NV Krug Grande Cuvee Edition 170
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Tasting notes
The Krug’s Grande Cuvée 170th Edition is a blend of 195 different wines, spanning 12 different vintages between 1998 and 2014. It is 54% Pinot Noir, 38% Chardonnay and 11% Pinot Meunier. On tasting, the Champagne stands out for its fantastic vinous, textural quality and striking depth. It has a refined nose of apple blossom, honeyed tones and toasted nougat. On the palate, there is richer orchard fruit, riper toffee apple, sweet pastry and salted caramel notes. On the finish, earthier tones from the reserve wines come through, in contrast to the fresher green-apple-skin note that brings lift on the long finish. The backbone of acidity gives vertical definition to the wine and amazing, tensile length.
Critic scores
Average Score
James Suckling
Decanter
More reviews and scores
The NV Grande Cuvée 170ème Edition, (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 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.
Based on the 2014 vintage but with many a reserve wine as usual. Low-key nose. Not nearly as expressive as the 171ème Édition. Rather timid in fact with the acidity currently dominating the fruit. It's still a bit astringent. I'd wait awhile before opening this. (JR)
About the producer
Krug is a remarkable Champagne House which only makes prestige cuvées. The wines – with their distinctive rich, complex, oxidative style – are some of the region’s best.