Krug Grande Cuvee 166th Edition #218026 MV (1.5L)

97 DE / 96+ WA / 95 WS / 95 WE / 94 VM / 94 JS / 18+ JR

5% Pinot Noir, 39% Chardonnay, 16% Meunier, blended from 140 wines dating from 1996 to 2010, including 42% reserves. Krug leads off where most other Champagne houses end, and its entry wine is every bit a prestige cuvée. It smells and tastes like no other wine, a monumental paradox of tense freshness, profound maturity and inimitable complexity. Decadently rich, extravagantly complex and thunderingly expansive, Grande Cuvée is a vinous Champagne of multifaceted personality, yet ever-heightened tension. For all it represents, spanning 25 years of production, it presents incredible value. Drinking Window 2020 - 2030 - Tyson Stelzer, Decanter

Compared to Krug's 160th edition, the bright golden-yellow colored NV Grande Cuvée 166ème Édition (ID117010) is still a baby that shows the chalky and fruity features of a young white Burgundy intermixed with notes of Schwarzwälder Kirsch (dark cherries with black chocolate) and floral (ammonia) flavors on the pure, fresh and elegant yet intense and still yeasty brioche nose with its ripe apple aromas and refreshingly bright (lemon juice) overtones. Round, wide and very elegant yet also straight and tense on the palate, this 2010-dominated cuvée is very delicate, fresh and chalky but also dense and lush in its vinous texture. The finish is well-structured, fresh and persistent, indicating great complexity and vibrancy. However, I would wait at least another three years, during which time the 166th edition will gain even more finesse and quiet. The 166ème Édition is composed of 140 wines from 13 different harvests between 1998 and 2010, and it's a blend of 45% Pinot Noir with 39% Chardonnay and 15% Pinot Meunier, the latter of which provides the vivacity that the Chardonnay from the Côte des Blancs surprisingly didn't have in 2010, a vintage that was marked by its "tumultuous climate," as Eric Lebel writes. Tasted in New York in November 2018. - Stephan Reinhardt, Wine Advocate

This mouthwatering Champagne feels like a swathe of raw silk on the palate, where flavors of sun-dried white cherry, toast and Meyer lemon peel are accented by expressive saffron, ground coffee and mandarin orange peel aromas. Long and racy on the honey-, spice- and smoke-laced finish. Disgorged winter 2017. AN – Wine Spectator

This is the latest incarnation of Grande Cuvée, now in its 166th edition. Toasty aromas signal an enticingly mature wine, rich with intense secondary flavors. It preserves the wonderful richness and the style of this producer. The wine is ready to drink now, but it will be also enjoyable for many more years. - Roger Voss, Wine Enthusiast

The MV Grande Cuvée 166ème, based on the 2010 vintage, offers good depth, but it also comes across as a bit angular and in need of time in bottle to soften. Certainly, next to the 2008 and 2009 editions, the 2010 is a touch rough around the edges. Even so, there is good freshness and verve to the bright citrus, mineral and floral flavors. Antonio Galloni – Vinous Media

Complexity from the very outset with praline, honey, grilled-hazelnut and nougat aromas leading to a fresh background of peaches, lemons and grapefruit. Chardonnay leads on the nose for now. The palate has finesse, fleshy appeal and terrific focus. Long, powerful and seamless. A strong edition of Grande Cuvée. Drink or hold. - James Suckling

ID 217017. A blend of 140 wines.
Savoury, rather Puligny-like nose. Very, very fresh, real zest on the palate which seems more youthful than the nose. Very punchy and fresh. Seems more youthful than the 167th Edition. - Jancis Robinson