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  • Country ranking ?

    63
  • Producer ranking ?

    2
  • Decanting time

    30min
  • When to drink

    now to 2030
  • Food Pairing

    Seafood, Salads & Consommes

The Tb points given to this wine are the world’s most valid and most up-to-date evaluation of the quality of the wine. Tastingbook points are formed by the Tastingbook algorithm which takes into account the wine ratings of the world's best-known professional wine critics, wine ratings by thousands of tastingbook’s professionals and users, the generally recognised vintage quality and reputation of the vineyard and winery. Wine needs at least five professional ratings to get the Tb score. Tastingbook.com is the world's largest wine information service which is an unbiased, non-commercial and free for everyone.

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100 points James Suckling

 The much-anticipated 2002 has impeccable detail and depth with a lot of chalky, stony and flinty elements on the nose as well as a very fresh edge. The nose is very complex and wound up tight but presents itself as very integrated and compressed. There are aromas of lemon rind, lime juice and a lime custard all at once, complemented in turn by a super-restrained hazelnut-like edge. Undertones of brown mushrooms, chalky minerals and lemon leaf. The palate has a core of sizzlingly intense, concentrated chardonnay framed whitin a powerful phenolic structure that will underpin the future of this Champagne. Flawlessly fresh and as perfect as it gets. Give this time as it needs to settle: best from 2020 and then for another decade beyond. 

100 points Wine Enthusiast

 This is a fabulous wine from the greatest Champagne vintage so far this century. Still young, it blends almost equal amounts of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay fleshed out with Pinot Meunier. The minerality and the rich apple and green fruits are balanced, and acidity cuts into the wine with a pure, perfumed line of freshness. The wine could be drunk now, but it will age well into the the 2020s. *2016 100 Cellar Selection No. 1* (RV) 

99 points Decanter

 Without question one of the most perfect vintages in Champagne, in which Krug has once again excelled. Released after the 2003 (as with the '89 and '88), this is a sumptuously magnificent 2002 which manages to eloquently express both the vintage and the maison’s unique savoir-faire. To my palate, this majestic effort is drinking exquisitely now, but will keep and improve for many more years. It is dense, exotic and powerful, underpinned and framed by a firm spine of acidity. There are so many hedonistic sensations to tease the supply textured palate, including honey, roasted almonds, cream, minerals, stone fruits and hazelnuts. Superbly constructed, this is a symphony of flavours that linger effortlessly on the palate for minutes, it is pure pleasure. Sixteen years on, this is just hitting its stride. (JS) 

97 points Allen Meadows - Burghound

 There is a distinctly phenolic character to the secondary-tinged yet super-fresh nose reflects notes of bread, yeast, pear, baked apple, spice and a hint of citrus. The bold and full-bodied flavors possess superb complexity while being underpinned by a notably fine but dense mousse, all wrapped in a gorgeously persistent finish. This is a seriously impressive effort and one of the best of the Krug Brut vintage series released in many years. Note that while this should continue to age effortlessly, it could certainly be enjoyed now. (1/2018) 

97 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

Krug's 2002 Brut (ID 415064 – disgorged IV/2015) has an intense citrus color and opens with a generous, intense yet fine and precise bouquet that indicates great depth and elegance. Red fruit flavors on the nose lead to a generously rich yet pure, highly refined and elegant palate, with lots of ripe cherry fruits and delicious yeasty flavors. This is a highly complex and tensioned but beautifully balanced 2002 with a charming dosage that gives perfect roundness. The finish, however, is clear, fresh and well-structured, if not taut, and very mineral. Tasted in Reims in April 2018. (SR) 97+ 

96 points Wine Spectator

 Beautifully aromatic, this leads with aromas of ground clove, coffee liqueur and mandarin orange peel, adding crystallized honey, dried cherry, acacia blossom and toasted brioche notes on the expansive palate. Rich in flavor and broad in structure, with verve driving this through to the long, satiny finish. 

Jancis Robinson

 Tasted blind. Relatively vague, indistinct smudgy nose. But there is lots of evolution. Is this a relatively mature vintage wine? Long and well balanced. Very satisfying and extremely long. Is this vintage 2002? It does stand out. A favourite. 19.5/20 points (JR) 

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The Story

Unique to the House of Krug, every Krug Vintage is crafted to be different, to reveal the expression of a particular year. A year with character, a year with a special story to tell in a way that Krug alone can relate. To narrate this story, Krug has blended very expressive wines from a single year, enhanced by a stay of over ten years in the cellars. Krug Vintage is the story of a year as seen by Krug; there are as many stories as there are Krug Vintages.

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Wine Information

At the House of Krug every Krug Vintage is crafted to be different. Every Krug Vintage reveals the expression of a particular year with its distinct character : it is the music of the year as captured by Krug.

It is a blend of very expressive wines from a single year enhanced by a stay of over ten years in the cellars. There are as many of these musical compositions as there are Krug Vintages. The year 2002 offered a clement and generous climate, consistently warm, relatively dry, granting the ideal conditions for grape maturation.As the grapes arrived at the press, they were in excellent and robust health. The 2002 harvest for Krug was marked by great homogeneity and superb balance.

The House did not hesitate to create Krug 2002, naming it Ode to Nature to express the music of an extremely serene and generous year with perfect conditions for highly-expressive wines centred around fruit of all types with a beautiful structure, great intensity and elegance. Krug 2002 is a blend of selected wines of the year from many different plots, marked by its undeniably profound fruity character. It is a balanced dialogue between Pinot Noir (40%) and Chardonnays (39%) with Meunier (21%). The elegance of Krug 2002 comes after 13 years in the cellars gaining in harmony and finesse.

 

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Vintage 2002

A cold winter and a mild late spring cued for a perfect June allowing early and fast flowering. Outstanding weather conditions prevailed and the season went on without dramatic turns. Rains in August raised concerns regarding gray rot, but finally sunshine and dry conditions throughout September resulted in an abundant crop of largely healthy fruit (11,930 kg/ha). Dehydration due to wind further aided in achieving perfect ripeness and additional concentration. This, and the cool nights, helped in retaining fresh acidity and, despite the ripeness (10.3% potential alcohol), the wines did not suffer from heaviness or a lack of life. A near-perfect vintage, which produced balanced Champagnes consistently around the region. The best show an impeccable combination of freshness, power, structure and finesse. However, some have matured aromatically quicker than expected and are already past their peak. 2002 produced an abundance of spectacular champagnes, such as Dom Pérignon (the entire range), Krug Vintage and Clos du Mesnil, Piper-Heidsieck Rare, Louis Roederer Cristal and Cristal Rosé, Ruinart Dom Ruinart and Dom Ruinart Rosé, Salon Le Mesnil and Taittinger Comtes de Champagne, to name a few.

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Latest Pro-tasting notes

29 tasting notes

Tasting note

color

Light and Green-Yellow

nose

Intense, Complex and Fresh

taste

High in Acidity and Medium-bodied

Written Notes

Krug 2002 – A great Krug from a great year. Regal and imperious. Balance, complexity, length, power and an exciting future. I'm not one who feels that this has fallen short in any way in comparison with the 2004, though I have seen suggestions. For me, it never misses. 99.

  • 99p

Tasted blind wine 12. Somewhat paler than wine 11 which turned out to be the 1995 Vintage Krug from magnum. Though there is some golden ingress. Certainly mute and less expressive than the previous, this is quite silky though on the palate, the reduction comes through on the finish, there is weight here it is impressive, slightly oily, the vintage quality signature comes through on the finish though it is still a little awkward at the moment definitely needs 2-3 more years for the richness to impress on the wine. 95/100

  • 95p

Krug Vintage 2002 / 100 points / The much-anticipated 2002 has impeccable detail and depth with a lot of chalky, stony and flinty elements on the nose as well as a very fresh edge. The nose is very complex and wound up tight but presents itself as very integrated and compressed. There are aromas of lemon rind, lime juice and a lime custard all at once, complemented in turn by a super-restrained hazelnut-like edge. Undertones of brown mushrooms, chalky minerals and lemon leaf. The palate has a core of sizzlingly intense, concentrated chardonnay framed whitin a powerful phenolic structure that will underpin the future of this Champagne. Flawlessly fresh and as perfect as it gets. Give this time as it needs to settle: best from 2020 and then for another decade beyond.

  • 100p

Krug Vintage 2002 / 97 points / There is a distinctly phenolic character to the secondary-tinged yet super-fresh nose reflects notes of bread, yeast, pear, baked apple, spice and a hint of citrus. The bold and full-bodied flavors possess superb complexity while being underpinned by a notably fine but dense mousse, all wrapped in a gorgeously persistent finish. This is a seriously impressive effort and one of the best of the Krug Brut vintage series released in many years. Note that while this should continue to age effortlessly, it could certainly be enjoyed now.

After being a partner at Jacquesson, the house of Krug was founded by the visionary Joseph Krug in 1843, an accountant who had traveled the world and from the outset was determined to learn all he could to create outstanding champagne and he knew from the outset that required quality vines and grapes. The legacy has been passed down for generations, including his son Paul who moved Krug in 1868 to Reims, where the cellars have been since that time. In the 1960s Krug began to buy its own vineyards. One of the originators of non-vintage champagne, the original "Private Cuvée" became the Krug Grand Cuvée in 1979. Following the original founder's hand-written notes which emphasized "good terroirs" such as Le Mesnil sur Oger, in 1971 Krug was able to purchase 15 acres of vineyards. In 1986 Krug released a single vineyard champagne with the Clos du Mesnil fruit from the 1979 harvest. After the success that followed, they chose to make a single vineyard champagne from Ambonnay, which they purchased in 1994 releasing the first Clos d'Ambonnay from the 1995 vintage in 2007. At the helm of Krug today is Olivier Krug who became director in 2009. In 1999 Krug was acquired by the luxury goods group Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy.

  • 97p

This champagne is bright and golden.A fresh, fruit-filled bouquet releases notes of orange, liquorice and milk chocolate biscuits. On the palate, red, white and citrus fruits combine with notes of cocoa beans and honey, enhanced by a long, persistent finish.

As with Krug 1988, released after 1989, Krug 2002 came after 2003. Vintage Krug competes with today's Clos du Mesnil, but if we go backward in time, it is without doubt the best Champagne. You don't have to be an Einstein to figure out that the vintage and the house's character would marry in perfect fashion. To be honest, the acidity is high, but the fruit is so rich that the acidity is beautifully enveloped. Warmly toasted, almost burned, smoky aromas are present, together with notes of orchids, vanilla, and dried fruit - making one think of an older Krug of warmer years. Of all the champagnes I’ve had in 2017 this top-3 for sure! This wine is already monumental! A legend in the making!’ 

 

  • 98p
Krug Vintage 2002 / Golden eye. Slow and few concentrated bubbles Sharper nose than 2003. Chalk powder Lemon rime, preserved lemon, bread crust. In the palate: lean texture, super elegant and mousse integrated to the wine slighty dominating the liquid. Minerality kissing the lemon rime oiliness and lemon aromas. To drink with delicate sea scalops barely cooked. 92 points
  • 92p
Good looking normal size bottle. Colour is green-yellow and light. On the nose it is open, intense, complex and fresh. The taste is and high in acidity and medium-bodied.
- (Tasting note created by Tb's AI)
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Information

Origin

Reims, Champagne

Vintage Quality

Outstanding

Value For Money

Very good

Investment potential

Good

Fake factory

None

Other wines from this producer

Blanc de Blancs

Clos du Mesnil Vinothèque

Grande Cuvée

Grande Cuvée 160ème Édition

Grande Cuvee 161st edition

Grande Cuvée 162ème Édition

Grande Cuvee 163th edition

Grande Cuvee 164th edition

Grande Cuvée - 165ème Édition

Grande Cuvée -166ème Édition

Grande Cuvée 167ème Edition

Grande Cuvée 168éme edition

Grande Cuvee 169th Edition

Grande Cuvée 170ème Édition

Grande Cuvée 171ÉME Edition

Grande Cuvée Edition 167

Krug Clos d'Ambonnay

Krug Clos du Mesnil

Krug Collection

Krug Rosé

Krug Rosé 25ème Édition

Private Cuvée

Private Cuvée Extra Sec

Rosé - 18ème Édition

Rose 21st Edition

Rosé 22 Edition

Rosé 27ème Édition

Vintage

Inside Information

Krug 2002 celebrates the richness and diversity of nature. The prestigious Krug champagne House decided to name the vintage 2002 "Hommage à la Nature" - which literally means "tribute to nature" - in order to transpose the generosity, the homogeneity, and the serenity of the year 2002 in every glass of champagne. The colour is golden and bright. As for the nose, it is charismatic, very fresh, elegant, with deep, complex and rich fruity notes. Some very singular hints of orange, biscuit, chocolate and fresh licorice can also be perceived. At first, fresh, delicate and balanced aromas are brought out. Then it goes to red fruits, white fruits with a zesty sensation. The long and expressive finish is emphasized by hints of honey, cocoa beans, and toasted bread. What a deep and eloquent champagne!

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