Average rating 4.9/5 stars across all Google and external reviews
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Bought directly from Moët Hennessy, the bottles are stored in bond at London City Bond Eton Park, in ideal conditions at a constant 13°C. For same-day deliveries, small quantities are kept in our office cellar, where the temperature is maintained between 11–13°C. We source all our bottles directly from the Maison or their official UK office, eliminating the risk of poor storage. This is crucial, as champagne quality is highly sensitive to heat: temperatures above 18°C accelerate maturity significantly, which compromises quality.
Joseph Krug founded the house in 1843 after learning winemaking at Champagne Jacquesson, driven to craft the finest champagne every year, regardless of climate. By honouring each vineyard's individuality and creating a vast reserve library, he achieved his dream & Krug Grande Cuvée 1st Edition was born.
In the 1970s, Henri and Rémi Krug modernized production, acquired Clos du Mesnil, 1st vintage 1979, launched Krug Rosé in 1983 and purchased Clos d'Ambonnay in 1991, first vintage 1995. LVMH acquired Krug in 1999; Henri and Rémi stepped down in 2007. Since 2009, Olivier Krug, the sixth generation, is Director of Krug.
In 2024, Krug completed Joseph, its new state-of-the-art sustainable winery in the village of Ambonnay, awarded exceptional HQE certification.
The potential for a Krug vintage champagne is identified during the blending of Krug Grande Cuvée. Once the non-vintage blend has been secured and all of the reserves earmarked, the wines displaying the most pronounced character of the vintage are blended to create the vintage champagne. This Krug 1988 is a late disgorged in 2016 and just 200 bottles were kept by the House on their lees for this late release of this vintage.
Krug ID: 215027 | Whilst bottles of Krug 1988 do not have a Krug ID on the back label, you can use the code on the left to discover the story of this vintage. You can do so using the smartphone App or on the Krug website.
Weather: 1988 weather conditions in Champagne have always been compared to the more favourable 1989, nonetheless, given now it has had added ageing this vintage is coming into its own. The spring was mild with little rain and frost; therefore bud burst was good. The early summer months were slightly dull, however August saw lots of sun. September is always the saviour for most Champagne harvests, but in 1988 there was plenty of rain. The grapes however fared well and this patience is now being rewarded. Harvest took place between September 26th and October 6th.
Technical Information:
Vineyards: Predominately Premier & Grand Cru
Grape Varieties: 50% Pinot Noir, 32% Chardonnnay & 18% Meunier
Lees Ageing: 26 years
Disgorged: February 2015
Drink: Now to 2030+
Krug ID: 215027
Tasting Note: Great structure thoughtout with inital aromas of orange and spices. The honeyed character on the palate is stunning with cinammon and ginger, a truly vulmptous champagne with bundles of flavour and character. Even after 25 years resting on the lees, this has so much life.
Just five years after Joseph Krug founded his eponymous Champagne House in 1843, he documented his great vision for Krug in a cherry-red leather notebook. In it, he revealed the principles of creating a champagne of incredible richness yet great elegance, of selecting only the finest elements from the greatest terroirs, rejecting mediocre fruit and making both a non-vintage and a vintage cuvée - revolutionary at the time. Discovered in 2010 by current House Director and sixth generation of the founding family Olivier Krug, the ideals in this notebook and Krug's resolute commitment to them have secured their position as the most luxurious and exclusive of all Champagne producers.
Unlike other Champagne Houses, Krug's range consists of prestige cuvées only. Their iconic non-vintage Grande Cuvée is a masterful blend of some 120 wines, vintage Krugs are renowned as true classics, majestically displaying the characteristics of each harvest and their unique and exclusive single-vineyard champagnes, Clos du Mesnil and Clos d'Ambonnay are the ultimate rarities. The recent introduction of ID codes displayed on the back of every bottle - revealing base year, disgorgement periods and product information - has helped revise the vision of Krug in line with the great founder's philosophy.
Cellar Master: Julie Cavil
Winery Location: Reims | Champagne, France
Champagne Region: Montagne de Reims
Annual Production (bottles): 760,000
Chef de Cave History at Champagne Krug:
Julie Cavil - January 2020 to current
Julie Cavil is the current Cellar Master of Champagne Krug — and the first woman to hold that role. After starting her career in advertising, she retrained in oenology in Champagne and joined Krug in 2006, becoming Chef de Caves in 2020. Known for her humility, precision, and respect for Krug’s “one plot, one wine” philosophy, she oversees the blending of hundreds of base wines each year to recreate Krug’s signature style. Cavil balances tradition with innovation, focusing on sustainability and creative projects while preserving the founder’s vision of crafting the finest Champagne every year, regardless of vintage conditions.
Eric Lebel - 1999 - 2019
Eric Lebel joined Krug in 1999 as Chef de Cave. He was described as “Mozart of bubbly". Under his leadership the house expanded its reserve-wine library (for example, tripling from ~50-60 reserve wines in earlier years to 150+). He emphasised the preservation of individuality of plot, rigorous tasting, and refusing wines that did not meet house standards.
Dominique Petit - 1979 - 1999
Dominique Petit is a original Champenois. He was born in Verzy in 1954. Coming from a family of winegrowers, he studied at the Lycée Viticole d’Avize and the University of Reims, earning his oenology diploma at 23. Petit joined Champagne Krug in 1979, where he spent 20 years overseeing production under Henri and Rémy Krug. His tenure marked a bridge between Krug’s family-run era and its modernisation before LVMH ownership. In 1999, he became Chef de Cave at Pol Roger.
Expert Reviews
97/100
Antonio Galloni
“The 1988 Collection offers stunning interplay of vintage 1988 vibrancy with the complexity that has developed in bottle. Apricot, pastry, brioche, dried flowers, chamomile and lightly honeyed notes all infuse the 1988 with notable complexity and nuance. At 31 years of age, the 1988 Collection remains taut, classically austere and full of energy. It will drink well for another 20 years or more. ”
18.5/20
Jancis Robinson MW
“Very shrunken cork that was easy to extract with only a mild sigh. Very deep gold. Not much nose. Rich palate entry, almost a champagne sorbet! Dry finish. Meaty and it really builds towards the bone dry finish. Rather recalls a really serious mature Corton Charlemagne - Coche? Demanding. The usual intellectual exercise! ”
19.5/20
Jancis Robinson MW
“Disgorged autumn 2005. First release. 50% Pinot Noir, 32% Chardonnay, 18% Pinot Meunier from 21 villages. 1988 alternated perfectly between heat and rain (until harvest which took place between 26 September and 6 October), a year without excesses that created the conditions for a slow maturation keeping a very high level of freshness. This wine, always seen as very backward, had not yet been released in the Krug Collection series. Tasted blind. Deep tawny gold. Less concentrated on the nose than most. Medium weight with creamy mushroom-soup notes. A lovely, deep-flavoured wine. Not that young but with great intensity. Umami? Neat and clean. ”
96 → 98/100
Essi Avellan MW
“Compared to both 1989 and 1990 this vintage seems really youthful in its slowly building complexity. It comes with a sweet fruity overall impression with apricot, cinnamon, toast and wax notes. There is even a faint character of restraint not so typical of Krug. A superb acid line drives the intense and vivacious palate. It still holds back, there is more to come. ”
Krug Grande Cuvée 169ème Édition is a blend of 146 wines from 11 different years, the youngest of which is from 2013, while the oldest dates back to 2000 and a stay of around seven years in Krug’s cellars gives this edition its distinct expression and elegance.
Champagne Krug have announced that Julie Cavil will take over as winemaking director in the new year. Incumbent winemaking director Eric Lebel will become deputy director of Krug and will lead projects involving all of the brands within the Moët Hennessy portfolio.
At our most recent tasting at 67 Pall Mall, guests blind tasted Krug Grande Cuvée Editions 162-166 NV (2006-2010), and Krug Vintages 2000-2004, including Krug 2000 from magnum. Find out which champagnes were the highest rated on the evening here.
Last week, we held the most comprehensive Krug Grande Cuvée vertical tasting to date. At 67 Pall Mall, guests blind tasted Grande Cuvée Editions 158-166 NV (2002-2010). We also tasted two Krug Vintages: 2002 and 2004.
Read Jancis Robinson’s report of our outstanding Krug vintage vertical tasting last November. "This would have been a dream tasting anyway, but I particularly love tasting a group of wines blind."
We visited Krug over August bank holiday weekend with Jancis Robinson MW. With an unexpected visit to Clos du Mesnil, a tour of the new Maison, a mini-vertical tasting and dinner at the house, it was well-worth the long drive!
In Dec 2016, we compared five Editions of Krug Grande Cuvée in their first ever blind tasting. Alongside Krug 2002 & 2003, their quality was undeniable, as was the interesting variation between them.
The 2016 Vins Clairs; reserve wines as old as 1998; winemaking with an iPad; Grande Cuvée 163rd Edition; Clos du Mesnil 2002; and revolutionising Champagne terminology. It's all happening at Krug!
