We are delighted today to release Krug’s latest iteration of Grande Cuvée – the highly anticipated 168th Edition. Marking the sixth official Krug Edition release, 168 is a brilliant Grande Cuvée, described by Jancis Robinson as a “great tribute to the work of old cellarmaster Eric Lebel” and likely to become “a really great, glamorous Grand Cuvee that will continue to develop in bottle for many years to come”.
Followers of Krug’s multi-vintage blend will have noticed that the youngest wines, and heart of this blend, come from the exceptional 2012 vintage. The remaining 48% is made up of no less than 197 different lots of Krug’s enviable reserve wine library, spanning 10 different vintages all the way back to 1996. Never have so many individual reserve wines been used for a single Grand Cuvée blend.
Read More2012 brought tumult in spring, then exceptionally dry harvest conditions. The resulting wines, a short crop, are imbued with concentration, tension and elegance. Krug’s 168 plays this out; a wine of striking finesse and intensity with exceptional definition to its flavours. Undoubtedly, this is the best release since the 164th and clearly destined for great things as it develops in bottle. It is an unmissable release for Krug lovers…
“A blend of 198 wines from 11 different years, with the youngest the acclaimed 2012, back to a precious, powerfully aromatic lot of Verzenay Pinot Noir 1996. The final blend – 52% Pinot Noir, 35% Chardonnay and 13% Meunier – was bottled in 2013 and aged for seven years in Krug’s cellars in Reims. Yields in 2012 were 20% lower than usual because of a succession of meteorological events including frost, rain, storms and hail in winter and spring 2012, followed by the driest ripening season since 1974. Notably intense aroma with crème pâtissière dominant. Masses of extract and remarkable acidity underpinned by great depth of flavour and beautiful balance on the finish. I think this is going to be a really great, glamorous Krug Grande Cuvée that will continue to develop in bottle for many years to come. I suspect it will be even more enjoyable from the end of 2020. The length on the palate is remarkable. This is magnificently precise, a great tribute to the work of the old cellarmaster Eric Lebel, who is still in the background, and a wonderful welcome to his successor Julie Cavil, who has been learning from him since 2006.” Jancis Robinson – 19/20 Points