The production of Krug’s Grande Cuvées takes place on a timeline foreign to most of us, as each release requires somewhere between 20 and 25 years to assemble. This 170th release comprises 51% Pinot Noir, 38% Chardonnay, and 11% Pinot Meunier. Nearly half of it is composed of 195 reserve wines blended from 12 vintages dating back to 1998, and the final blend aged for seven years, receiving its cork in the winter of 2020–2021. The blend of aged wines and fresher vintages endow this wine with a beautifully complex range of flavors. The wine shows an energetic mousse and a celebratory golden core, with freshly baked brioche, quince, and Amalfi lemon leading on the nose, dusted with toasted hazelnuts. The palate is mouthwatering, rich, and broad, striking the perfect balance between richness and fruit but with an elegant acidity.
