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. As it was not produced in 2003, the Pinot Noir which would otherwise have gone into the Clos d'Ambonnay blend was instead used in Krug 2003.
Krug ID: 316032 | Each bottle of Krug has a Krug ID on the back label which enables you to discover the story of that very bottle. You can do so using the smartphone App or on the Krug website.
Weather: The 2003 vintage was a year of many circumstances: dry winter and spring, very premature blooming, two serious frosts and a summer of scorching heat. With small yields, healthy grapes, extremely varied levels of maturity and over and under-ripeness, it was Krug's respect of the individual expression of every plot that produced surprisingly fresh, aromatic and balanced wines. Krug decided to create a vintage for this particular year and named it "Vivacité Solaire" (Vivacious Radiance).
Technical Information:
Vineyards: Predominately Premier & Grand Cru| Pinot Noir: Montagne de Reims | Chardonnay: Côte des Blancs | Meunier: Courmas, Saint Gemme, Villevenard
Grape Varieties: 46% Pinot Noir, 29% Chardonnay, 25% Meunier
Lees Ageing: 13 years on the lees
Disgorged: August 2016
Dosage: 6 g/l
Drink: Now to 2028
Tasting Note:Expressive aromas of citrus, plum, honey and brioche lead the way towards flavours of fresh summer fruits and grapefruit along with candied peel, roast chestnut and apple tart. With fruit, freshness, balance, expressiveness, vivacity and finesse all at the same time, you may be surprised by Krug 2003.
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
19/20
Jancis Robinson MW
“Pale gold. Pungent nose. Very tight. Hint of putty on the nose. Opens out on the palate. Masses to chew on. Real concentration. Perfect for drinking now. Dry but complete. Intellectual and great balance. Very impressive.”
93 → 94/100
Essi Avellan MW
“Although a fine 2003 without a trace of heaviness or over-ripeness, for a Krug Vintage I find it to be distinctly simpler than the great years. The freshness of the wine is striking gained by the rather unusual blend, which has a particularly high Meunier content. Soft, deep, vanilla and tropical fruit character, the nose is now starting to show beautiful post-disgorgement development. Fleshy, round and strong body.”
95/100
Jamie Goode
“ID: 114002, which means this was disgorged in the first quarter of 2014. Tight, still, with bright acidity and some pithy notes. This is not what you’d expect from 2003. Distinctive toast and citrus, a bit of white peach and some hazelnut, with nice brightness. This is taut and direct with a crisp, somewhat clipped finish. ”
18.5/20
Jancis Robinson MW
“ID 414070. Krug started the harvest on 23 August, their earliest ever, but some grapes picked early in October because of vine shutdown. Frost in spring and then heat in summer shrank the crop. This is a wine that positively bounces out of the glass! Real spine and concentration – exotic, explosive and yet beautifully balanced. Dried orange peel and spice. Great balance on the palate. Broader and more interesting and complex than the Clos du Mesnil 2003. Drink 2013-2028”
95/100
James Suckling
“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.”
95/100
Wine Specatator
“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. Drink now through 2028.”
95/100
Antonio Galloni
“A rich nose with deep, ripe chardonnay and pinot noir, red fruits, some dark mushrooms and plenty of grilled nuts, plus caramel, some deep spices, dried citrus, lemon peel and bready aromas. The trademark complexity is here and it freshens with air. The palate is intricately detailed and stitched together like needlework; very precise, very even. The acidity is articulated with some finesse and yet it has much more in terms of phenolics as the leading structural component. The phenolics are rich and ripe, sitting polished and even around immensely concentrated fruit with flavors of peach, nectarine and white cherry. The finish is deep, even and resonant. Drink now but rest assured it will hold for a very long time, just like Krug has proven in other warm years like '76.”
18/20
Jancis Robinson MW
“Sipped on the terrace of 'sister property' Ch Cheval Blanc. Round and ready and not too tight. Just opening out nicely.”
95/100
Josh Reynolds
“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. ”
94/100
Antonio Galloni
“Soft, supple and delicate in the glass, the 2003 Vintage is super expressive today. Smoke, brioche, apple tart and spice notes flesh out in a resonant, impeccably layered Champagne loaded with personality. I can't think of a young Krug Champagne that delivers this much pure pleasure at such a young stage in its life. The 2003 has developed nicely since I last tasted it about six months ago. This is class personified.”
96/100
Huon Hooke
“This special occasion Champagne miraculously shows none of the negative effects of the hot 2003 summer. Classic Krug biscuit, toasted bread and peanut brittle aromas, mellow and very complex. Powerful, intense, full-bodied but still light on its feet. Very dry, with great line and length. Now to 2024. 12 per cent alcohol.”
17/20
Julia Harding MW
“ID code: 113015, therefore disgorged in the first quarter of 2013. Deeper colour than the Grande Cuvée. Broad and rich and orangey on the palate. A little woody/cedary on the palate but not especially oaky. Not that concentrated on the finish. Really very soft in the context (2004s and 1998s).”
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!
