Exclusive! 2008 Krug Vintage with Gift Box - HK$3,380 per bottle

Vintage context

The 2008 Krug Vintage Brut is widely hailed as the most classically Champagne year of the 2000s: a cool growing season with low disease pressure and slow, even phenolic ripening, crowned by a perfectly dry, sunlit September. The harvest delivered small, thick-skinned berries with piercing natural acidity (around 8.5 g/L total acidity; pH circa 3.02), shaping wines of remarkable tension, precision, and latent power. The fruit was so vividly linear that Chef de Caves Julie Cavil nicknamed the base wines “laser beams.” True to the house signature, fermentation and élevage took place entirely in 205 L neutral oak pièces, vinified parcel by parcel to preserve site expression while lending a subtle textural polish to the vintage’s rapier-like structure.

Winemaking and assemblage

2008 Krug Vintage Brut was crafted with exacting selectivity: the final cuvée was drawn from just 14 of the 250+ plots the house vinifies. The blend — 53% Pinot Noir, 25% Pinot Meunier, and 22% Chardonnay — balances muscle, charm, and cut. Pinot Noir from Aÿ, Bouzy, and Ambonnay provides a firm spine and red-fruit depth; Meunier from Sainte-Gemme and Villevenard brings floral lift; and Chardonnay from Avize and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger contributes chiselled, saline minerality. Following secondary fermentation under natural cork, the wine matured 12 years on its lees before disgorgement in spring 2021. Remuage was performed à la main, with riddling and disgorgement undertaken in Krug’s historic cellars on rue Coquebert in Reims. A restrained 4 g/L dosage (extra-brut) completes the wine, preserving its precision, energy, and crystalline drive.

 Tasting Profile and food pairing
Pale gold with emerald glints and a tiny, persistent bead, 2008 Krug Vintage Brut opens with a laser-bright sweep of citrus — yuzu and lemon zest — before unfurling fresh apricot, white currant, peony, and hyacinth over the subtlest whisper of brioche. With air, toasted hazelnut, chalk dust, and a faint smoky inflection emerge. The palate is taut and vertical — almost Riesling-like in its cut — then deepens into layered grapefruit, white peach, and Mirabelle plum, cushioned by almond cream and light honey. The mousse is exquisitely fine; the saline, mouth-watering finish fans out for well over a minute. Precision wrapped in velvet. The 2008 Krug Vintage Brut is sublime with Gillardeau oysters and a yuzu–shallot mignonette—the saline snap echoes the wine’s chalky, mouth-watering finish. It’s equally compelling alongside lobster or langoustine tempura with a light ponzu dip: the airy batter mirrors the ultra-fine mousse, while citrus brightens the natural sweetness of the shellfish. For a richer pairing, roast Bresse chicken with black truffle butter allows the extra‑brut dosage to show its finesse, adding depth without ever overwhelming the palate. 

100 points, James Suckling

"This is very structured and framed with an almost red sensibility. Very phenolic. Full-bodied in a tightly wound ball with so much going on. Very pinot like. Mineral and stone. Shell and stone. Iodine. Vinous. The bubbles just fade into the finish of the wine, which goes on for minutes. Turns to toffee and salted caramel with time in the glass. One for the cellar. Great length. Blend of 53% pinot noir, 25% pinot meunier, 22% chardonnay. Disgorged in beginning of 2020. Drink or hold.”

 97 points, Jeb Dunnuck

“There’s a profound and coiled energy in the 2008 Champagne Millésime, which pours a youthful medium golden hue and opens in the glass to aromas of crushed oyster shell, golden white peach, preserved lemon, shortbread, and fresh ginger. Medium to full-bodied, it has electric and powerful concentration and is packed with preserved Meyer lemon citrus oils, electric tension, and a laser-like mineral texture. Its mousse adds a white pepper spice and a long finish, lasting for ages on the palate. With a strong identity, intense mouthwatering freshness, and outstanding length, it’s not for the faint of heart, but this is going to be a wine we’ll be talking about in 30 to 40 years’ time.”