Making its debut this year is Krug's NV Grande Cuvée 167ème Édition, a beautiful wine that wafts from the glass with aromas of yellow orchard fruit, peach and waxy citrus rind, complemented by complex notes of freshly baked bread, walnuts and smoke. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied and muscular but incisive, with a deep and concentrated core, a pinpoint mousse and a long, complex finish. Built around the 2011 vintage, the wine includes reserve wines dating back to 1995 and was disgorged in the winter of 2017-2018. Readers are advised to give it at least a couple years of bottle age before popping corks. 2020 - 2045
Made from 191 different wines, the youngest of which are from 2011 and the oldest from 1995. The nose is high toned and mineral, with lightly toasted brioche adding weight to waxy lemon and fleshy white stone fruits. Savoury, lightly meaty undertones come through with a little air. The palate has bright, mouthwatering acidity that cuts through the generous and creamy mousse. Rich and textural, with pithy citrus and chalky minerality at the core. The lengthy time on lees before disgorgement is evident in the savoury, creamy breadth that builds through the mid-palate and leaves an expansive finish. Still tightly wound and youthful, this will benefit from a little bottle age to reveal its true potential, but is already drinking beautifully now. Another great iteration of Grande Cuvée.
