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Average Review Score: 4.9
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Krug Clos d'Ambonnay 1998 - Wood Gift Box

Krug Clos d'Ambonnay 1998

Per Bottle
£3,200.00
Krug Clos d'Ambonnay 1998 - Wood Gift Box
Bottles Available: 1 × 75cl from 13th Oct We keep some stock in our London Warehouse. Large volumes take 24 hours from our out of London warehouse.
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.

In 1991, just two years after Olivier joined Krug, a Clos surrounded by a protective wall since 1766 was found in Ambonnay, Krug's favourite village and largest source of Pinot Noir. The tiny 0.68-hectare site was purchased in 1994 and the first vintage was produced in 1995. Kept an absolute secret until its release in 2007, Olivier revealed: "We even kept it a secret from Moët for some years!" Clos d'Ambonnay is an extremely rare and exclusive champagne produced only in the very best vintages. Just 4,760 bottles of Clos d'Ambonnay were produced in 1998, each individually numbered.

Krug ID: 111002 | 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 1998 vintage was a classic year full of contrasts, typical in Champagne, with an extremely hot month of August followed by some heavy rains. In the case of Ambonnay, this resulted in astoundingly rich, delicious grapes that hinted at the wonderful potential of Krug’s 1998 Clos d'Ambonnay wines from the very first tasting sessions.

Technical Information:
Vineyards: 100% Pinot Noir | Clos d'Ambonnay
Grape Varieties: 100% Pinot Noir
Lees Ageing: 12 years
Disgorged: Winter 2010/2011
Drink: Now to 2030

Tasting Note: An intense golden colour with hints of red tones. Amazing aromas of milky caramel, blackcurrant, red fruit jam and jellied fruits. On the palate, there are rich notes of wild fruits, brioche and redcurrant enhanced by an elegant long finish. At nearly twenty years of age, it is still shockingly fresh and lively with an elegant purity and immense power.
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

95/100
Antonio Galloni
“The 1998 Brut Clos d'Ambonnay appears to have arrived at an early plateau of maturity. Hints of white truffle, orange peel, licorice, honey and roasted almonds are woven together in a super-appealing mélange of aromas, flavors and textures.”
95 → 98/100
Essi Avellan MW
“Deep golden colour with a peachy hue. Layered nose that opens in the glass. Deep and multidimensional: spices, wood, honey and burned sugar. Powerful on the palate that shows oaky tones. Superbly fine mousse. Smooth, calm and concentrated. The best Clos d’Ambonnay so far. ”
19.5/20
Jancis Robinson MW
“This is only the third release of this luxury wine. Really quite a dark coppery gold. Very big and bold on the nose. Heady, mushroomy, almost beery! Lovely fine, tiny bead. Like Clos du Mesnil, this has a bone-dry finish and is very forcibly real wine rather than evanescent champagne. Real vinosity; very different in build from other Krug wines.”

News Articles

  1. New Release: Krug Grande Cuvee 169th Edition
    New Release: Krug Grande Cuvee 169th Edition 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.
  2. Krug Appoints New Chef de Cave
    Krug Appoints New Chef de Cave 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.
  3. Krug Grande Cuvée & Vintage Vertical Tasting: 2000-2010
    Krug Grande Cuvée & Vintage Vertical Tasting: 2000-2010 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.
  4. Jancis Robinson: Krug vintage vertical back to 1988
    Jancis Robinson: Krug vintage vertical back to 1988 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."
  5. Krug: A Visit to Clos du Mesnil & The New Krug Maison
    Krug: A Visit to Clos du Mesnil & The New Krug Maison 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!

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