October 24, 2024
Krug Grande Cuvee 172eme Edition
The 172nd edition, primarily from the 2016 vintage, presents a delicate, floral, and saline profile. With a taut palate evolving into flavours of toasted bread, roasted nuts, and a zesty lemon core, it boasts incredible length and balance. 58% is 2016 wine, blended with 42% reserve wines dating back to 1998.
Krug is an iconic champagne house with a rich history and a steadfast commitment to producing exceptional and unique champagnes. Founded in 1843 by Johann-Joseph Krug, this esteemed Maison has since become synonymous with luxury in the world of champagne. It was Johann-Joseph's vision to create a champagne that transcended the constraints of vintage, enabling him to blend wines from various years to achieve the finest quality. Krug has grown a reputation for being a gastronomic champagne, pairing exceptionally well with fine dining due to its complexity, depth, and multi-layered flavours, making it a favourite among chefs and sommeliers. It often appears on the menus of Michelin-starred restaurants.
Creating the Krug Grande Cuvée is an intricate task. For the 172ème Édition, Julie Cavil, Krug’s Cellar Master, chose 146 reserve wines across 11 vintages, with the oldest from 1998, centred around 2016. This blend showcases Krug’s extraordinary skill, weaving together countless possibilities to create a Champagne that captivates the senses with depth, complexity, and freshness.
The Krug Grande Cuvée 172ème Édition is a must-have for collectors, boasting 97 points from both Decanter and James Suckling, further supported by 96 points from Wine Spectator and 95 points from the tough scorer Antonio Galloni of Vinous. This remarkable Champagne is praised for its depth, elegance, and complexity.
Don't miss the chance to add this extraordinary cuvée to your collection.
Krug Grande Cuvee 172eme Edition NV
97 Points | Decanter
The 172ème édition, based around the 2016 vintage, is a delicate, floral and saline Grande Cuvée at this early stage in its life. The palate it taut, tightly wound, gradually unfurling into toasted fruit bread, rye bread and roasted nuts, wrapped around an intricate and taut lemon core. It's exceptionally long, spicy, rounded and spherical in shape. Notes of sweet unsalted butter round out the finish, which has such length, elegance and balance. 58% of the wine is from the 2016 vintage, which saw a lot of rain in the spring and close to flowering, with 42% from reserve wines. The blend is made up of 146 separately vinified wines from 11 different years, and the oldest wine in the blend is from the 1998 vintage.
97 Points | James Suckling
Beautiful notes of dried citrus fruit, lemon curd and dried apples with hints of spices, dried flowers and subtle brioche. I like the polished and caressing texture and steady, refreshing acidity. It’s fresh and even austere, with notes of ground spices. So vertical and firm. Structured and long. Drink or hold.
96 Points | Wine Spectator
This classy Champagne waltzes across the palate with fluid poise and grace. The mousse's pointillismlike beads and a vivid frame of acidity buoy the detailed range of aromas and flavors, including chopped cherry, dried apricot, tangerine peel and plum cake notes, plus fragrant hints of grated ginger, lime blossoms, ground coffee and grilled nuts. A tang of salinity drives the racy, lingering finish. Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Meunier. Disgorged winter 2022 to 2023 (Krug ID 123003). Drink now through 2040.
95 Points | Vinous, Antonio Galloni
The NV Grande Cuvée 172ème Édition is a gracious, sublime Champagne. Light citrus notes, white flowers, spice, marzipan and chamomile inflections all run through this delicate, nuanced Grande Cuvée. The 172eme is a Champagne of understatement and class that is very much a reflection of the base year. Brisk acids pull it all together. The Grande Cuvée is often quite accessible on release, but this is an Edition I would cellar for at least another year or two. It’s a fine effort from Krug. The 172ème Édition is a blend of 44% Pinot Noir, 30% Chardonnay and 20% Meunier based on 2016 with reserve wines back to 1998. Disgorged: Winter 2022-2023. Krug ID: 123003.