Krug Grande Cuvee 173 eme Edition (OCC 6x75cl)

Description

By Vinous in 2025 (AG95)

Based on 2017, Krug’s NV Grande Cuvée 173ème Édition is superb. It is an especially rich, almost opulent Grande Cuvée that very much reflects the personality of the base year in its tropical flavor profile. Lemon confit, baked apple tart, passion fruit, tangerine oil and spice are all beautifully amplified. The Krug team, led at the time by Chef de Caves Eric Lebel and current Chef de Caves Julie Cavil, did an exceptional job here.

By Falstaff in 2025 (FS97)

Bright golden yellow colour. Intense flavours of ripe yellow stone fruit, pineapple confit, crème brûlée and almond paste, complemented by fresh brioche and lemon curd. Full-bodied on the palate with a very fine acidity. Chalky-salty notes and fine tannins lend structure. Youthful, savoury freshness and lemon confit merge into opulent, woody-spicy elegance. Long-lasting pleasure.

By Wine Advocate in 2025 (WA94)

Krug’s recently unveiled NV Grande Cuvée 173ème Édition—accounting for approximately 80% of the house’s total production—performs well, particularly considering the challenges of the base vintage, 2017. That year saw considerable rot pressure in red varieties, making meticulous sorting essential; some lots deemed unfit for Krug’s standards were even diverted to distillation. The conceptual cornerstone of the Grande Cuvée is the use of the house’s vast library—drawing from some 500 options—to complement the base vintage and moderate the extremes of any given growing season. The 173ème Édition comprises 150 wines across 13 vintages, with the 2017 base making up 69% of the final assemblage. Disgorged in January 2024 with a dosage of 4.5 grams per liter, it opens with aromas of pear, golden apple, lemon curd and early white blossoms interlaced with a distant hint of nutmeg. On the palate, it is medium- to full-bodied, textural and charming, laden with tangy acidity and animated by a pillowy mousse, and it concludes with a long, saline finish. Compared with its immediate predecessor, the 173ème Édition is broader and more giving, while the 172ème Édition tauter and more incisive. As experienced Krug aficionados will recognize, the inclusion of reserve wines—which may have undergone malolactic fermentation—renders the Grande Cuvée more immediately approachable than the house’s vintage-dated Champagnes, offering a more generous drinking experience on release. 2025-2038