Krug Grande Cuvee 173th Edition

TASTING NOTE BY MSQ

【Krug香檳｜殿堂級香檳嘅奢華體驗】​​

Krug，一直被酒界稱為香檳界嘅「勞斯萊斯」。呢個來自法國香檳區嘅傳奇品牌，由Johann-Joseph Krug於1843年創立，一直堅持「極致複雜感」同「豐滿層次」嘅釀酒哲學，啱晒追求深度同韻味嘅香檳迷！

Krug嘅香檳（尤其係Grande Cuvée）天生就係為咗陳年而存在。Krug House每年都會保留一部份當年嘅葡萄汁發酵基酒儲藏，再抽取適當比例，混合每年新嘅葡萄汁，參照返 Krug Grande Cuvee 嘅風格，同時保留每年收成嘅特色，釀造出最能表達當年表現嘅作品，同時有陳年潛力嘅皇者香檳！每一個Grand Cuvee都會有十幾個年份嘅基酒混釀，陳年至少8年之后先會出廠。

​Edition 173 融合佐13個年份的基酒，主要係2017年份，最老係2001年。提子比例分別係44%Pinot Noir、34%Chardonnay、22%Meunier；已經在酒窖陳釀至少7年！帶有Toast與奶油蛋卷、核果、馬鞭草和香草的氣息，口感豐潤多汁，初時會品嚐到蜜餞與成熟柑橘的滋味，逐漸過渡至烘烤與松子味，最后以清新沁人的檸檬氣息收尾。氣泡細膩而又活潑，還有長時間陳年潛力！

TASTING NOTE BY WINE CRITICS

The 173ème Édition comprises 150 wines across 13 vintages, with the 2017 base making up 69% of the final assemblage. Disgorged in January 2024 with a dosage of 4.5 grams per liter, it opens with aromas of pear, golden apple, lemon curd and early white blossoms interlaced with a distant hint of nutmeg. On the palate, it is medium- to full-bodied, textural and charming, laden with tangy acidity and animated by a pillowy mousse, and it concludes with a long, saline finish. Compared with its immediate predecessor, the 173ème Édition is broader and more giving, while the 172ème Édition tauter and more incisive. As experienced Krug aficionados will recognize, the inclusion of reserve wines—which may have undergone malolactic fermentation—renders the Grande Cuvée more immediately approachable than the house’s vintage-dated Champagnes, offering a more generous drinking experience on release.

RATING BY WINE CRITICS

RP94