Champagne Krug - Grande Cuvée 173ème Édition - Coffret luxe

Krug’s Grande Cuvée, 173rd Edition, is crafted from one of the most challenging vintages of the past 20 years in the Champagne region—the 2017 vintage—when creeping rot and a lack of ripeness necessitated extremely rigorous sorting during the harvest. This is exactly the kind of year that highlights the house’s strengths in its reserve wine cellar and its plot-by-plot winemaking. With 31% of the blend consisting of reserve wines dating back to the 2001 vintage, this is a relatively early-drinking Grande Cuvée, yet one that does not suffer unduly from the challenges of that year. One immediately detects a juicy apricot fruitiness, enhanced by the liveliness of ground pepper and toasted grapefruit peel, followed in the glass by aromatic notes of green coffee and dried mushrooms that pair well with food. The soft, velvety mousse is already well-balanced, complementing the sensation of roundness and lightness. The significant presence of cooked Chardonnay brings length and intensity on the palate, even though the proportion of Chardonnay in the blend may not be as high as one might have expected given its relatively good performance that year; the reserve wines also lend a delightful length and intensity to an otherwise straightforward palate. This cuvée can be enjoyed sooner than some others, but in the meantime, it will offer wonderful gastronomic possibilities.

An edition centered on the year 2017, featuring 150 wines and 13 vintages, with the oldest wine coming from a Pinot Noir plot in the village of Verzenay, from the 2001 vintage. A complex mosaic that finds its perfect expression in this masterful Grande Cuvée, filled with very fine, lively bubbles rising through a golden hue with hints of fine gold. On the nose, it is a true symphony of aromas: initially “warm,” with notes of praline, brioche fresh from the oven, and hazelnut, followed by floral notes (arnica flower, chamomile, linden, orange blossom) and fruity notes (pear, mandarin). On the palate, with its impressive volume, it combines richness, butteriness, and density with an airy liveliness enhanced by very “sparkling” bubbles that enliven the finish, marked by chalky and delicately herbal notes. Complexity and finesse, breadth and depth—a cuvée whose story is far from over.

The Grande Cuvée 173rd Edition NV, recently unveiled by Krug—which accounts for approximately 80% of the house’s total production—is performing well, particularly given the challenges posed by the base vintage, 2017. That year, the red grape varieties were subject to severe rot, making meticulous sorting essential; some batches deemed unsuitable for Krug’s standards were even diverted to distillation. The fundamental concept behind the Grande Cuvée relies on the use of the house’s extensive library—which includes some 500 options—to complement the base vintage and mitigate the extremes of any given growing season. The 173rd Edition comprises 150 wines from 13 vintages, with the 2017 vintage accounting for 69% of the final blend. Disgorged in January 2024 with a dosage of 4.5 grams per liter, it opens with aromas of pear, Golden Delicious apple, lemon cream, and early white flowers, interwoven with a distant hint of nutmeg. On the palate, it is medium-bodied to full-bodied, textured and charming, brimming with lively acidity and animated by a velvety mousse, and concludes with a long, briny finish. Compared to its immediate predecessor, the 173rd Edition is fuller and more generous, while the 172nd Edition is tighter and more incisive. As seasoned Krug enthusiasts will recognize, the addition of reserve wines—which may have undergone malolactic fermentation—makes the Grande Cuvée more immediately accessible than the house’s vintage champagnes, offering a more generous tasting experience right from the start.

The 173rd vintage is characterized by the delicate texture inherent in 2017, its base vintage, which is slender and elegant. This balanced, caressing wine seems to us to be more open at this stage than the 172nd vintage, which possesses additional depth and tension and requires more time to develop.

Based on the 2017 vintage and blended from 150 wines spanning 13 vintages dating back to 2001. 31% reserve wine. A harvest marred by rain required extreme care. Dosage: 4 g/l. Pleasantly round and charming, while retaining its usual depth, complex layers, and intellectual rigor. It appears to be made from riper grapes than in the past and is already a true pleasure to drink.

Extremely complex, with aromas of dried apples, light caramel, brioche, and flint, accompanied by notes of cedar, nuts, and burnt metal. Well-integrated, caressing bubbles. Medium-bodied with a precise, compact, and extremely long palate that concentrates the wine’s character and aromas. Very deep and refined. A tangy finish. Ready to drink or for aging.

The NV Champagne Grande Cuvée 173rd Edition is lively and mineral, crafted from the 2017 vintage and 150 wines spanning 13 vintages dating back to 2001. It offers notes of wet stones, custard, lemon zest, honeycomb, white peach, and citrus blossoms. Full-bodied, it combines power and finesse, with a mineral texture and a long finish. This edition also features fantastic spicy notes, excellent underlying acidity, and a lively tension with a savory finish. Olivier Krug commented on the hot weather of 2017, noting that they had made a point of harvesting early for this vintage and had finished their harvest while many others had barely begun. Disgorged in early 2024