Krug : Grande Cuvée 170ème Édition

A lovely, mouthwatering Champagne, with a vivid and finely detailed panoply of baked nectarine, lime blossom, ground coffee, mandarin orange peel, candied ginger and salted almond notes set in a lithe, limber frame. Seamlessly knit, with a sense of buoyant vitality, this has a harmonious, elegant frame for the richly expressive flavor range. Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Meunier. Disgorged winter 2020 to 2021. Drink now through 2027.

Light golden yellow in colour with silver reflections and a medium, lively mousse. On the nose, hints of kumquat, delicate blossom honey and yellow stone fruit, with some biscuit notes and a touch of light nougat. The palate is taut and balanced, with fine yellow tropical fruit, and a touch of lemon on the saline-mineral finish. Energetic and persistent, a great food wine. (11/5/2023).

Krug’s NV Grande Cuvée 170ème Édition is based on the 2014 vintage, complemented by 45% reserve wines going back to 1998. Full note to follow.

The NV Grande Cuvée 170ème Édition (2014 base vintage) is rich, ample and explosive. Wonderfully fresh and vibrant, the 170 offers an exotic mélange of dried orchard fruit, pear, spice and crushed flowers. Chef de Caves Eric Lebel was not especially excited about 2014 when I saw him a few months after the harvest, as yields in Pinot Noir and Meunier were adversely affected. Perhaps for that reason the 170 contains more reserve wines than most editions. Regardless, the Krug team crafted an absolutely brilliant Grande Cuvée. The blend is 51% Pinot Noir, 38% Chardonnay and 11% Meunier, vintages 2014 through 1998. Disgorged: Autumn 2021. Krug ID: 421062.

The numbering indicates this is the 170th blending of this Champagne. This iteration has a fine poise—it's mature and toasty on the one hand and offers rich fruit on the other. It is a finely balanced wine that is ripe and full in the mouth. Drink this beautiful wine now.