Krug - Champagner Grande Cuvee 163eme Edition, brut

ANTONIO GALLONI: "The NV Grand Cuvée 163 Edition is wonderfully open-knit and giving, qualities that make it a terrific choice for drinking now and over the next 30 or so years. Pastry, apricot, lemon confit, chamomile and white flowers, along with soft contours, give the wine its inviting, alluring personality. There is more than enough energy and overall freshness to support several decades of fine drinking. Even so, the 163 is virtually impossible to resist at this early stage."

DECANTER: "This was the first Grande Cuvée to be labeled as an ‘Édition’. 183 reserve wines went into the blend from 12 different vintages, with the oldest being 1990 and the youngest 2007. It announces itself with a typically full and intense nose of brioche, citrus and honey, which follows through onto the broad, rich and focussed palate, a tangy mélange of lemon, almond, oatmeal and praline which is super-concentrated yet full of vitality and vim. This is clearly drinking well now and provides huge pleasure with its supple acidity, creamy texture and delicate, persistent mousse. Drinking Window 2017 - 2030."

FALSTAFF: "Helles Goldgelb, silberfarbene Reflexe, lebendiges, feines Mousseux. Frische weiße Apfelfrucht, florale Nuancen, ein Hauch von feiner gelber Tropenfrucht, feine Briochenuancen sind unterlegt, angenehme rauchige Mineralität, Anklänge von Zitruszesten, sehr facettenreich, frisches, attraktives Bukett. Straff am Gaumen, angenehme Fruchtsüße, Nuancen von Kernobst und Mandeln, finessenreicher Säurekern, im Abgang, harmonisches Spiel aus reifer Frucht und lebendiger Struktur, mineralisch-salzig im Nachhall, tolle Länge, verfügt über enormen Charme und sicheres Reifepotenzial, bereits sehr verführerisch."

JANCIS ROBINSON: "Broad, putty nose with real spice and interest. Middle-aged. Rich. I will resist anthropomorphism here."

THE WINEADVOCATE: "A complex bouquet of iodine, mandarin, warm biscuits, dried flowers, citrus oil and anise introduces the NV Grande Cuvée 163ème Édition, a wine that's built around the 2007 vintage and is beginning to display some very attractive evolution. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, layered and concentrated, with a ripe but racy spine of acidity, chalky structure and a long, penetrating finish."

WINESPECTATOR: "A racehorse of a Champagne, this mouthwatering sparkler offers aromatic hints of toast and vanilla lacing the tightly knit profile of crème de cassis, ground coffee and mandarin orange peel flavors, with a long thread of anise and cardamom spice notes unraveling on the palate. This is like raw silk. Disgorged winter 2015 to 2016. Drink now through 2025."