Krug Grande Cuvee 171th Edition Brut Champagne

Krug Grande Cuvee 171th Edition Brut Champagne

Deep golden color and fine, vivacious bubbles, predicting fullness and elegance. Aromas of flowers in bloom, ripe & dried fruit, marzipan, gingerbread and citrus fruits. Flavors of hazelnut, nougat, barley sugar, jellied and citrus fruits, almonds, brioche and honey.

Krug Grande Cuve lends itself to a plethora of culinary combinations, from the simplest to the most sophisticated, from an extra mature parmesan to a dish of turbot la truffe.

Critical Acclaim

97 Jeb Dunnuck

A beautiful Champagne, yet one that needs bottle age, the NV Grand Cuvee 168me 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.

96 Wine Enthusiast

In line with the producer’s practice of numbering each bottling of its flagship Grande Cuve, this is the latest release. Following the house style, there is some marvelously impressive Pinot Noir in this rich, full blend. That gives the Champagne its luxurious feel, contrasting with the tension from the dryness and minerality. This bottling, which shows maturity, is ready to drink.

96 Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate

Krug’s NV Grande Cuve 168me dition is a classic in the making, wafting from the glass with aromas of dried fruits, pear, toasted nuts, orange zest, honeycomb and freshly baked bread. Medium to full-bodied, generous but incisive, it’s deep and elegantly fleshy, with a beautifully refined mousse and an enveloping core of fruit that’s complemented by the characteristic Krug patina of nutty complexity imparted by barrel fermentation. Even if this is more open out of the gates than the 2011-based 167me edition, the 168me edition is also the more concentrated and intense of the two. It’s based on the 2012 harvest, complemented by fully 42% reserve winesa blend of 198 wines from 11 different vintages dating back to 1996.

95 Wine Spectator

A seamless Champagne, effortlessly integrating a powerful spine of racy acidity with the detailed range of crme de cassis, raw almond, toasted saffron and candied ginger flavors. This is fine and silky in texture, with a tang of salty minerals and rich hints of coffee, toasted brioche and mandarin orange peel expanding on the finish. Disgorged winter 2018. Drink now through 2030.