Krug, Grande Cuvée, Edition, 170th
The task of composing a new Grande Cuvée must be mind-boggling. For this, the 172nd Edition, Julie Cavil, Krug’s Cellar Master, has selected 146 different reserve wines spanning 11 different vintages (the oldest 1998) and threaded them together around the 2016 vintage. The potential permutations of such a blend are endless – no wonder there’s an official tasting committee to help decide the final composition. Producing the goods year in year out is an incredible feat, testament to quality of Krug’s vineyards, winemakers and blenders; rarely does a bottle not captivate the senses. This is a quintessential Krug, full of detail, structure, freshness and density. Its qualities embody the Krug Grande Cuvée style, though if we had to be ultra specific, we’d suggest this is a particularly generous, structured, and expressive rendition. It is quite simply a Champagne of the highest order, guaranteed to give pleasure now, or at any time over the next 10 to 20 years. Scratched essential citrus oils and fine toast and salt. Glorious savoury depth and essential oil character. This is inimitable Krug. Such deep citrus and toast and chalk over an extract heavy structure. Fine patisserie with some air - crisp flaky pastry - lemon flesh, white flowers and chalk. Lovely rich pink grapefruit flavours command the back palate. Juicy, bitter, mouthwatering. Impeccable - combining depth with chiselled vitality and the grip of structured dry extract. Long, extract laden yet fine. Its final composition is 44% Pinot Noir, 36% Chardonnay and 20% Meunier. Reserve wines from the House’s extensive library made up 42% of the final blend.
critic reviews
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.
Krug's NV Grande Cuvee 170eme Edition is based on the 2014 vintage, complemented by some 45% reserve wines dating back to 1998, with the house drawing on, among many others, 2013 for structure and 2012 and 2003 for generosity. Opening in the glass with aromas of pastry cream, dried fruits, pear, warm spices, freshly baked bread and vanilla pod, it's medium to full-bodied, pillowy and fine-boned, with excellent concentration, racy acids and a precise, chiseled profile. But if the latter adjective could be applied to the 2013-base 169eme edition equally felicitously, the 2014-base 170eme is more giving and less tightly wound out of the gates and will offer more demonstrative drinking young.