Krug Grande Cuvée 174ème Édition (96 points)
"...positively stunning...96 points." Antonio Galloni, Vinous, May '26
Krug Grande Cuvée 174ème Édition has just been released for sale, ex-cellars, at £895 per six bottles in bond, and with 96 points from Antonio Galloni.
Krug is distinct among the luxury cuvées for basing its reputation around the quality of its non-vintage wine, as opposed to single vintage cuvées like Cristal or Taittinger's Comte de Champagne.
Each year since 2017, Krug has released a new 'Edition' of Krug Grande Cuvée, built around a single vintage but composed of many different years. The intention is to create a consistent, recognizable blend, while still expressing the subtle differences contributed by each base vintage. With the rapid growth in recent years in the investment market for top champagne cuvées, these Editions have become highly collectible.
The "174ème" is the 174th release since Krug was founded in 1843. Composed around the harvest of 2018, bringing together 143 wines from 10 different years, spanning 2001 to 2018. Reserve wines make up 36% of the blend, adding depth and complexity, while at least seven years resting in Krug’s cellars have allowed its character to unfold.
“Crafted around a beautiful harvest marked by few challenges, this Édition of Krug Grande Cuvée came together quite naturally.” — Julie Cavil, Krug Cellar Master
The blend comprises 54% Pinot Noir, 29% Chardonnay and 17% Meunier, with a dosage of 5 g/L.
Ready to enjoy on release, the 174ème Édition can also be carefully cellared to develop further complexity.
Offered in bond, available for delivery in November.
| SPARKLING | NV | Krug Grande Cuvee 'Edition 174' - Brut NV | 75cl | £895 per case of 6 | Krug Grande Cuvee 'Edition 174' Brut NV NV / / 75cl £895 per case of 6 |
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Tasting Notes"Krug’s newly released NV Grande Cuvée 174ème Édition is built around the 2018 harvest, which represents roughly two-thirds of the blend, with the remainder coming from 10 different years dating back to 2001. Disgorged in early 2025 with a dosage of five grams per liter, the wine opens in the glass with aromas of orange peel, freshly baked bread and pear mingled with notes of aromatic bitters, followed by a medium- to full-bodied, pillowy and charming palate, with a generous, sweet core of fruit, tangy acids and a long, precise finish. If, in a word, the 2017-based 173ème Édition is concentrated and the 2013-based 169ème Édition trenchant, the 174ème Édition is slightly softer and simultaneously less tightly wound than either, though its full complexity has yet to emerge with additional time under cork. 2027-2040. 94 points." (KK) Wine Advocate, Apr '26------"The new edition of Grande Cuvée uses 64% of the 2018 vintage as the youngest wine, with 36% reserve wines dating back to 2009. As you'd expect from the prominence of the 2018 harvest, the most immediate impression is of an approachable, but not open-knit edition, finer and more clean-cut than the 173rd yet immediately enjoyable upon release. It is Pinot aromatics which lead, with pretty, sweet red fruits, red pear, baked apple and a gentle wave of honeyed reserve wine providing a sense of savoury depth. Then ultra-ripe Chardonnay concentration snaps into focus with zippy candied mandarin and pineapple flavours, bright but not too acid focused. There's more of a sense of airy sunniness than heat or weight, smooth-moussed and gliding rather than forceful or pent up. This is a fine, enjoyable Grande Cuvée release that will build in waxy, honeyed and nutty depth over the next decade. 2026-2040. 95 points." Tom Hewson, Decanter Magazine------"The NV Grande Cuvée 174éme Edition, the latest release from Krug, is based on the 2018 vintage. Dense and explosive in the glass, the 174éme Edition possesses tremendous textural depth right out of the gate. Baked apple tart, chamomile, dried flowers and tangerine peel literally stain the palate. The purity of the fruit is exquisite. The 174éme Edition can be enjoyed with minimal cellaring, but it will drink well for many decades to come. Today, it is positively stunning. The 174éme is a blend of 143 lots going back to 2001. 2026-2041. 96 points." Antonio Galloni, Vinous, May '26 |
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