The 2004 Vintage is a gorgeous Champagne that is just beginning to enter its first plateau of maturity. Dried flowers, brioche, mint, marzipan, tangerine peel and spice lend notable nuance throughout. A hint of reduction adds intrigue. As always, the 2004 is a linear, focused Champagne endowed with terrific energy. It is impeccably done. There's a bit more Chardonnay and Meunier than usual in this vintage, and that very much comes through in the wine's personality and overall feel. The blend is 37% Pinot Noir, 39% Chardonnay and 24% Meunier as opposed to the more classic 50%/35%/15% blend. Disgorged: Summer 2018. Krug ID: 318031. -- Antonio Galloni

This is an extremely fresh edition and remains in a restrained mode with an intense serve of chardonnay's lemon citrus dominating the nose alongside lime zest, bright florals, grassy elements, fresh dough, white stones and very subtle background spice. The palate has a svelte and elegant shape. Smoother than the 2002, it shares the same quality of precision but not the raging power of that vintage. The poise is unquestionable, the wine very reserved, with plenty of lemon-infused citrus flavors, hints of fresh cashew and a lot of potential. Acidity holds superbly, the dosage is exactly where it should be. This is a classic release. It's all about chardonnay. Best from 2022 and will mature gracefully in linear style in bottle for several decades.

The 2004 Krug remains one of the most beautiful young vintages of this bottling to be released in quite some time. It does not have the power and sternness of structure of the titan that is the 2002, nor the shimmering generosity of the 2003, but it is a great, great classic in the making that already exudes the depth and refinement that is vintage Krug in the finest years. As I mentioned last year, the wine is composed of a blend of thirty-nine percent chardonnay, thirty-seven percent pinot noir and twenty-four percent pinot meunier, with this particular bottle having been disgorged three months later than the last one I tasted, in the summer of 2016. The nose offers up a stunning constellation of apple, pear, a very complex base of soil tones, lovey smokiness, caraway seed, spring flowers, incipient notes of orange zest and a lovely touch of almond in the upper register. On the palate the wine is pure, focused and full-bodied, with a rock solid core, superb complexity and grip and a very, very long, vibrant and seamless finish. This will be at its true apogee fifteen to twenty years from now, but I wonder how many bottles will survive to that point, as it is a breathtakingly beautiful glass of bubbly already!

Combining subtleness with complexity, the coolish Krug 2004 Brut opens with a highly elegant, fascinatingly clear, bright and refreshing bouquet of ripe (apple) fruits. Dense and round, with a delicate mineral soul, the pure but perfectly balanced 2004 reveals great finesse and weightless elegance with a long and round finish. This is a gorgeous Krug vintage that is 14 years old but still on the rise. - Stephan Reinhardt

2004 was a late harvest year, and this vintage Krug, composed of 39% Chardonnay, 37% Pinot Noir and 24% Pinot Meunier, possesses an impressive aromatic richness of hazelnuts, white fruit and spring flowers. There's both density and freshness on the palate, and an engaging counterpoint between vinosity and tension achieves a compelling, harmonious balance. Worthy of an audacious match with sea urchins! Read more at https://www.decanter.com/wine-reviews/france/champagne/krug-champagne-france-2004-13780#dwPLAXXgCt1GMDy3.99

A graceful Champagne, wowing more for its elegance and fine integration than the underlying power and tension. The delicate mousse caresses the palate, carrying flavors of blackberry, candied kumquat and lemon sorbet with rich accents of espresso crema, pastry cream and chopped almond. Fresh and focused on the lasting, spiced finish. Disgorged autumn 2017. Drink now through 2030.

Precision sets this wine apart, as if the flavors had diamond-cut clarity. Whatever cool earthiness or spicy-lees broadness there may be is focused and lifted by the structure, so that the wine’s flavors feel restrained and elegant. Deliciously fresh, with an undercurrent of chalky tension and a citrus sting, this would be a great partner to Cantonese dim sum.