1985 Krug
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Tasting notes
I have had a number of bottles, even from the same cellar, that have been showing plenty of age and even occasionally flirting with oxidative hints yet this most recent bottle (from my cellar) was among the freshest I've had in a while with its intensely yeasty and toasty aromas of white orchard fruit, citrus peel, marmalade and orange peel. This is arguably the most complex vintage of the 1980s (though not necessarily the most vibrant or the most complete) and in particular I like the way that the mousse has managed to maintain most of its original vigor on the sweet yet ultimately dry finale that delivers very fine persistence. While this bottle was admirably fresh it's clear that it's time to drink up sooner than later unless your taste runs to post-mature characters.
Critic scores
Average Score
Richard Juhlin
Robert Parker
More reviews and scores
Fully mature, bronze colour and rather a sluggish bead. Quite a bit of mushrooms and toast on the nose but wonderful freshness on the palate. Great balance. Powerful but not at all sweet. Fully resolved. Very impressive. (JR)
Very mature. Dense and intellectual with a dry finish. It's really a wine to study, muse over and drink reflectively with food, but we enjoyed it as an aperitif at the beginning of an amazing dinner at Berry Bros for which a kind donor bid £100,000 at a London auction for Room to Read. (JR)
Very rich, broad, mellow nose and then very much drier than expected on the palate. The palate suggests that the wine may have many years ahead of it, though the nose may always be more developed. (JR)
About the producer
Krug is a remarkable Champagne House which only makes prestige cuvées. The wines – with their distinctive rich, complex, oxidative style – are some of the region’s best.