- Lot Description
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Bid on this bottle of Krug "Grande Cuvée" 163 Ème Édition Brut Champagne (96DC, 95VN, 95WS, 93JG). Decanter: "This was the first Grande Cuvée to be labeled as an ‘Édition’. 183 reserve wines went into the blend from 12 different vintages, with the oldest being 1990 and the youngest 2007. It announces itself with a typically full and intense nose of brioche, citrus and honey, which follows through onto the broad, rich and focussed palate, a tangy mélange of lemon, almond, oatmeal and praline which is super-concentrated yet full of vitality and vim. This is clearly drinking well now and provides huge pleasure with its supple acidity, creamy texture and delicate, persistent mousse. (JS)" (11/2017)
This lot contains the following items:
Krug "Grande Cuvée" 163 Ème Édition Brut Champagne (qty: 1)
- Lot Items
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Krug "Grande Cuvée" 163 Ème Édition Brut Champagne (750 ml)Quantity: 1Provenance: Original Owner. Purchased on release from local distributor and stored in the temp controlled wine cellar of an AR based collector & repeat consignor.Tasting Notes:- Professional Reviews
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Decanter
96
This was the first Grande Cuvée to be labeled as an ‘Édition’. 183 reserve wines went into the blend from 12 different vintages, with the oldest being 1990 and the youngest 2007. It announces itself with a typically full and intense nose of brioche, citrus and honey, which follows through onto the broad, rich and focussed palate, a tangy mélange of lemon, almond, oatmeal and praline which is super-concentrated yet full of vitality and vim. This is clearly drinking well now and provides huge pleasure with its supple acidity, creamy texture and delicate, persistent mousse. (JS)
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Vinous
95
The NV Grand Cuvée 163 Edition is wonderfully open-knit and giving, qualities that make it a terrific choice for drinking now and over the next 30 or so years. Pastry, apricot, lemon confit, chamomile and white flowers, along with soft contours, give the wine its inviting, alluring personality. There is more than enough energy and overall freshness to support several decades of fine drinking. Even so, the 163 is virtually impossible to resist at this early stage. (AG)
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Wine Spectator
95
A racehorse of a Champagne, this mouthwatering sparkler offers aromatic hints of toast and vanilla lacing the tightly knit profile of crème de cassis, ground coffee and mandarin orange peel flavors, with a long thread of anise and cardamom spice notes unraveling on the palate. This is like raw silk. (AN)
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John Gilman
93
This half bottle of Krug Grande Cuvée is from the base year of 2007 and includes reserve wines back to the 1990 vintage. Half bottles are not aged quite as long sur latte as the larger formats of Grande Cuvée, so this wine spent six years on its fine lees prior to disgorgement. The cépages of the 163ème Édition was thirty-seven percent pinot noir, thirty-two percent chardonnay and thirty-one percent pinot meunier. Out of half bottle the wine is à point, offering up scents of apple, tangerine, caraway seed, a superb base of soil, warm bread and a bit of upper register smokiness. On the palate the wine is deep, focused and complex, with elegant mousse, fine balance and a long, refined and wide open finish. Halves of Grande Cuvée always seem ready to drink when they are released and do not last as long as regular bottles, so I would opt for drinking this up in half over the next dozen years or so. (Drink between 2018-2030)
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Jancis Robinson
The is the 163rd creation of Krug Grande Cuvée, code 315051, which is based on the 2007 vintage. The oldest wine is from 1990 and the youngest 2007 with 183 wines from 12 vintages. In this early-harvest year aromas were more impressive than taste. Thus the reserve wines lend the complexity, roundness, body and length which were missing. 37% Pinot Noir, 32% Chardonnay, 31% Pinot Meunier. Dosage 6 g/l. Disgorged spring 2014. Tasted blind. Mellow nose. Savoury and almost meat and two vegy. Very firm. Marked acidity. Throat-warming finish. Very fine peacock’s tail finish. Edgy and youthful and very good. (JR) 19/20
Ratings: DC: 96 VN: 95 WS: 95 JG: 93
