critic reviews
Bearing the inaugural Grande Cuvee label, which was used from 1978 to 1982, this bottle of Krug's NV Brut Grande Cuvee (1978-1982) offers up a deep bouquet of honeycomb, spices, dried citrus peal, toasted bread, lemon oil and walnuts. Full-bodied, layered and textural, it's built around an incisive spine of acidity, with fine depth at the core and a long, mineral finish. This is a little firmer and more structural than the more pillowy, charming mid-1980s Grande Cuvee that I tasted alongside it.
(roughly 45% Pinot Noir, 35% Chardonnay and 20% Pinot Meunier; I.D. 421044; LLLMXE): Light gold. Nectarine, poached pear, toasted nuts, anise and buttered toast on the complex, mineral-tinged nose. Deeply concentrated but energetic and precise as well, offering sappy orchard and pit fruit flavors along with notes of brioche and marzipan. A bitter citrus pith note adds definition to the impressively long, smoky finish. Shows more power and heft than I've experienced from this bottling in recent years.