1989 Krug "Collection" Brut Champagne
SKU #1117737
96 points
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The mingling of saline, nutty, and caramelized notes in the nose – adumbrating this wine’s entire performance – is gorgeous. Butter-toasted hazelnuts, dried wild mushrooms, kelp, and cocoa mingle in a silken, mouthwateringly saline and savory matrix reminiscent of oyster liquor laced with fresh lemon juice (because, there is still a youthfully citric store of energy here). This finishes with correspondingly pronounced umami and with tangy vibrancy of citrus and salt. After a day open, the nutty elements become more piquant and walnut-like, but the smoky hints of oxidation remain balanced by citric and mineral elements and positively integrated into a mysteriously diverse show. The palate becomes plusher (perhaps in part due to diminishing mousse) and creamy in an almost whipped-cream fashion, yet the long finish continues to offer uncanny refreshment. (DS)
(11/2013)
96 points
Vinous
The 1989 Brut Collection is all of the things a gorgeous, mature Champagne should be. Autumn leaves, tobacco, mint, licorice, dried pears and sweet, exotic spices all waft from the glass in this totally complete, layered wine. The 1989 is a big, huge wine, rather it is a Champagne that impresses with exceptional overall balance and total finesse. I have had the 1989 Collection several times, but this is by far the finest bottle I have run across. When Krug is firing on all cylinders, there really is no substitute. (AG)
(10/2012)
96 points
Wine Spectator
Shows a lovely interplay between the creamy bead and rich notes of almond financier, apricot preserves, treacle and cardamom, with finely cut, persistent acidity and flavors of pastis, raspberry puree, fennel seed and fleur de sel. Offers a refined, lasting finish, with a push of saline-tinged minerality. Drink now through 2029. (Insider)
(11/2013)
95 points
Wine Enthusiast
This is a classic food Champagne, hugely rich, toasty, generous. Yes, there is acidity and minerality, but these individual factors are less important than the overall opulence of this intense wine. It is still amazingly young, fresh and vibrant, but also so powerful.
(11/2006)
93 points
Wine & Spirits
A profound, well-aged Champagne, this is ready to drink right now. The bottle we tasted was at its best when first poured, feeling rotund with herbal notes against sweet nougat and hazelnut flavors. The oxidative notes run in harmony with the chalk line of flavor, “like catnip for lovers of old Champagne,” one taster commented, finishing the glass.
(12/2013)
