Sorry if ive asked this before
Would you say the vintage is worth the $100 difference to the NV ?
Depends on which vintage and which NV.
163 nv and 2003 or 4
I’d buy the NV.
It seems to me what makes Krug a special house is the NV bottling. And now they even tell you the breakdown of wine in the NV which is amazing transparency. I buy the NV and if I want a vintage expression there are so many other producers from which to choose for a fraction of the price.
Typically two very different experiences. I would probably take the MV in most cases, but a well-aged vintage Krug from a top year is something to behold.
NB that “well-aged” for Krug means, at least to me, 30-40 years after the vintage.
There are plenty here that know more about Champagne than me, but I have drank a fair amount of Krug both Nv and the vintage as it and Dom were the first two Champagnes I got into. I think on some years the vintage is slightly better, but most of the time the difference is so slight that the NV is a far superior value. I will probably in the future keep buying the NV and If I want good vintage bubbly for a fair tariff keep reupping on Taittinger and Vilmart. It appears that in the post just preceding mine you answered my question I was about to ask which is whether the 96 is ready and it seems a few more years might help it improve slightly more. Perhaps as I have 6 it would make sense to open one and watch the aging curve.
They have different aging curves. The window for the MV is typically wider (and frontloaded “younger” than the vintage release) because of the range of wines included - throwing a bit of 90 into (for example) the 165eme (among dozens of other wines) in the mix gives the wine a more open and accessible palate on release compared to the vintage 04 - which is still excellent, but far more youthful in context (and thr 165eme is still young on its own terms). Krug has a lot in common with the much smaller Jacquesson - the “basic” wine is also expected to contend for being the “best” wine they make.
I don’t have a note on 96, but my most recent experience in the past year or so says it’s just starting to mature, so if you have some, it’s worth a look, both for enjoyment and education.
If Alan intends to drink in the near term, he should probably go for the MV.
-Al
Some of those 30-40 year MVs are also pretty special.
I went to buy the NV 163 and in Binnys they could not identify which release, they looked up the ID number and that didnt help.
Ive been told that 164 & 165 are not as creamy and yeasty and as 163 so i was looking for 163, how do i tell ?
163, 164 and 165 (and beyond) in 750 mL will say so on the front of the label.
As for the wines generally- and note I do not drink champagne regularly- I tend to lay down a six pack of MV in most years when I am in wine buying mode. Krug vintage- has to be a vintage very much to my stylistic liking just because of the cost of the wine and the long aging required. MV really start to get interesting just a few years after release- but it can be a much longer wait for vintage, at least to my tastes. In my cellar, it is probably a 4:1 ration of MV/MV Rose : Vintage.
If it helps, here is a link to the notes I posted for MV 163-166 recently. TN- Krug, 163, 164, 165, 166; 2014 Palmer, Montrose, Pichon Lalande; 05 Haag BA and fried chicken - WINE TALK - WineBerserkers
Oh, for sure. We’re splitting hairs about greatness. But, in my experience, such as it is, well-aged vintage Krug from the right vintage hits heights that well-aged MV can’t quite make (see also - Krug Collection). All other things, being equal, I’m good with the wider peak and lower price of the MV, though.
Both 164 and 165 are firmly indicated on the front label, so if you see the more modern label in the current marketplace without noting the release, you have a head start.
Not trying to correct anyone or pick a fight but several people say MV and not NV, is that a typo or is there a reason please
Instead of the more widely used NV (non-vintage), Krug uses MV (multi-vintage).
It is their marketing conceit. Sort of like Ohio State doing the tOSU thing. MV is for multi-vintage, which means the wine is a blend of vintages, just like any other NV. By using MV, you can show you are one of the cool kids “in the know.”
I always wanted to be one of the cool kids 
Now is your time, Russ!