Grande Cuvée 168ème Édition is Krug's multi-year blend composed around the small 2012 harvest. It brings together 198 wines from 11 years and marks a handover in the Krug cellar, as it was the Édition presented when Julie Cavil took charge of blending.
About This Champagne
Yields in 2012 were low after a string of weather events damaged around 2,100 parcels across Champagne, though what survived made round, elegant wines with a pastry-like character. To give them tension, Cavil chose fresh reserve Chardonnay from Avize and Marmery and Pinot Noir from the northern Montagne de Reims and Verzenay. The oldest wine dates from 1996, reserves make up 42% of the blend, and the final split is 52% Pinot Noir, 35% Chardonnay and 13% Meunier. Jancis Robinson scored this Édition 19/20 and praised its precision and length.
Tasting Profile
- Nose: White flowers, ripe and dried fruit, lemon zest, marzipan and a gentle gingerbread note.
- Palate: Hazelnut, nougat, barley sugar and candied citrus, with almond and warm brioche; the mousse is fine and lively.
- Finish: Persistent and precise, with honeyed depth held in check by a firm, chalky line.
Serving & Food
Chill to about 10°C and pour into a wide tulip glass. Drinking well now with the balance to keep improving for a good while. Pinot Noir leads here, so it copes happily with roast chicken, pistachio pâté or crisp roast pork belly.
How to Enjoy
Dinner parties where the wine is part of the conversation, and anyone following Krug from one cellar master to the next.
Product Details
Producer: Krug
Origin: Champagne, France
Edition: Grande Cuvée 168ème Édition
Composition: 198 wines from 11 different years (1996 to 2012)
Base Harvest: 2012
Reserve Wines: 42% of the blend
Blend: 52% Pinot Noir, 35% Chardonnay, 13% Meunier
Volume: 750mL
Presentation: Gift box
About the Maison
Julie Cavil became Krug's cellar master at the start of 2020, the first woman to hold the post at the house. She had joined Krug in 2006 and spent years working beside her predecessor Éric Lebel on the Tasting Committee, which is where the real work of Grande Cuvée happens. The 168ème Édition was the first she presented in her new role, with Lebel still in the background.
Her approach follows the house method: know every plot wine individually, then decide what each year needs from the reserve library to reach the full Krug style.