2000 Krug Brut Champagne

“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)

“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 wine’s richness is at once more baroque and more seamlessly woven into a deep golden beauty. Rather than fresh, it feels brisk and lithe. The wine’s fragrance is layered in deep complexities and elevated to sunny high notes. A glorious vintage of Krug.” (12/2014)

“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)

“A wonderfully layered and nuanced nose features an intense yeasty character to the maturing fruit that displays interesting phenolic characters, in particular petrol, along with aromas of apple, pear and soft citrus hints. In contrast to the nascent maturity expressed by the nose the flavor profile is still tight and backward with a genuinely gorgeous texture, all wrapped in a strikingly persistent and highly complex finish. For my taste the 2000 Brut is at an inflection point as the nose does offer enough maturity so that it's really quite pretty whereas the palate impression is substantially younger. As such it really just depends on how you prefer your Champagne because I suspect that the nose will be very mature by the time the still very youthful flavors attain their majority. For my taste preferences it would be no vinous crime to begin enjoying this now but be aware that this will age for a very long time. The best approach is probably to buy 6, or even 12, bottles and enjoy them over a longer period of time. *Outstanding*” (10/2014)

“The 2000 vintage of Krug is a young wine that still needs some time in the cellar to start to blossom, but all of the constituent components are in place for a great wine with a bit more bottle age. The cépages of the 2000 Krug is forty-three percent chardonnay, forty-two percent pinot noir and fifteen percent pinot meunier. The very youthful nose wafts from the glass in a blend of apple, white peach, a touch of caraway seed, lovely soil tones, a bit of smokiness and a topnote of salinity. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and rock solid at the core, with broad shoulders, great focus and balance, very elegant mousse, and great backend mineral drive on the very, very long and seamless finish. This is a young and stunning wine that is currently still a bit bound up in its structural elements and in need of a bit more bottle age to start to blossom, but it will be superb in the fullness of time.” (02/2016)

“The Krug vintage 2000 Brut smells strikingly redolent of sea breeze, kelp, and piles of oyster and mussel shells, allied to lemon oil and toasted hazelnuts. On the palate, the aforementioned elements serve for compulsive salivation, while a lusciously juicy amalgam of lime, grapefruit and apple tinged with piquancy of their pips buoys the salty wave of mineral matter into a profoundly protracted finish that bursts with brightness and at the same time reveals mouthwateringly savory crab shell reduction and a hitherto largely hidden dark side of smoky Latakia tobacco, dark-roasted coffee, and toasted grains. (DS)” (11/2013)

“Brioche, dried pear, smoke, almonds, chamomile and wild herbs are all laced together in Krug's 2000 Vintage. A wine of striking depth and resonance, the 2000 is absolutely gorgeous today. The first signs of very early tertiary complexity have begun to appear while the acidity is softening, both of which make the 2000 delicious today. At the same time, there is no hurry. I imagine the 2000 will still be gorgeous 20 years from now. Slight elements of reduction linger on the close. The blend is 43% Chardonnay, 42% Pinot Noir and 15% Pinot Meunier, a rare vintage in which Chardonnay is quite high. (AG)” (11/2014)

“In its current condition, extremely mineral-driven and sea-splashed, showing iodine, oyster shells and a light, pleasant bready aroma. Crispy-clean and beautifully balanced flavour. Impressive acidity and lively elegance. (RJ)” (12/2015)

“Pale gold. Gently roasted and toasty, grilled nuts, lightly spicy. Millefeuille suggests Krug. Deep, rich, generous, gloriously mouth-filling but so fresh. Majestic, sumptuous. As it opens, more cedary, more bottle age in evidence. Deep, powerful, almost overwhelming as it develops in the glass. 18.5/20 points (JH)” (07/2024)