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  • Country ranking ?

    781
  • Producer ranking ?

    75
  • Decanting time

    10min
  • When to drink

    now to 2030
  • Food Pairing

    Smoked Salmon on Cucumber Rounds

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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The Story

To the delight of Krug Lovers around the world, a very limited number of Krug Vintage bottles are kept in ideal conditions in the House’s cellars. They are tasted and appraised as they wait to blossom into a second life. The Cellar Master might then decide that some Krug Vintages reveal a new personality and become Krug Collection. Krug Collection is a tribute to time sublimation: maturity exposes hidden facets, depth and new flavours, while gaining structure and complexity. Krug Collection is always a wonderful discovery, a deeper story of the Krug Vintage.

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Wine Information

The year 1985 will be remembered for record-breaking frosts in January, rainy and cold June and from July to the end of the cycle climate was sunny with some periods of heat and storms. The result was a harvest of low yields (normal for Chardonnays and very low for Pinot Noirs) with extremely high quality, remarkable for the balance of its wines. 

Henri Krug, president of the house from 1977 to 2002, considered 1985 as the most difficult year for the recreation of Krug Grande Cuvée due to the strong character of the year.  Krug 1985 today as Krug Collection 1985 has evolved into a Champagne which combines richness and intensity as well as freshness and vitality.  It is a very Krug Champagne!

Together with Krug’s other Champagnes, Krug Collection 1985 has made Krug the world’s best-rated Champagne for years and like all Krug Champagnes, it can age beautifully. Krug Collection 1985 is a blend of broad, concentrated, deep, with lots of fruit aromas wines coming from 30 different growths. Pinot Noirs (48%), Chardonnays (30%) and Meuniers (22%) are at the origin of this very unique and original Champagne remarkable for the balance and quality of its wines. 

 

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Vintage 1985

Severe winter temperatures and spring frosts did great damage, leaving many in the region unhopeful of a good year. The destruction was excessive especially in the northern Montagne de Reims, in the hillside vineyards west of Reims and in the Aube. The early summer weather did not raise the hopes, but finally fine September weather came to the rescue and yields ended up being better than feared (albeit tiny, 6,827 kg/ha) when picking commenced on September 30th. Champagnes from 1985 are typically beautifully balanced and intense with great length and character that is still improving today. Dom Pérignon, Charles Heidsieck Champagne Charlie and Blanc des Millénaires, Krug Vintage and Perrier-Jouët Belle Époque excelled, to name a few.

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Average Bottle Price

2015 2014 2012 2010 2005
582€ -8.1% 633€ -29.1% 893€ +75.8% 508€ +3.7% 490€

This data comes from the FINE Auction Index, a composite of average prices for wines sold at commercial auctions in 20 countries. The average prices from each year have been collected since 1990. This chart plots the index value of the average price of the wines.

Tasting note

color

Light and Gold

ending

Long, Round and Pure

flavors

Apricot, Vanilla, Toasty and Dried-fruit

nose

Intense, Complex, Fresh and Seductive

recommend

Yes

taste

Low alcohol content, Balanced, Perfectly balanced, Well-Integrated, Medium-bodied, Fresh, Round, Focused and Dry

Verdict

Intelligent and Sophisticated

Written Notes

What followed was supposed to be theoretically the better bottle, the 1985 Krug Collection. This was a recently released bottle, resting all these years until recently in the cellars. It was milky and yeasty with citrus and bread aromas. The palate had more wood but was flatter and surprisingly softer. There was more vanilla and perfume here, but it was less polished and vigorous than usual - was it bottle variation? Bipin found the Collection ‘more exotic,’ but everyone ultimately preferred the original. I think the Collections will age longer, but a lot depends on the date of disgorgement versus release, too (personally, I think ten years in the bottle is required after disgorgement before a bubbly becomes approachable again) (94?).
  • 94p

Very slight pinkish tinge. Colour deepening. This is already a Collection wine because it has aged faster than the 1982. A more muted nose than the previous wine. Definitely quite mature. Good impact on the throat. Pretty dry and savoury. Relatively lightweight. Quite pretty and certainly mature and serious, developing honey-like characteristics. Softer than the 1982. A tiny bit light.

  • 93p

Krug Collection 1985 has gained depth and beauty, with an astoundingly velvety deep golden colour. Aromas which build in depth include warm bread fresh from the oven, mild spices and even pepper and wax. On the mouth these aromas come together in unctuous, generous opulence with honey and toffee flavours while it highlights delicate, rare flavours of white truffle as well as perfectly ripened figs and even blackcurrant, bursting with sunshine.

Krug Collection 1985 Powerful and smokey nose with ripe fruit underneath, apples and stone fruit, spices and mushrooms. Round, rich and supple on the palate with an oily touch to the fruit. Mid-palate delivers stone fruit and apples, apricots, ripe citrus, coconut and minerals. Very drinkable with it’s modest acidity today but feel like it has more to give. Not something to put away forever though. Now-2023 95p
  • 95p
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Information

Origin

Reims, Champagne

Vintage Quality

Excellent

Value For Money

Good

Investment potential

Below Average

Fake factory

None

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Vintage

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