NV Krug - Champagne Brut Grande Cuvee 173eme Edition (750ml)

Krug was founded in 1843 by Joseph Krug, who set out to craft the most generous expression of Champagne possible in any given year, regardless of how that year's weather behaved. The house still holds to that founding idea, vinifying each parcel of fruit separately in small oak casks so that every wine in its library retains its own identity before blending. Now led by Olivier Krug, the sixth generation of the family, the house remains devoted to small yields and painstaking, parcel-by-parcel winemaking rather than chasing trends.

The 173ème Édition is built around the 2017 harvest, a difficult year marked by rot pressure that demanded rigorous sorting in the vineyard. The final blend draws on 150 individual wines spanning thirteen vintages, from 2017 back to 2001, with reserve wines making up roughly a third of the assemblage. The finished composition favors Pinot Noir, with Chardonnay and Meunier filling out the remainder, and the wine spends about seven years maturing in Krug's cellars before disgorgement with a light dosage.

Aromas of pear, golden apple, lemon curd, and white blossom lead to a rich, textural palate with a pillowy mousse and a long, saline finish. Pair it with roast turbot or a nutty aged Comté.