Krug Grande Cuvée is born from the dream of one man, Joseph Krug, to craft the very best Champagne he could offer, every single year, regardless of annual variations in climate. Since 1843, the House of Krug has honoured this vision with each new Édition of Krug Grande Cuvée: the most generous expression of Champagne.

At first sight, intense yellow gold. An elegant and aromatic nose of white flowers, lavender and almond holds the promise of finesse upon the first sip. The palate is delicate and intense, long, fresh and persistent. White fruits dominate over yellow and are complemented by citrus through Krug Grande Cuvée's characteristic lemony notes. Gentle nuances of white flowers and violet caress the palate, giving way to hints of eucalyptus and menthol.

As Krug Grande Cuvée 172ème Édition is particularly floral, it is in perfect harmony with recipes created with flowers, as well as a wealth of culinary combinations, from the simplest to the most sophisticated, from an aged parmesan to turbot à la truffe. It can be enjoyed as an aperitif with Jabugo ham and mature comté or served to accompany oysters, grilled shrimps, Indian or Moroccan food, as well as desserts such as carrot cake, tarte tatin and cheesecake.

Krug Grande Cuvée 172ème Édition was composed around the harvest of 2016, a year of weather conditions so contrasting, they became a caricature of the climatic pendulum. An extremely wet spring, with +70% rainfall versus the norm between April and June, made vineyard work difficult and increased disease pressure. Clement weather ensued from flowering onwards, allowing the vineyard to recover, ending with a heatwave at the end of ripening. The marathon harvest took place from September 9 to October 2 yielding classic grapes in good health and wines all about expression and character, regardless of grape variety or origin. To create this Édition of Krug Grande Cuvée, the Cellar Master looked to accentuate the year's elegantly diverse aromatic expressions with a broad spectrum of different plots' wines from 10 other years. In all, reserve wines from the House's extensive library made up 42% of the final blend, bringing the breadth and roundness so essential to each Édition of Krug Grande Cuvée.

"Beautiful notes of dried citrus fruit, lemon curd and dried apples with hints of spices, dried flowers and subtle brioche. I like the polished and caressing texture and steady, refreshing acidity. It's fresh and even austere, with notes of ground spices. So vertical and firm. Structured and long. Drink or hold."
97 points. James Suckling, May 2024.

"The new Krug release, the NV Grande Cuvée 172ème Édition, based on the 2016 vintage and comprising 11 vintages in total (the oldest is 1998), is outstanding. It reveals a complex, slightly spicy bouquet of white fruits, beeswax, marzipan, hazelnuts, dried herbs, ripe orchard fruits and white flowers. Medium to full-bodied, rich and concentrated on the palate, it has a subtly spicy entry, an enrobing and layered texture and a fleshy core of fruit framed around a perfectly balanced, fresh and mineral finish. Crafted primarily from Pinot Noir (44%) and complemented with 30% Chardonnay and the rest Pinot Meunier, it was disgorged in the first quarter of 2023 with a dosage of 4.5 grams per liter. Keep it for 5-10 years."
95 points. Yohan Castaing, robertparker.com, October 2024.