Krug 1998

Krug Vintage is designed to blend vintage character with Krug’s house style.  Krug selects young fermented wines which best represent the character of that particular year. The three grape varieties are blended to create harmony: Chardonnay’s elegance, Pinot Noir’s fullness and the fruit of carefully selected Pinot Meunier grapes bring finesse and complexity to the wine.

Background Information:

When Johann-Joseph Krug founded the Krug champagne house in 1843, his dream was to give his name to nothing less than an exceptional champagne- a champagne with a taste all its own. To achieve this, he set himself a few rules, among which, first and foremost: never compromise on quality.

Six generations later, he would approve of his descendents' consistent commitment to excellence. Krug is one of very few champagnes houses that produce only premium blends. This commitment to only the best quality and Krug's unique expertise in champagne-making explain its worldwide reputation.

The wines are made from carefully selected Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier grapes. Krug is a guardian of Champagne tradition in still fermenting its wines in small oak barrels, which gives them an exceptional finesse.

Another signature of the Krug style, they are made to mature for at least 6 to 8 years, the reward of which is a distinctive complexity and the ability to age gracefully. Each year, the members of the Krug family blend the different wines that 6 or 8 years later will maintain the high quality and style of their predecessors. Truly exceptional years are consecrated vintage blends.

With methods that guarantee the production and blending of only exceptional champagne, its own 19-hectares vineyard, the quality of the 56 hectare vineyards the house buys its precious grapes from and its stock worth 7 years of production, no wonder Krug is the reference for premium champagnes.

Krug is an encounter, an experience, a revelation – and a collection of six extraordinary champagnes: Krug Grande Cuvee, Krug Rose, Krug Vintage, Krug Collection, Krug Clos du Mesnil and Krug Clos d'Ambonnay.

Krug Vintage is a statement - Krug’s definitive, one-off interpretation of the character of an outstanding year. The blend contains wines exclusively from that year.

For the House of Krug, the 1990s were a halcyon decade – ten years that produced four superb vintages, each with its own unique and outstanding personality: Krug 1990, remarkable for its combination of elegance and power; Krug 1995, classic and charismatic; Krug 1996, extreme and eccentric. Described by Olivier Krug as combining the warm, mellow character of Krug 1989 with the spirit and frankness of Krug 1995.

The fourth and final vintage, Krug 1998, represents a fitting culmination to this golden decade.