NV Krug Grande Cuvée 168th Edition
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Tasting notes
The nose is powerful, lively and fresh, initially with pithy pink grapefruit and zingy raspberry notes. Layers of riper, fleshier peach and apricot emerge, along with vanilla, salted caramel, nutty bread and hints of toasty cinnamon. Managing to effortlessly cover the full spectrum of fresh, flinty, citrussy; ripe, toasty and deep; precise and generous, this really does deliver on every level. The elegant and chalky mouthfeel remains light footed yet is deep and coating. An initial sure of acidity gracefully eases off but leaves a long, fresh and lively impression. Superb.
Critic scores
Jancis Robinson MW
Robert Parker
More reviews and scores
Based on the rather glorious 2012 vintage. Broad, opulent nose. Full of excitement with tropical floral elements. Very expressive and rather gorgeous. (JR)
A beautiful Champagne, yet one that needs bottle age, the NV Grand Cuvee 168ème Edition comes mostly from the 2012 vintage (a good vintage) and has gorgeous apple blossom and stone fruits intermixed with classic Krug toasted brioche, toasted almond, white flowers, and honeysuckle aromatics. Just gorgeous on the palate as well, it's concentrated and has a rich, backward texture, bright acidity, and great finish. It takes lots of air to show at its best today, but do your best to hide bottles for 3-4 years. You'll be rewarded and it will evolve gracefully for another two decades or more.
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.
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.