Wine Advisor
Krug, Vintage Brut 1998
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 1998 Vintage is extremely primary at this stage. Today the wine remains mostly about a pure, unadulterated expression of fruit, but the Krug house style is nevertheless present. This powerful Champagne needs time in the cellar to develop its full range of aromas and flavors, but it is impressive and should age quite well. The 1998 is only the third (and last) vintage Krug declared in the 1990s. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2028. 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: Lisa Perrotti-Brown
The 1998 vintage has a very alluring nose of brioche, crushed stones, allspice, peaches and fresh pears plus a hint of praline. The palate is still very tight and youthful with a fine acid backbone, commendably persistent bubbles and a long minerally finish.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
Krug's 1998 Brut Vintage is an excellent choice for drinking today, as the classic Krug style is rich, alive and totally vivid. Honey, almonds, smoke, graphite and dried apricots are some of the many aromas and flavors found in this rich, enveloping Champagne. A wine of texture and depth, the 1998 impresses for its vinous personality and terrific balance. Lively veins of underlying acidity suggest the 1998 will drink well for many years to follow. This is one of the best bottles of the 1998 I have ever tasted. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2038. There are no new vintage wines from Krug, but is always interesting to revisit these wines as they develop so much over time. The biggest news at Krug is the addition of ID Codes to the NV wines, which gives readers the opportunity to get more information on the wines (including disgorgement dates) through Krug's website. It would be great to see more of the larger houses follow suit. Importer: Moet Hennessy USA, New York, NY; tel. (212) 251-8200
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 1998 Brut Vintage is a gorgeous wine for near-term drinking, Warm, toasty notes lead to an expansive core of fruit that covers the palate. This isn’t the most complex Krug Vintage, but it also won’t take years or decades to offer its finest drinking. 2010-2020. 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: Neal Martin
Tasted at Berry Brothers & Rudd. A very fine mousse. The nose is quite tight and requires some coaxing from the glass with slightly grassy aromas at first, but giving way to hints of yellow flowers, smoke, flint, a hint of wet pavement and morning dew. The palate has wonderful delineation upon entry, very natural and harmonious, like the Grande Cuvee exuding a sense of effortlessness. Touches of freshly cut lime, leading to a stony mid-palate with lovely focus and great poise. A spine tingling edgy finish with a touch of brioche on the lingering aftertaste. Tasted October 2008.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
Krug's 1998 Brut Vintage is an excellent choice for drinking today, as the classic Krug style is rich, alive and totally vivid. Honey, almonds, smoke, graphite and dried apricots are some of the many aromas and flavors found in this rich, enveloping Champagne. A wine of texture and depth, the 1998 impresses for its vinous personality and terrific balance. Lively veins of underlying acidity suggest the 1998 will drink well for many years to follow. This is one of the best bottles of the 1998 I have ever tasted.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 1998 Brut Vintage is a gorgeous wine for near-term drinking, Warm, toasty notes lead to an expansive core of fruit that covers the palate. This isn't the most complex Krug Vintage, but it also won't take years or decades to offer its finest drinking.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 1998 Vintage is extremely primary at this stage. Today the wine remains mostly about a pure, unadulterated expression of fruit, but the Krug house style is nevertheless present. This powerful Champagne needs time in the cellar to develop its full range of aromas and flavors, but it is impressive and should age quite well. The 1998 is only the third (and last) vintage Krug declared in the 1990s.
Reviewed by: Josh Raynolds
(LLLLPK 00178): Bright gold. Ripe orchard fruits, peach pit, toffee, marzipan and dried flowers on the pungent, smoky nose. Broad and fleshy on entry, then tighter in the mid-palate, offering palate-staining pit fruit nectar, apple pie and brioche flavors, enhanced by a toffeed quality. Closes spicy and very long, with resonating smoke and toasted hazlenut qualities.
Reviewed by: Josh Raynolds
(LLLKYW00269): Vivid gold. Deeply pitched aromas of candied citrus fruits, pear skin, peach, anise and smoky herbs, with slow-building florality. Toasty and broad, showing impressive power and focus to its ripe orange and pit fruit flavors. Brighter on the finish, which hangs on with excellent tenacity and leaves behind notes of candied nuts, flowers and citrus pith. This Champagne has loosened up a bit since I tasted it last year and is showing more complexity, but it still deserves some patience, or at least an hour of air.
Reviewed by: Josh Raynolds
Bright true gold with a brisk bead. Deeply concentrated honey, pear skin, orange peel, peach pit, botanical herb and floral aromas are brightened by smoky minerals. Chewy citrus and pit fruit flavors stain the palate and are given a youthfully tangy edge by nervy acidity, gaining strength with air. Finishes with powerful grip and resounding echoes of honey and citrus pith. A serious, painfully young wine that needs patience; I wouldn't go near it for at least another six or seven years.
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.
