2008 Krug Vintage

There’s a profound and coiled energy in the 2008 Champagne Millésime, which pours a youthful medium golden hue and opens in the glass to aromas of crushed oyster shell, golden white peach, preserved lemon, shortbread, and fresh ginger. Medium to full-bodied, it has electric and powerful concentration and is packed with preserved Meyer lemon citrus oils, electric tension, and a laser-like mineral texture. Its mousse adds a white pepper spice and a long finish, lasting for ages on the palate. With a strong identity, intense mouthwatering freshness, and outstanding length, it’s not for the faint of heart, but this is going to be a wine we’ll be talking about in 30 to 40 years’ time.

Since I reviewed the Krug 2008 Brut last year, I have drunk the wine on five or six occasions, but I still struggle to understand it. This bottle, tasted at the cellars in Reims, was among the best I've encountered to date; but between the chiseled muscularity of the Clos du Mesnil and the complexity and plenitude of the 164ème Édition of Grande Cuvée, the vintage itself simply seems less compelling and complete. Offering up aromas of citrus oil, freshly baked bread, orange zest, dried white flowers and a discreet hint of buttered toast, it's medium to full-bodied, racy and saline, with a pretty pinpoint mousse and a tightly wound core. Will it unfurl with time to reveal more mid-palate volume and authority, or will it remain a comparatively lean, understated vintage for Krug? As ever, time will tell, and given the house's track record I certainly wouldn't be surprised to see the 2008 take flight with more time on cork.