In descending order of my preference.
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NV Krug Champagne Brut Grande Cuvée Edition 162eme - France, Champagne (9/4/2022)
416037. Among the most Kruggy of the Krugs today. More breadth and power, and showing some of the more oxidative notes that I associate with Krug when I first started drinking it. Generously proportioned as far as fruit is concerned; the acid/mineral structure isn't as pronounced here. (95 points) -
NV Krug Champagne Brut Grande Cuvée Edition 167eme - France, Champagne (9/4/2022)
118012. This has always been a bit of an outlier to me; it's borne of a pretty mediocre Champagne year, but the Maison managed to throw in a little more of the reserve juice to amp up the wine (at least, that's what I think the story is). This does show a slight herbal note here that I hadn't really noticed before, but this does get a bit of weight on the palate, belying the shoddy vintage. A nice bottle of Krug, more in line with the older, more ornate style. (93 points) -
NV Krug Champagne Brut Grande Cuvée Edition 165eme - France, Champagne (9/4/2022)
118009. I've generally loved this edition for its sweet breadth and this bottle was no exception. The fruit on the nose and palate does come off a little more white-grapey than I would have liked, giving this a slightly distracting quality. Otherwise, this is a Krug that definitely shows good weight, and a little more balance between the fruit and acidity (than, say the 163eme or 166eme). Reminds me a bit of the 162eme, and if this ever sheds the white grape note, this would definitely be far more interesting. (93 points) -
NV Krug Champagne Brut Grande Cuvée Edition 164eme - France, Champagne (9/4/2022)
316031. Despite the fame of this bottling, this bottle didn't show as convincingly as many of its peers (and despite my having this multiple times and never feeling too particularly convinced about it, I still hope against hope that this wine will be a great edition). Anyway, this was showing relatively advanced, with fruit a little more yellow than I would have expected. Tons of acid, of course, but overall lacking the weight and gravitas of the older Krug. Feels lean and missing some oomph. (93 points) -
NV Krug Champagne Brut Grande Cuvee Edition 169eme - France, Champagne (9/4/2022)
120003. I liked this a hair more than the 168eme. I have to admit that around the 2012/2013 grower champagne releases, I realized that I didn't care very much for grower champagne and so my sense of relative vintage qualities has become somewhat attenuated. Anyway, that qualifier aside, I did like this a little more than the 168eme, finding this fuller and more complex. Perhaps it's a matter of this being less shut down right now? (93 points) -
NV Krug Champagne Brut Grande Cuvée Edition 168eme - France, Champagne (9/4/2022)
119004. Not particularly memorable, but of the higher-acid style like the 163eme or 166eme. More weight and depth than the 166eme, but quite similar. This has always come across as an average bottling to me without anything really standing out in any particular fashion. I'd be more inclined to hold onto this than open it in the near term. (93 points) -
NV Krug Champagne Brut Grande Cuvée Edition 163eme - France, Champagne (9/4/2022)
116014. Showing better than when I wrote this off a few years ago; it's still on the lean side, showing a sharp acidic edge versus some of the other wines. Quite citric and malic, but this has filled out quite a bit from its youth. (93 points) -
NV Krug Champagne Brut Grande Cuvée Edition 166eme - France, Champagne (9/4/2022)
317028. Definitely among the weakest of the bunch, if not the actual weakest. Somewhat thin with an emphasis on the (plentiful) acidity and culminating in a somewhat dull thud of a finish that cuts quite short. Don't see much resemblance between this and the magnum I opened a few months ago (which was splendid). I see no reason to own 750s of this. (90 points)