Declassified Krug declared “flabby”

Krug was right not to release its 1999 Krug Clos du Mesnil according to Jeannie Cho Lee MW.

Writing in her August issue of Jeannie’s Wine Diary she described the Champagne as “thin” and “lacking in the finish”, and once the wine warmed up, “a bit flabby”.

As first reported by the drinks business, the ’99 vintage from Krug’s single vineyard in the famous Chardonnay-growing village of Mesnil was declassified after bottling, because it was deemed unsatisfactory.

Lee applauded the decision in her diary, writing that the rejected vintage was “an example of Krug’s obsession with detail and quality”.

The vintage is known for its low acidity levels, which were diluted due to late rains across the Champagne region.

According to Jancis Robinson MW, writing back in 2006, some of the 1999s “are terribly soft and can taste almost sweet, so lacking are they in Champagne’s usually vital spark of bracing tartness.”

Jeannie Cho Lee MW

Lee had tasted the Krug Clos de Mesnil 1999 blind alongside other vintages in July this year at Krug’s cellars in Reims.

Of the years she tasted, which also included vintage – but not single vineyard – Krug from 1996, 1998 and 2000, she gave the 1996 the highest score, awarding the Champagne 98 points.

She said the 1996 tasted more youthful than the 1998 and 2000, and described it as “A 16-year old Champagne that tastes younger than half its age.”