spend on their lees rather than from the oak. Over the yeas many of the most monumental, mind-bending Champagnes I have had have emerged from these cellars in Reims. Krug boasts an extraordinarily rich history along with a superb track record. In a recent tasting that included most, if not all, of the top 1996s, the Krug Vintage and Clos du Mesnil were at the very top of the pack. Along with making profound wines, under the direction of the charming Olivier Krug this venerable estate has pushed the boundaries on pricing to levels never seen before. The newest wine from Krug is the 100% Pinot Noir Clos d’Ambonnay. Sadly, that wine is priced for billionaires, not mortals. Krug does not provide disgorgement dates for its wines, something which is a serious shortcoming considering the lofty prices these bottles fetch. The corks are stamped with a code which can be traced back to a disgorgement lot and date, but that will be of little use to consumers once bottles are opened. It would be great to see Krug take a leadership position among the region’s grands marques and add disgorgement dates to its labels. Importer: Moet Hennessy USA, New York, NY; tel. (212) 251-8200
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Deeper in colour than the Cristal ’99. This has a more engaging nose, although the oak is still just a little unresolved, but with lovely scents of melted wax, almond, acacia and a little clear honey. The palate is expressive and inviting, like the Cristal just lacking some acidity and more forward than I expected (more so than the Krug 82 tasted the previous week.) A good Krug, but there are certainly better vintages that will have more longevity. Drink now-2015 Tasted November 2007.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
I have a preference for the 1995 Brut Vintage, as it shows quite a bit more freshness and verve than the 1998. Mint, dried flowers, truffles and bright fruit are some of the nuances that flow from this precise, focused Champagne. The vibrant, refreshing finish makes it impossible to resist a second taste. Among recent vintages, the 1996 has rightly received a ton of attention here, while the 1995 is likely to remain an insider’s wine that is available at more favorable pricing. My visit to Krug earlier this year was fascinating, as I had a chance to taste a number of 2009s and reserve wines. A tank sample of the 2009 Clos du Mesnil was one of the most exciting, viscerally thrilling wines of the trip, and remained etched on my mind for several weeks. I also had a chance to glance over newly found, hand-written original records that document the exact village breakdown of all the grapes Krug purchased in each vintage going back to 1928. This year I tasted a number of fabulous wines from bottle. Unfortunately I can’t include my impressions on Krug’s NV Champagnes because of the house’s insistence on not providing disgorgement dates for those wines. I was reminded of the importance of this information when I tasted a fabulous, utterly spellbinding bottle of the NV Rose. It was a truly beautiful Champagne, but owing to its recent disgorgement it needed at least a few years on the cork. Of course Krug gives a general indication of the disgorgement dates for their wines on the corks, but by that time, readers may have opened a bottle that needs more bottle age. Without this information it is impossible to give readers any reliable indication of when the house’s NV wines might start drinking well. With a retail price over $300 a bottle, opening a bottle of Krug’s Rose can be a very expensive learning experience. Krug fans will want to keep an eye out for my upcoming article on Clos du Mesnil, featuring complete notes back to the inaugural 1979. Importer: Moet Hennessy USA, New York, NY; tel. (212) 251-8200
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 1995 Krug is gorgeous. I chose it because one of my guests loves Krug and I thought the 1995 would have the right amount of complexity to pair beautifully with the smokiness in Saison’s caviar. Although the 1995 Krug is not a truly epic wine, it is in a sweet spot right now.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
Krug's 1995 Vintage continues to grow in bottle. It showed fabulous focus and definition in a vibrant, refreshing style that was perfect with hors d'oeuvres. Surprisingly, the 1995 remains one of the more under the radar recent released from Krug.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
Krug's 1995 Vintage continues to grow in bottle. It showed fabulous focus and definition in a vibrant, refreshing style that was perfect with hors d'oeuvres. Surprisingly, the 1995 remains one of the more under the radar recent released from Krug.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
Krug’s 1995 Vintage was a bit of a shock after these big, rich wines, as it was a decidedly focused, sinewy Champagne built on a linear core of fruit. Still, I loved it and am convinced it is a wine with significant upside.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 1995 Vintage provides a fascinating contrast to the 1996. This is a tightly wound, sinewy Champagne loaded with brioche, toasted oak, lemon rind, flowers and minerals. The mousse is extremely fine and the style decidedly more linear and fresh than the 1996. Though deceptively medium-bodied in style, the wine appears to be built for extended cellaring.
Reviewed by: Josh Raynolds
Light yellow. Rich and powerful, with leesy pear and white truffle aromas accented by gentle notes of white pepper and cinnamon. Extremely powerful Krug, with rich orchard fruit flavors, a velvety texture and warm, rich, inviting notes of brioche and creme brulee Finishes with intense pear and peach flavors and lingering notes of smoke, iodine and toffee. One of the most concentrated Champagnes I tried this year.
About the Producer
The House was established in Reims in 1843, by Joseph Krug, a visionary non-conformist with an uncompromising philosophy. Having understood that the true essence of Champagne is pleasure itself, his dream was to craft the very best Champagne he could offer, every single year, regardless of annual variations in climate. Paying close attention to the vineyard’s character, respecting the individuality of each plot and its wine, as well as building an extensive library of reserve wines from many different years allowed Joseph Krug to fulfil his dream. With a very original approach to Champagne making, he decided to go beyond the notion of vintage to create the most generous expression of Champagne, every year. Thus, he founded a House in which all Champagnes are of the same level of distinction. Six generations of the Krug family have perpetuated this dream, enriching the founder’s vision and savoir faire.
1969(2)1979(1)1982(4)1985(2)1988(2)1990(8)
Package Size
1 x 1.5L1 x 3L1 x 75cl3 x 1.5L
