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Krug Vintage

There’s a gentle and calm demeanour to Krug 2000 that belies its tumultuous season. In spite of its glowing generosity it’s somehow transfixed in time, held in suspended animation and astonishingly unchanged from its release two years ago, yet somehow even more expressive than I have ever seen it. The sheer endurance of even a warm Krug vintage is a marvel indeed. This season has found a new lease on life in the capable hands of Krug, shot with indelible definition of crunchy lemon zest and tightly coiled acid line that draws its multifaceted complexity into tight control. It’s aglow with yellow summer fruits and grapefruit, with the great intensity of Krug resonating in rumbling depth of figs, dried peaches, molten wax, exotic spice, vanilla, green olives and hints of smouldering hearth. Deep-set mineral expression and silky texture underscore a finish of sheer concentration and remarkable poise. Right at its prime, with a longer future before it than I ever expected. $298 at United Cellars and $300 at Kemenys, My Cellars and Grays.