Krug Grande Cuvée 173ème Édition is composed around the 2017 harvest and blends 150 wines from 13 years, stretching back to 2001. With 31% reserve wine, a lower share than recent Éditions, the year's own fruit plays a bigger part.
About This Champagne
The 2017 season began cold, then a mild spell woke the vines early. Spring frost and heavy summer storms cost the region around a fifth of its crop, and dry, hot weather saved the rest for a harvest from 25 August to 15 September. Quality varied plot to plot, so the cellar added elegance with 2014 and 2011 Chardonnay and racy Pinot Noir from the 2000s, and structure from the northern Montagne de Reims and straight 2016 Meunier. The blend is 44% Pinot Noir, 34% Chardonnay and 22% Meunier, with a low dosage of 4 g/l.
Tasting Profile
- Nose: Toast, brioche, stone fruit, verbena and vanilla custard, with a hint of rum baba.
- Palate: Creamy and generous, with peach in syrup, ripe citrus, pine nut and toasted notes.
- Finish: Crisp and mouthwatering, ending on fresh lemon.
Serving & Food
Serve at 10 to 12°C in a Joseph or large white wine glass, not a flute. Approachable now and will reward several years of calm storage. Krug's own ideas work well: aged Parmesan, asparagus roasted with garlic butter or hake with chermoula.
How to Enjoy
Those who want a recent Édition to drink now or lay down, and a thoughtful gift for Champagne lovers.
Product Details
Producer: Krug
Cuvée: Grande Cuvée 173ème Édition
Base Harvest: 2017
Composition: 150 wines from 13 different years (2001 to 2017)
Reserve Wines: 31% of the blend
Blend: 44% Pinot Noir, 34% Chardonnay, 22% Meunier
Dosage: 4 g/l
Origin: Champagne, France
Category: Champagne
Country: France
Format: 750mL
About the Maison
Krug has firm views on how its wines should be served. The house recommends 9 to 12°C, warmer than many people pour Champagne, because cold mutes the aromas. It suggests storing bottles at that same temperature, away from light and vibration, as all its Champagnes gain patina with age.
In 2011 Krug worked with Riedel on the Joseph glass, a wider, egg-shaped bowl that gives Grande Cuvée room to open. The idea is that a blend of so many wines needs space in the glass, not a narrow flute.