Krug Grand Cuvee MV 172nd Edition

99 pointsBettane & Desseauve Guide(2025).

98 pointsLa Revue du Vin de France: “Grande Cuvee 172e Edition is an immense Krug. Built around the very fine 2016 vintage, complete with 146 wines from 11 different vintages (dating back to 1998), it boasts notes of fresh almonds and white flowers, with a chiseled, complex, very long and salivating palate. The mousse is delightful, and it has that controlled power that coats the palate. Already superb, it will benefit from a patient ageing in bottle. (2025)”

98 pointsWine Enthusast: “This is most recent bottling of this iconic Champagne. There is a touch of toast as well as enticing apple and citrus aromas. On the palate, this wine is rich, intense, poised between maturity and ripe white fruits. It is a beautifully balanced wine, ready to drink. Alcohol 12.5%. (Dec 2024)”

97 points Natalie Earl (Decanter): “(36% Chardonnay, 44% Pinot Noir, 20% Pinot Meunier). The 172me dition, based around the 2016 vintage, is a delicate, floral and saline Grande Cuve at this early stage in its life. The palate is taut, tightly wound, gradually unfurling into toasted fruit bread, rye bread and roasted nuts, wrapped around an intricate and taut lemon core. It’s exceptionally long, spicy, rounded and spherical in shape. Notes of sweet unsalted butter round out the finish, which has such length, elegance and balance. 58% of the wine is from the 2016 vintage, which saw a lot of rain in the spring and close to flowering, with 42% from reserve wines. The blend is made up of 146 separately vinified wines from 11 different years, and the oldest wine in the blend is from the 1998 vintage. Drinking Window: 2024-2045. (4/23/24)”

97 points James Suckling: “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. Its fresh and even austere, with notes of ground spices. So vertical and firm. Structured and long. Drink or hold. (5/30/24)”

97 pointsFalstaff(10/24/24).

96 pointsWine Spectator: “This classy Champagne waltzes across the palate with fluid poise and grace. The mousse’s pointillism-like beads and a vivid frame of acidity buoy the detailed range of aromas and flavors, including chopped cherry, dried apricot, tangerine peel and plum cake notes, plus fragrant hints of grated ginger, lime blossoms, ground coffee and grilled nuts. A tang of salinity drives the racy, lingering finish. Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Meunier. Disgorged winter 2022 to 2023 (Krug ID 123003). Drink now through 2040. (11/30/24)”

95 points Antonio Galloni (Vinous): “The NV Grande Cuve 172me dition is a gracious, sublime Champagne. Light citrus notes, white flowers, spice, marzipan and chamomile inflections all run through this delicate, nuanced Grande Cuve. The 172eme is a Champagne of understatement and class that is very much a reflection of the base year. Brisk acids pull it all together. The Grande Cuve is often quite accessible on release, but this is an Edition I would cellar for at least another year or two. Its a fine effort from Krug. The 172me dition is a blend of 44% Pinot Noir, 30% Chardonnay and 20% Meunier based on 2016 with reserve wines back to 1998. Disgorged: Winter 2022-2023. Krug ID: 123003. Drink: 2024-2044. (Mar 2024)”

95 points Yohan Castaing (Wine Advocate): “The new Krug release, the NV Grande Cuve 172me dition, 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. Drink: 2024-2034. (10/24/24)”