Back-Vintage Champagne from Krug, Dom Pérignon & Cristal

1989 Krug "Clos du Mesnil" Brut Blanc de Blancs Champagne (Scuffed Label) - 1 available ($2,749.99)

96 points Decanter: "The '89 is one of the richest and most delicious vintages ever produced from Clos du Mesnil. Purists may say that the wine is a little over ripe, but I love its almond depth and super long length. This, to me, embodies pure hedonistic pleasure. (RJ)" (03/2017)

96 points Vinous: "The 1989 Clos du Mesnil, from a warmer year, makes for a fascinating contrast to the cool inward 1988. It is a bigger, fatter wine that caresses the palate with layers of expansive, generous fruit. Sweet scents of caramel, hazelnuts and honey add complexity to the fruit. Despite its burnished, textured fruit, the 1989 remains light on its feet and superbly well-balanced but it is at, or close to, peak. To put things in perspective, the 1989 was harvested at the beginning of September -- the 7th and 8th to be exact -- while the 1988 was harvested between September 30th and October 2nd. (AG)" (07/2011)

1990 Krug Brut Champagne (scuffed labels) - 2 available ($769.99)

98 points Wine & Spirits: "When I tasted this wine pre-release last year, it already showed itself to be great. Now with the benefit of an additional year of age, it may be the greatest Krug I've tasted. The wine has perfect harmony, all the elements in balance, a complex chord of flavor that lasts more than a minute after each sip. There's not much to say when a wine's internal energy and drive are so in tune with the flavors. Buy it if you can. Now 15 years old, it may have another 15 more to go without slowing down." (12/2005)

97 points Wine Spectator: "An aristocrat. Big-boned and intense, yet with finesse and complex flavors of coconut, whole-grain bread, ginger, citrus and honey. Waves of flavor saturate the palate and the long finish picks up a mineral and smoke note. Very harmonious from start to finish. Drink now through 2020." (11/2005)

97 points Burghound: "1990 is one of my favorite vintages ever for this storied cuvée because while the vintage was on the riper side the high yields allowed the fruit to retain a very good level of acidity which made for balanced and ageworthy wines. While I have had the pleasure of tasting the '90 on a number of occasions since its release, the last time was alongside the 1985 and the 1988, and as admirable as those two vintages are, the 1990 is head and shoulders above them to my taste. The fantastically complex nose is comprised of an abundance of yeast and toast characters that don't completely dominate the essence of apple, pear, citrus, spice, acacia blossom and discreet orange peel scents. There is equally good depth to the delicious, full-bodied and powerful flavors that possess a lovely sense of vibrancy thanks to the still firm but fine mousse that shapes the delineated, delicious and impeccably well-balanced finale. In my view 1990 is one of the greatest vintages for this wine of the last 25 years and one that is still drinking well." (10/2015)

97 points Int'l Wine Cellar: "Full copper-gold color. Initially restrained, brooding nose exploded with aeration, showing apple, orange, apricot, honey, iodine, smoke, hazelnut, macadamia and a suggestion of dry oloroso sherry. Dense, full, chewy and rich; an extraordinarily solid Champagne with an intriguing suggestion of Calvados. Broadens toward the back and goes on and on on the echoing aftertaste, with rich, mellow notes of toffee, brown butter and marrow. Like the '92 Clos du Mesnil, this displays its powerful underlying acidity with aeration (Krug's wines never go through malolactic fermentation) and should be long-lived." (12/2004)

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1990 Louis Roederer "Cristal - Millenium" Brut Champagne (6L) - 1 available ($7,499.99)

97 points Vinous: "The 1990 Cristal is remarkable. Polished, nuanced and light on its feet, the 1990 is all class. Citrus, orchard fruit and floral notes are wonderfully lifted throughout. A slight reductive note adds character on the finely knit finish. I cant think of a better way to start this tasting. Simply put, the 1990 is a total rock star. Moreover, it is much more delicate than most wines from this ripe vintage. Amazingly, the 1990 tastes like it is still not ready! Nineteen ninety was my second vintage here, says Chef de Caves Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon. It was ideal. The fruit was just perfect. We blocked the malolactic fermentation completely and only fermented 6-7% of our lots in oak, as opposed to the more typical 20%, in order to preserve as much freshness as possible. The wine was made by my predecessor, Michel Pansu, but I was learning. This was the first year I started working with oxygen by reducing sulfites in vinification to pre-oxidize the Chardonnay musts, as I do know, which allows me to get rid of all the unstable, oxidative compounds. With Pinot, on the other hand, you need a little bit of sulfur at crush or you lose the brilliant fruit. (AG)" (12/2018)

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1997 Bollinger "Vieilles Vignes Françaises" Blanc de Noirs Brut Champagne - 1 available ($1,399.99)

Bollinger makes about 170 cases of this, only in certain vintages. It is made from three plots of entirely ungrafted Pinot Noir farmed in the traditional en foule method, a super dense plantation (about 30,000 vines per hectare- normal is 7000!) where the vines are allowed layer up. The sites in Ay consist of the 1/3 acre Clos St. Jacques and the half acre Chaudes Terres, a walled garden directly behind Bollinger. I have stood in this second vineyard- it looks ghastly; it is hard to imagine one of the best wines on the planet coming from it. It is a web of canes and gnarly old stumps, like a set out of the Lord of the Rings! They also have slightly less than half an acre in Bouzy called the Croix Rouge planted in the same fashion that goes into this wine. I remember when I first read in Michael Broadbent's Vintage Wine about the 'pre-phyloxera flavor' and jealously wondering what it would be like… The Vieilles Vignes Francaises Blanc de Noir delivers it! There is a strong resemblance to Quinta do Noval's Nacional, which is the hot climate equivalent of this exquisite Champagne. This Champagne has a taste like no other. It is the most expensive wine of any kind that I have ever purchased for myself personally, and it delivers value even at its bank-breaking price. It is truly a singular experience. If you are feeling flush, or just frivolous, and you like extremely rich, full bodied Champagne that will last for decades, here it is! (Gary Westby, K&L Champagne Buyer)

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1998 Krug Brut Champagne (lightly scuffed label) - 5 available ($499.99)

98 points Wine & Spirits: "If you are a Krug classicist, this is your wine. Theres nothing like it, other than prior great vintages of Krug (and perhaps the 2002, when that breaks away from the cellar). My notes on this wine are extensive, but the one word underlined is Kruggy: It has the power and stodgy brilliance of Krug. The depth of the wine is hard to describe, with ethereal quince and sweet spice providing sunniness to counter the gravitas of the structure. It brought to mind the crostini topped with uni and lardo at Marea in NYCa dish that would bring out the layers of lime, lemon zest and shellfish broth in this wine. It would also match well with rich Lyonnaise cuisine, a foie gras terrine, duck confitwhether you open it now or in 20 years." (12/2012)

98 points Wine Spectator: "This harmonious Champagne offers luxurious texture and powerful, focused acidity, showing aromatic accents of spring blossom, crushed thyme and chai, with rich notes of lemon meringue, hazelnut, black currant and fresh porcini mushroom. The full package. Impressive. *Collectible* (AN)" (12/2012)

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2000 Krug Brut Champagne - 10 available ($499.99)

98 points James Suckling: "Very fragrant. This has developed bright, ripe red cherry fruit aromas, vanilla cream, sweet roasted almond biscuits, some marzipan, tobacco, lemon meringue and chalky minerals. The palate has an assertive core of fine acidity with more yellow fruits expressed on entry, like peaches and nectarines. Good ripeness, superfine acidity. The redder fruits build as it goes; cherries and raspberries, yellow plums to close. Full of life. Drink now or up to 20 years, it will go the distance." (07/2015)

97 points Wine & Spirits: "When first released two years ago, this wine showed some of the exoticism of the 2000 vintage, the broad flavors ranging from lobster broth to lemon zest and star anise. As it has matured, the wines richness is at once more baroque and more seamlessly woven into a deep golden beauty. Rather than fresh, it feels brisk and lithe. The wines fragrance is layered in deep complexities and elevated to sunny high notes. A glorious vintage of Krug." (12/2014)

97 points Wine Spectator: "Rich and mouthwatering, this powerhouse Champagne is driven by vivacious acidity, with an expansive palate featuring flavors of glazed apricot, toasted brioche, candied kumquat and ginger, espresso crème, fleur de sel and cognac. The well-spiced finish is long and lingering. *Collectible* (AN)" (11/2015)

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2002 Dom Pérignon Brut Champagne (1.5L) - 1 available ($899.99)

97 points Vinous: "The 2002 Dom Pérignon P2 is simply stunning. Interestingly, it is also less flamboyant than the original release, although it has all the weight, richness and breadth that wine has always shown. The 2002 will not be released for another two years. Even so, it is super-expressive and alluring even at this very early stage. (AG) 97+" (07/2017)

96 points Wine & Spirits: "Think of standing above a well at the edge of an apple orchard, the cool feel of the earth deepening the bosky scent of the ripening fruit. This wine may take you there, then leave you to contemplate its complexity: full-on limestone-derived power, juicy nectarine and apricot scents, candied lemon and lasting spice, all of it rounded into a supple shape and a subtle mist of a finish. A great vintage of DP, this will age with grace." (12/2011)

95 points Wine Spectator: "A rich and smoky Champagne in a graceful package, with a beautiful, fine-grained texture to it and layers of flavor: biscuit, candied lemon peel, coffee liqueur, chamomile, pine, crystallized honey and wood smoke. This is the haute couture of the Champagne worldall about elegance, texture and attention to detail. Drink now through 2027. (AN)" (12/2010)

Gary Westby | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: March 15, 2013

I attended a Dom Perignon seminar and welcomed at the Rosewood resort in Menlo Park with a glass of the 2002 Dom Perignon Blanc. It has settled down a lot in the year since I last tasted it. I thought it was great that they showed the wine in large bowled glasses which really brough out the best in the wine. It glittered with a green tinged white gold color in the Sand Hill sun on the veranda and had a nose of pastry dough and clean cane sugar. On the palate it was rich, full bodied and had plenty of white fruit up front. The dosage had integrated very nicely, and it showed quite a bit drier than I remembered it. This is a great Champagne to serve, or keep in magnum.

2003 Krug Brut Champagne - 11 available ($429.99)

95 points Int'l Wine Review: "A stunning release in this somewhat challenging vintage, the 2003 is one of the finest (if not the finest) Champagnes I have tasted from the vintage. It begins with striking aromatics of intense kumquat skin, honeydew melon with earthy and smoky undertones that all come together beautifully in the glass. The weight and freshness is stunning as flavors of marzipan and lemon cream are all woven together with shades of white truffle shavings. This has a wonderful effervescence and remarkable seamless quality leading up to the exceedingly long finish. The 2003 is showing incredibly well today, and possesses both the verve and viscosity to continue to cellar well for the next fifteen years. A magical Champagne from Krug. (OB)" (07/2019)

95 points James Suckling: "This shows a rich nose featuring deep and ripe chardonnay and pinot noir. Red fruits, some dark mushrooms, plenty of grilled nuts, caramel, some deep spices, dried citrus, lemon peel and bready aromas are all there. The trademark complexity is here, too, and this freshens with air. The palate is intricately detailed and stitched together like needlework. It is extremely precise and even, and the acidity is articulated with some finesse, even if this has much more in terms of phenolics as the leading structural component. The phenolics are rich and ripe, and they sit polished and even around immensely concentrated fruits such as peaches, nectarines and white cherries. The finish is deep, even and resonant. Drink now but rest assured that this will hold for a very long time just as Krug has proven in other warm years such as '76." (10/2017)

95 points Int'l Wine Cellar: "Light yellow. Powerful, complex bouquet evokes fresh peach, pear, floral honey, green almond and smoky minerals. Deep, palate-staining citrus and orchard fruit flavors show outstanding vivacity for a hot vintage, picking up ginger and talc notes with air. The strikingly long, sappy finish features zesty orange pith, smoky minerals and an echo of honeysuckle. I'd be in no rush to drink this one. Speaking of waiting, I had the chance to revisit the 2000 Vintage Krug and it has begun to pick up the smoky, weighty and nutty character that long-time fans of this producer crave. It's still plenty young but already unmistakably Krug, with a chewy texture and a sexy floral nuance dominating right now. (JR)" (12/2014)

95 points Wine Spectator: "Like taffeta in texture, this harmonious Champagne is finely honed and fresh. A wonderfully expressive version, with ample spice and graphite accents to the blackberry pâte de fruit, coffee liqueur, dried apricot, singed orange peel and crystallized honey notes. Hard to stop sipping. Disgorged spring 2014. (AN)" (11/2015)

Gary Westby | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: June 02, 2015

I just tasted this fabulous Champagne with Olivier Krug when he stopped by K&L with some bottles. It is composed of 46% Pinot Noir, 29% Chardonnay and 25% Meunier and entirely barrel fermented. This wine is starting to flesh out with time, and has a spectacular full body, great texture, open knit toasty aromas and flavors and impressive power. This is a perfect partner to charcuterie, and given the history of the house, should age for decades.

2003 Dom Pérignon Brut 'Metamorphosis' Rosé Champagne ($499.99)

96 points Wine Spectator: "Finely detailed in texture, with an expressive flavor profile of strawberry pâte de fruit, biscotti, ground anise and ginger, matched to vivid acidity and a rich, minerally character. Broad and creamy on the palate, featuring a long, echoing finish. *Collectible* (AN)" (12/2014)