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Krug Grande Cuvee Edition 169 Non Vintage

RegionChampagne
Subregion France > Champagne
ColourWhite
TypeSparkling

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Tasting Notes

Based on the 2013 vintage and complemented by some 40% reserve wines dating back to 2000, Krug's newly released NV Grande Cuvée 169ème Édition is showing very nicely, unfurling in the glass with notes of citrus oil, buttered toast, dried apricot, warm biscuits and marmalade. Medium to full-bodied, deep and incisive, it's a tauter, more chiseled rendition of Grande Cuvée by comparison with the richer, more textural and more demonstrative 168ème Édition (based on the 2012 vintage) that preceded it; but its bright spine of acidity is nicely cloaked in fruit. Concluding with a long and sapid finish, this is a very classically balanced Champagne that will reward bottle age 2021 - 2050

96+
William Kelley, Wine Advocate, September 2021

Still vibrant and focused, with plenty of dried apple, apricot, dried lemon, lime zest, pie crust, toast and flint. Powerful and structured. Tightly wound and deep. 43% pinot noir, 35% chardonnay and 22% pinot meunier, from 2013 to older vintages. 40% reserve wine. Needs time to come together completely. Drink or hold.

97
James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com, June 2022

Deep copper gold. Tiny, tiny bead. Much more obvious acidity, age and (lightly oaky?) savour on the nose than Cristal 2013. Aérien with blossomy notes with a little mandarin. Very marked acidity on the palate. A real wake-up call! Sleek and fresh and truly spring-like with a light yeasty note on the very long finish. The most pleasure to be had initially is in the nose and the finish. The palate is still a bit of shock. This should have a long life. Bone-dry finish and playing the intellectual card. Throbs on the palate with all its vibrancy. Long. Tighter than the 168ème Édition. Structure dominates fruit.

18.5+
Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com, May 2021

Based largely on the 2013 vintage, the NV Grand Cuvée 169eme Edition is another brilliant example of this Champagne that does everything right. Still young and tight, it reveals a vibrant bouquet of stone fruits, toasted bread, chalky minerality, and subtle nutty nuances. Quite fat and concentrated on the palate, this full-bodied beauty has a fine, silky mousse, wonderful balance, and a great, focused, chiseled finish. It's going to benefit from 2-3 years of bottle age and drink brilliantly for 20+ years or more. This is gorgeous and certainly in the same league as the 168eme Edition.

97
Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com, November 2021

This is a layered Champagne with very fine tannins and super beautiful texture and length. Full-bodied with intensity and length. Powerful, austere and tight. Really long and made for the cellar. Vivid. Drink or hold.

97
Stuart Pigott, JamesSuckling.com, February 2022
Please note that these tasting notes/scores are not intended to be exhaustive and in some cases they may not be the most recently published figures. However, we always do our best to add latest scores and reviews when these come to our attention. We advise customers who wish to purchase wines based simply on critical reviews to carry out further research into the latest reports.