Average rating 4.9/5 stars across all Google and external reviews
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Bought directly from Moët Hennessy, the bottles are stored in bond at London City Bond Eton Park, in ideal conditions at a constant 13°C. For same-day deliveries, small quantities are kept in our office cellar, where the temperature is maintained between 11–13°C. We source all our bottles directly from the Maison or their official UK office, eliminating the risk of poor storage. This is crucial, as champagne quality is highly sensitive to heat: temperatures above 18°C accelerate maturity significantly, which compromises quality.
Joseph Krug founded the house in 1843 after learning winemaking at Champagne Jacquesson, driven to craft the finest champagne every year, regardless of climate. By honouring each vineyard's individuality and creating a vast reserve library, he achieved his dream & Krug Grande Cuvée 1st Edition was born.
In the 1970s, Henri and Rémi Krug modernized production, acquired Clos du Mesnil, 1st vintage 1979, launched Krug Rosé in 1983 and purchased Clos d'Ambonnay in 1991, first vintage 1995. LVMH acquired Krug in 1999; Henri and Rémi stepped down in 2007. Since 2009, Olivier Krug, the sixth generation, is Director of Krug.
In 2024, Krug completed Joseph, its new state-of-the-art sustainable winery in the village of Ambonnay, awarded exceptional HQE certification.
Krug Grande Cuvée is born from the dream of one man, Joseph Krug, to craft the very best Champagne he could offer, every single year, regardless of annual variations in climate. Since 1843, the House of Krug has honoured this vision with each new Édition of Krug Grande Cuvée. Unlike other Maison’s the wines needed for their NV are selected first, in the spring following the harvest. Then Krug considers the elements they want to keep from the last harvest for their reserves and finally they decide if they have the right components to make a vintage from that year. Often in great vintages like 2012 they decide they want more of the great wines in their reserve program rather than make a Krug 2012.
“Every year since the foundation of the House, a new Edition of Krug Grande Cuvée is created, every year the inspiration will be the same, but the creation will be totally unique and different.” Olivier Krug
This is the 160th creation of Krug Grande Cuvée. Based on 2004, it is a blend of 121 wines from twelve vintages: the oldest being 1990 and the youngest 2004. Reserve wines lend harmony to Edition 160, completing the blend without modifying the predominant characteristics of the year.
Krug ID: 212018 | Each bottle of Krug has a Krug ID on the back label which enables you to discover the story of that very bottle. You can do so using the smartphone App or on the Krug website.
Technical Information:
Vineyards: Predominately Premier & Grand Cru
Grape Varieties: 44% Pinot Noir, 33% Chardonnay, 23% Meunier
Base Vintage: 2004
Reserve Wine: 35%
Lees Ageing: 7 years
Disgorged: February 2012
Dosage: 6 g/l
Alcohol: 12%
Drink: Now to 2036+
Tasting Note:A bundle of brioche pleasure and creaminess. Very exciting on the palate. Quite dry and great length. This is definitely one of the more expressive Grande Cuvée Editions, with the smoky characteristics of the 2004 vintage dominant throughout.
Just five years after Joseph Krug founded his eponymous Champagne House in 1843, he documented his great vision for Krug in a cherry-red leather notebook. In it, he revealed the principles of creating a champagne of incredible richness yet great elegance, of selecting only the finest elements from the greatest terroirs, rejecting mediocre fruit and making both a non-vintage and a vintage cuvée - revolutionary at the time. Discovered in 2010 by current House Director and sixth generation of the founding family Olivier Krug, the ideals in this notebook and Krug's resolute commitment to them have secured their position as the most luxurious and exclusive of all Champagne producers.
Unlike other Champagne Houses, Krug's range consists of prestige cuvées only. Their iconic non-vintage Grande Cuvée is a masterful blend of some 120 wines, vintage Krugs are renowned as true classics, majestically displaying the characteristics of each harvest and their unique and exclusive single-vineyard champagnes, Clos du Mesnil and Clos d'Ambonnay are the ultimate rarities. The recent introduction of ID codes displayed on the back of every bottle - revealing base year, disgorgement periods and product information - has helped revise the vision of Krug in line with the great founder's philosophy.
Cellar Master: Julie Cavil
Winery Location: Reims | Champagne, France
Champagne Region: Montagne de Reims
Annual Production (bottles): 760,000
Chef de Cave History at Champagne Krug:
Julie Cavil - January 2020 to current
Julie Cavil is the current Cellar Master of Champagne Krug — and the first woman to hold that role. After starting her career in advertising, she retrained in oenology in Champagne and joined Krug in 2006, becoming Chef de Caves in 2020. Known for her humility, precision, and respect for Krug’s “one plot, one wine” philosophy, she oversees the blending of hundreds of base wines each year to recreate Krug’s signature style. Cavil balances tradition with innovation, focusing on sustainability and creative projects while preserving the founder’s vision of crafting the finest Champagne every year, regardless of vintage conditions.
Eric Lebel - 1999 - 2019
Eric Lebel joined Krug in 1999 as Chef de Cave. He was described as “Mozart of bubbly". Under his leadership the house expanded its reserve-wine library (for example, tripling from ~50-60 reserve wines in earlier years to 150+). He emphasised the preservation of individuality of plot, rigorous tasting, and refusing wines that did not meet house standards.
Dominique Petit - 1979 - 1999
Dominique Petit is a original Champenois. He was born in Verzy in 1954. Coming from a family of winegrowers, he studied at the Lycée Viticole d’Avize and the University of Reims, earning his oenology diploma at 23. Petit joined Champagne Krug in 1979, where he spent 20 years overseeing production under Henri and Rémy Krug. His tenure marked a bridge between Krug’s family-run era and its modernisation before LVMH ownership. In 1999, he became Chef de Cave at Pol Roger.
Expert Reviews
18.5/20
Jancis Robinson MW
“ID 212018. Disgorged spring 2016. 44% Pinot Noir, 33% Chardonnay, 23% Pinot Meunier. Named ‘Luminous Freshness’. Based on 2004. The beautiful weather in harvest time from mid September to early October made 2004 a generous year following the challenging extremes and limited yields of 2003. This is a blend of 121 wines from 12 different years, the oldest from 1990 and the youngest from 2004. Very broad and ripe. Much less tense than most. Very accessible. Masses of bruised fruit pleasure. Much less freshness than most. And a little shorter? This tasted relatively mature.”
19/20
Jancis Robinson MW
“ID 214031. This will be re-released this year along with Krug 2004. The re-release will have had longer on the lees than the original release. The re-release may be disgorged later than the sample on which this very enthusiastic tasting note is based. Smooth and jazzy and utterly swallowable. Long and richly savoury. Fabulous! Open. Perfect now. Rich and exciting. Drink 2014-2024”
17/20
Jancis Robinson MW
“Lightly floral nose. Dry and a little chewy and austere. Very Krug! Quite intellectual and demanding. Drink 2016 - 2024”
96/100
Michael Edwards
“A real firework of a Grande Cuvée set around the 2004 base, with intricacy from 12 different vintages in total dating back to 1990. A panoply of toasted bread, apple blossom, fresh peach, pear and dried apricot, followed by sensuous notes of almond, ginger and sweet spices. Beautiful mature Chardonnay and multiple expressions of Meunier beyond earthiness, richness with delicacy and vibrant freshness. Perfect now. The Champion today. Disgorged Spring 2012.”
18.5/20
Jancis Robinson MW
“This is the 160th creation of Krug Grande Cuvée, code 212018, based on the 2004 vintage. The oldest wine is from 1990 and the youngest 2004 with 121 wines from 12 vintages. Reserve wines this year lend harmony, completing the blend without modifying the predominant characteristics of the year. 44% Pinot Noir, 33% Chardonnay, 23% Pinot Meunier. Dosage 6 g/l. Disgorged spring 2012. Tasted blind. Really exciting nose. Deep gold. Lots of evolution. Mellow, burnished, savoury gold. Great balance. Smoky. Racy. But broader than wine number 5 (which was the Krug vintage 2002 in this blind line-up). Solid but not inspiring. Not that long. Lots of pace. And length. Vintage wine. Savoury end. ”
Krug Grande Cuvée 169ème Édition is a blend of 146 wines from 11 different years, the youngest of which is from 2013, while the oldest dates back to 2000 and a stay of around seven years in Krug’s cellars gives this edition its distinct expression and elegance.
Champagne Krug have announced that Julie Cavil will take over as winemaking director in the new year. Incumbent winemaking director Eric Lebel will become deputy director of Krug and will lead projects involving all of the brands within the Moët Hennessy portfolio.
At our most recent tasting at 67 Pall Mall, guests blind tasted Krug Grande Cuvée Editions 162-166 NV (2006-2010), and Krug Vintages 2000-2004, including Krug 2000 from magnum. Find out which champagnes were the highest rated on the evening here.
Non-vintage champagnes are a blend of multiple vintages. However, with 60-90% of the blend coming from a single vintage, or base year, the final blend inevitably displays subtle characteristics of that vintage. Just how much influence does base year have on non-vintage?
Last week, we held the most comprehensive Krug Grande Cuvée vertical tasting to date. At 67 Pall Mall, guests blind tasted Grande Cuvée Editions 158-166 NV (2002-2010). We also tasted two Krug Vintages: 2002 and 2004.
Read Jancis Robinson’s report of our outstanding Krug vintage vertical tasting last November. "This would have been a dream tasting anyway, but I particularly love tasting a group of wines blind."
We visited Krug over August bank holiday weekend with Jancis Robinson MW. With an unexpected visit to Clos du Mesnil, a tour of the new Maison, a mini-vertical tasting and dinner at the house, it was well-worth the long drive!
In Dec 2016, we compared five Editions of Krug Grande Cuvée in their first ever blind tasting. Alongside Krug 2002 & 2003, their quality was undeniable, as was the interesting variation between them.
The 2016 Vins Clairs; reserve wines as old as 1998; winemaking with an iPad; Grande Cuvée 163rd Edition; Clos du Mesnil 2002; and revolutionising Champagne terminology. It's all happening at Krug!
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Single Price £194.00
Mix 6 Price £190.00 each
Mix 12 Price £188.00 each
2018 harvest is the largest percent of the blend
Single Price £196.00
Mix 6 Price £192.00 each
Mix 12 Price £188.00 each
A must have in your cellar based on the 2014 harvest!
