krug brut vintage 2008 750ml

KRUG VINTAGE: THE MUSIC OF A SINGLE-YEAR

At the House of Krug, every Krug Vintage celebrates the distinct character of a particular year. A Krug Vintage is a blend of the most expressive wines from a single year enhanced by a stay of over ten years in the cellars. Every Krug Vintage is different: it is the music of the year, captured by Krug.

VINTAGE 2008

The year 2008 was one of Champagne’s coolest in 14 years, and also one of the region’s least sunny in almost half a century. It was a classic northern climate, one that has not been seen much since. Rainfall was normal, the summer was dry, and temperatures were constant throughout the growing season. This absence of extremes resulted in slow and steady grape maturation. Under these circumstances, the fruit was intense, elegant and beautifully structured. Heterogeneity in the vines brought great complexity, with a full spectrum flavours and aromas observed upon harvest.

KRUG 2008 IN ESSENCE:

Krug 2008 is the elegant and intense story of a cool and balanced year, nicknamed “Classic Beauty” by the House’s Tasting Committee members. For Krug, the year 2008 gave birth to a great classic Krug Champagne balancing structured freshness and diverse flavours. Krug 2008 exhibits both power and elegance with a textured and intense mouthfeel very characteristic of the year’s wines, which uniquely reconciled intensity and quality. For the final blend, the selected wines were those best exhibiting the structure and complexity of 2008. Pinot Noir plots’ wines (53%) constitute over half of the blend and come primarily from emblematic plots in the Montagne de Reims Sud including Aÿ, Mareuil, Bouzy and Ambonnay. Meunier plots’ wines (25%) bring tension and citrus, while aromatic Chardonnay plots’ wines (22%) imbue the blend with fruit. The extraordinary profile of Krug 2008 comes after 12 years in the cellars, gaining in expression, harmony and finesse.

KRUG 2008 IS UNIQUE

The expression of the year 2008 captured by Krug: Classic Beauty. Krug 2008 reveals the intensity and elegance of a classic year in Champagne; it is long, balanced and precise, with beautiful structure. As all Krug Champagnes, Krug 2008 will continue to gain with the passage of time. The full story of every bottle is revealed via its Krug iD, the six digits on the back label.

TASTING NOTES:

At first sight, an intense and brilliant golden hue. An expressive nose that is rich and ample with patinated aromas of honey, liquorice, menthol, orange peel and grapefruit. Vivacious, intense and harmonious with great tension on the palate, expressing notes of quince, candied fruits and citrus, yellow kiwi, star fruit, honey, apple tart, butter cookies, orange peel, peony and fennel, with floral and menthol undertones. It has a long, balanced and precise finish with astounding structure.

FOOD & WINE PAIRING INSPIRATION:

Krug 2008 is a beautiful match for oyster tartare with a lobster emulsion, parmesan shortbread, pistachio Chaource in pastry sheets, rabbit terrine with sorrel, tagliatelle with mussels and basil, dishes prepared with aromatic herbs like oregano and thyme or whitefish in a lemon and pepper sauce, as well as desserts that contrast vivacity and roundness such as passionfruit and lemon meringue.

CRITICAL ACCLAIM

JS100, James Suckling

"Exceptional freshness with aromas of flinty white stones, flowers, almonds and lemons. There’s hazelnut and strawberry here, too. Complex. The palate has a long, powerful and smooth-honed feel with very assertive citrus flavors, driven by long acidity. A perfect 2008."

WS99, Wine Spectator

"There’s a supernova of sensation with each sip of this powerful version, starting with the vivid streak of mouthwatering acidity that drives a rich panoply of ripe black currant, mandarin orange peel and grilled nut flavors, accented by hints of candied ginger, briny oyster shell, verbena and ground cardamom. This burns bright from start to finish, yet its fine integration and lovely, raw silk–like mousse pull it all together into a seamless, vibrant package. Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay. Disgorged autumn 2019. Drink now through 2038."

D97, Decanter

"What a burst of fresh fruit on the nose! The aromatic freshness is evident from the first whiff, suffused with notes of citrus fruits including grapefruit, menthol, and a hint of liquorice. The texture has precise contours, giving an impression of rectangular rectitude and perfect balance. This is a finely chiselled Champagne offering great harmony and a long finish enhanced by delicious underlying notes of nutty bitterness. 53% Pinot Noir, 25% Pinot Meunier and 22% Chardonnay. Disgorged in the first quarter of 2020. Dosage: 4.5g/L."

WE97, Wine Enthusiast

"A vintage Champagne from this producer is rare. But 2008 was a great year in Champagne and that shows in this intense, still amazingly young wine. Freshness works with the richness to give concentration, density and the sure-fire possibility of long-term aging. So drink now, but the Champagne will last for many years."

750ml Bottle