Champagne, FranceAnother year in bottle has done the '98 Krug well. It's the fourth and last declared vintage of the 90s to trail '90, '95 and '96 and is now followed by the millennium bottle just released. It's still linear and tight but with a broader stripe of fruit this year that runs through the glass. Its primary fruit flavours are beginning to fade leaving a mix of dried stone fruits mixed with flinty, grassy, nutty, mineral notes. The finish is particularly long and marked by a creamy freshness and level of acidity most other producers can only dream about. It needs another five years to settle in but will keep for decades. It is only the second Krug release to have a larger proportion of chardonnay than the 1981. We love the finesse and impeccably small, persistent, mousse. Fish, Asian dishes and or friends all work well with this bottle.Tasted: 20 December 2013Tasted by: Prices:
Champagne, FranceMy first taste of the '98 Krug, (the third declared vintage of the 90s to follow '95 and '96) and its showing some tightness despite a thin line of cherry fruit that runs through the glass. Look for pure primary fruit flavours with lime and stone fruits mixed with flinty, grassy, nutty, mineral notes. The finish is particularly long and marked by a creamy freshness and level of acidity most other producers can only dream about. It needs another five to eight years of bottle time. It is only the second Krug release to have a larger proportion of chardonnay than the 1981. On this day it is no match for the blockbuster 1996 but it is still a very good young Krug that will improve through 2015. Love the finesse and impeccably small, persistent, mousse.Tasted: 03 December 2009Tasted by: Prices: