Investment Grade Wines

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(Domaine Leflaive Meursault-Blagny "Sous le Dos d’Âne" 1er Cru White) A cool, pure and airy nose is comprised by notes of apple, citrus and white peach. There is once again fine punch and delineation to the middle weight flavors that exude a subtle minerality on the linear, youthfully austere and bone-dry finale. This is going to need at least a few years of patience to further flesh out the finish as it’s quite compact at present. (Drink starting 2027)Burghound | 90-93 BHThe 2019 Meursault 1er Cru Sous le Dos d’Ane is also a touch reductive out of the gates, unwinding to reveal aromas of crisp green orchard fruit, hazelnuts, dried white flowers and smoke. Medium to full-bodied, ample and satiny, with lively acids and a long, saline finish, it’s a seamless, elegant wine from a parcel located just above Pierre Morey’s Meursault Perrières.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RPThe 2019 Meursault Sous le Dos l’Ane 1er Cru has a very Puligny-like bouquet, well defined, quite poised with traces of yellow plum and apricot, very pretty. The palate is quite edgy on the opening. There is a small reduction at play here, but fine weight and concentration with a tensile, stem ginger-tinged finish that is very satisfying. Maybe not long-term, but utterly delicious. Closure: Diam 30Vinous Media | 92 VM

The 2019 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Clavoillon has turned out very nicely, mingling aromas of pear and citrus oil with hints of wheat toast, fresh bread and hazelnuts in an inviting bouquet. Medium to full-bodied, satiny and concentrated, with terrific cut and a long, saline finish, it's taut and incisive, showing promise for the cellar.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RP(Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet Clavoillon 1er Cru White) The 2019 Puligny-Montrachet Clavoillon 1er Cru has an austere nose that demands coaxing from the glass; struck flint and sea spray scents, cool, calm and collected. The palate is taut on the entry, then fans out with glee, notes of dessicated orange peel, white peach and tangerine, a lovely bitterness that counterbalances the concentration on the finish. Exccellent. Closure: Diam 30Vinous Media | 93 VM(Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet "Clavoillon" 1er Cru White) An overtly floral suffused nose displays notes of pear compote, citrus confit and subtle spice wisps. There is excellent vibrancy to the attractively textured medium weight flavors that also exude a refreshing salinity on the citrusy, dry and notably more complex finish that is perceptibly firmer. This should age well. (Drink starting 2029)Burghound | 91-94 BH

The 2019 Puligny-Montrachet Les Pucelles 1er Cru is more timid on the nose following on from the Les Combettes and this needed more encouragement from the glass. Cold stone, granite and flint aromas are the order of the day, very well defined and precise. The palate is very concentrated with a lot of grip, the volume of this Les Pucelles towards the finish, energetic and very persistent in the mouth. This is another electrifying Puligny ‘19 from Leflaive. Closure: Diam 30Vinous Media | 95+ VMThrilling wine. Leflaive owns three parcels in Les Pucelles at the northern tip of Bâtard-Montrachet and Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet at the center of the vineyard. The mature vines deliver a perfumed, almost exotic fruit character with notes of spice and hazelnut. Still, there is also a bright lemony freshness to the wine and a lovely salty mineral finish that lift it to another plane and will allow it to continue improving for decades. The most compelling of the premiers crus from Leflaive. (Drink between 2021-2040)Decanter | 95 DECFiner boned and less concentrated than the extraordinary Combettes, the 2019 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Pucelles offers up aromas of peach, orange zest, white flowers, freshly baked bread and hazelnuts. Medium to full-bodied, saline and chiseled, this might just be a little shy after bottling, but on first encounter, it doesn't dominate Leflaive's range of premiers crus to the extent that it usually does.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPProminent notes of honeysuckle and passion fruit are laced with a variety of spice and citrus elements. There is good richness and an abundance of dry extract to the strikingly refined flavors that possess a gorgeous mouthfeel while delivering flat out superb length on the balanced finale. This is very classy juice that should basically age for as long as anyone would reasonably like. (Drink starting 2034)Burghound | 93-96 BH

Very discrete on the nose at this early stage. Rounded, very generous on the palate, plenty of fat. This is balanced by great driving intensity, citrusy acidity and a seam of salinity. The overall effect is bombastic and flamboyant, but fresh and balanced. The oak use is also generous, but it works with the wine. The alcohol is just a touch on the high side, but it’s entirely forgivable in the grand scheme of things. Incredible length. Drinking Window 2021 - 2032.Decanter | 97 DECA tiny production, the 2019 Châteauneuf Du Pape La Fontaine Blanc is beautifully done and certainly ranks with the top wines of the vintage. Based on 100% Roussanne, it has a smoking bouquet of buttered citrus, caramelized white currants, toasted bread, and a touch of nuttiness to go with a medium to full-bodied, nicely concentrated style on the palate. With bright acidity, good mid-palate depth, and a great finish, this serious Roussanne can be enjoyed now or cellared for 10-15 years, if not longer.Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JDThis is 100% Roussanne vinified in oak. A perfumed, smoky sip, it balances notes of sweet spice, vanilla and tobacco leaf against a core of honeyed tangerine and apple flavors. Luscious and leesy on the palate, it’s held upright by a fresh streak of lemon and hints of white pepper on the midpalate. Inviting young, the wine should hit a second peak after 2030. Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEPlump and open, with warmed brioche, peach and melon notes backed by heather and salted butter on the finish. Shows a late hint of macadamia nut. This is for fans of the flattering style. Drink now through 2023. 15 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 91 WS

I’m inclined to nominate the 2019 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Combettes as Leflaive’s finest premier cru this year. Wafting from the glass with aromas of pear, citrus oil, fresh peach, toasted nuts and smoke, it’s full-bodied, rich and satiny, with an immensely concentrated and incisive profile. Taut and chiseled despite its mid-palate plenitude, it’s built to cellar.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPThe 2019 Puligny-Montrachet Les Combettes 1er Cru is a step up in terms of mineralité and terroir expression from the preceeding Folatières. There is more precision, greater expression of place. The palate sports a very small reduction on the entry, then it segues into a very concentrated mid-palate that seems to fill the mouth. Great depth and spiciness towards the finish, this is an outstanding Combettes from Leflaive. Closure: Diam 30Vinous Media | 96 VMModerate reduction is sufficient to mask the underlying fruit today. More interesting are the wonderfully fine and delicate yet punchy flavors that possess a highly sophisticated mouthfeel before culminating in a sappy saline and strikingly persistent finish. I very much like the balance and this beauty may well prove to be a great Combettes in time.Burghound | 93-95 BHThis white offers lemon cake, lime blossom and citronella flavors allied to a lean frame, giving it intensity. Starts out velvety, but it remains precise and mouthwatering on the long citrusy, minerally aftertaste. Fine symmetry overall. Best from 2023 through 2029. 58 cases made, 11 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 94 WSThis wine split the room, most rating it very high though I joined the minority in worrying about the balance between seemingly high alcohol and high acidity. But we may be wrong because this wine did show grand cru weight. I have stuck with the score and tasting note which I originally made, however. Mid primrose in colour, with a beefy, high alcohol bouquet than also contains a wealth of fruit. Super powerful, high acidity, a little bit too much going on? Not sure about the balance here. The wine will find favour with those comfortable with higher alcohol levels, though how well the rather powerful acidity balances that is uncertain. Slightly overtoasted wood. Feels like grand cru weight. DIAM D closure. Drink from 2027-2033. Tasted: May 2023.Jasper Morris | 91 JM

One of the whites of the vintage, the 2020 Château Pape Clément Blanc is based on 62% Sauvignon Blanc, 33% Semillon, 4% Sauvignon Gris, and the remaining 1% Muscadelle, all of which was raised in a mix of new and used oak. This beauty stopped me in my tracks and offers a massive nose of honeyed limes, white flowers, tropical fruit, crushed stone, and orange marmalade. With the vintage’s vibrant sense of freshness, full-bodied richness, a stacked mid-palate, and a fabulous mouthfeel, this truly sensational white is an incredible achievement, and hats off to the team at Pape Clement! Give bottles 2-3 years and enjoy over the following two decades or so.Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDI like the richness and focus to this with sliced cooked apple, lemon and light toffee character. Candied pineapple. Hints of meringue. Full-bodied and layered. Really delicious and flavorful now with a solid balance of phenolic structure. Classy. Agile. Drink after 2025 but hard to stay away.James Suckling | 97 JSThis is a step up, as it’s larger in scale, brighter and more defined than most of its brethren, featuring long tarragon and thyme threads that pull gooseberry, star fruit and white peach notes along. Offers lots of energy through the finish, which ripples with sel gris and oyster shell echoes offset by a hint of salted butter. Really gorgeous. Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon and Sauvignon Gris. Best from 2024 through 2032.Wine Spectator | 96 WSThe 2020 Pape Clément Blanc has a bright nose with scents of orchard fruit, orange pith and lime cordial scents, well defined and focused. The palate is fresh and mineral-driven, quite taut, much less oaky than other vintages and displaying more terroir towards the finish. One of the best whites from this estate that I have tasted. Tasted three times with consistent notes.Vinous Media | 94 VMA delicious Pape Clément blanc, this has flesh, power, depth, character and a ton of juicy minerality with white pear, peach, and a slate-filled texture that adds grip and saline freshness. Well balanced and easy to recommend. Tasted three times.Decanter | 94 DEC

Fine pale lemon and lime. What a beautifully gracious nose, this is sheer class. All in white fruit with an engaging ripeness, more detail than Combettes, perhaps more weight than Folatières. Quite muscular for Pucelles. An explosion of fruit on the palate, almost too much to take in but there is nothing vulgar here, just the quintessence of Pucelles. Very long indeed, this is really just a babe in arms. Tasted: May 2022.Jasper Morris | 96-97 JMProminent notes of honeysuckle, Granny Smith apples, spice and a plenitude of spice elements are similarly wonderfully fresh and bright. The rich, delicious and succulent medium-bodied flavors also possess a highly sophisticated mouthfeel along with ample punch on the finely detailed, focused and hugely long finish. This too is a wine of class and grace that should age effortlessly over the next 12 to 15 years. A stunner of a Pucelles.Burghound | 93-96 BHA smooth white, bordering on creamy but with bright acidity, featuring lemon cake, apple tart, mineral, vanilla and clove flavors. Features a fillip of bitterness, like grapefruit peel, on the spicy finish. Youthful and exuberant. Best from 2025 through 2032. 985 cases made, 197 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 95 WSThe 2020 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Pucelles unwinds in the glass with aromas of pear, peach and green apple mingled with white flowers, freshly baked bread and baking spices. Medium to full-bodied, ample and satiny, with a layered, charming mid-palate and a precise finish, it’s a charming, seamless wine in the making.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPThe 2020 Puligny-Montrachet Les Pucelles 1er Cru conveys the imprimatur of the growing season more than Leflaive’s other cuvées, the ripest and perhaps more exotic with candied orange peel, quince and light peppermint scents. The palate is medium-bodied with fine acidity, ripe and quite bold in style, though it clams up towards its slightly reductive finish. Give this four to five years in bottle.Vinous Media | 93 VM

Mid lemon yellow. The bouquet also takes time to emerge, then shows a little more power than the Bienvenues. The oak is a fraction more present but still superbly integrated. The taffeta texture could not possibly have more tensile strength, with an exemplary purity of fruit. To have so much power (not in an alcoholic sense) and yet so much grape. Little light fresh apple notes to finish. Tasted: May 2022.Jasper Morris | 96-98 JMA wonderfully floral-suffused nose reflects additional notes of petrol, citrus, white orchard and a hint of oak toast. The bigger and richer flavors also possess a gorgeous mouthfeel that is almost delicate yet racy with excellent delineation on the youthfully austere and beautifully balanced finish that just goes on and on. This is potentially a magnificent Bâtard and it’s going to be interesting to compare this with the Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet in a decade’s or so time. In sum, I would offer the same advice - if you can find it, buy it.Burghound | 95-97 BHThe 2020 Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru is more powerful, unwinding in the glass with aromas of pear, ripe citrus fruit, peach, buttery pastry and baking spices. Full-bodied, satiny and multidimensional, it’s a broad, muscular wine with racy acids and a long, saline finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPThe 2020 Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru is more backward on the nose compared to the Bienvenue at the moment despite rigorous coaxing. The palate has impressive weight and density, perhaps less finesse than the more approachable Bienvenue at the moment but with more aging potential. It feels long on the saline finish, but it’s surly at this early stage.Vinous Media | 96 VMA sleek, lemon-infused version, with a linear profile and racy structure delineating the lemon, peach, green apple, mineral and spice flavors. Remains lean and steely, with a long, spicy finish. Best from 2026 through 2037. 500 cases made, 100 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 95 WS

The 2021 Châteauneuf Du Pape Clos De Beauvenir Blanc is also incredible and, in this critic’s opinion, a perfect wine. Coming from a single vineyard just beside the estate and based largely on Roussanne, it has a slightly deeper gold hue as well as Montrachet-like richness in its notes of white currants, flower oil, pineapple, honeyed toast, and crushed stone. Rich, powerful, and concentrated on the palate, it nevertheless stays vibrant, fresh, and pure, with a gorgeous finish that just keeps going. It’s pure brilliance in Southern Rhône whites. I love it today with some air, but it should drink brilliantly for 7-8 years, then possibly go through a dormant stage, only to re-emerge at a later date. It’s unquestionably one of the finest whites from the region. Hats off to the team at La Nerthe for this incredible effort.Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDSuper-fresh and so dynamic. A lovely brisk acidity propels the tangy lime fruit long into the finish. The oak is quite present but well judged and should integrate after a year or so in bottle. Impressive length and finesse. Parcel selection of old vines on sandy clay soil. Matured in demi-muid, with 15% new wood. Just 3,000 bottles produced.Decanter | 97 DECThe 2021 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc Clos de Beauvenir is made from certified organic grapes and aged for 7 months in a combination of 85% demi-muids and 15% new oak barriques. It bursts with aromas of honeysuckle, jasmine, lemon peel, white peach, pineapple, melon, pastry, cedar and freshly-cut fennel. On the palate it is medium to full-bodied, vibrant and shows a lively core of fresh acidity. This 2021 white concludes with a bright finish and a modestly salty aftertaste.Vinous Media | 94 VMBold and exuberant, with good definition to the white peach, quince and fresh melon notes and hint of ginger. Offers a thread of shortbread that adds richness to the round, lush palate, which is deftly offset by stony minerality and savory green herbs on the lengthy finish. Roussanne and Grenache Blanc. Drink now through 2027. 20 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 93 WSA 70-30 blend of Roussanne and Grenache, the 2021 Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc Clos de Beauvenir offers up scents of struck flint, citrus zest and white peaches. Medium-bodied, this largely barrel fermented effort is focused and linear in shape, finishing with ample freshness and length.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 90 RP

The Menetou-Salon from Kevin and Karine Lauverjat is a fine bottle that really shows the bright, cooler vintage characteristics of 2021. The bouquet offers up a complex blend of limepeel, gooseberry, fresh-cut grass, a lovely base of flinty minerality and a topnote of citrus blossoms. On the palate the wine is vibrant, full-bodied, complex and nicely grassy in personality, with a lovely core of fruit, fine soil signature, a good spine of acidity and impressive length and grip on the well-balanced finish. Good juice. (Drink between 2023 - 2030)John Gilman | 91 JG

Firm reduction and a whiff of oak dominate the nose at present. Much more interesting are the beautifully textured, racy and detailed medium weight flavors that also possess a highly sophisticated mouthfeel while exhibiting stunningly good length on the bitter zest-inflected finish that goes on and on. This is terrific and easily delivers grand cru quality.Burghound | 94-96 BHMid lemon colour. As always, the bouquet rises above the others. I feel the need to keep on sniffing this! Brings a smile to the face. The 2021 Domaine Leflaive Pucelles offers such a complex mix of fruits, fresh apricot along with a mix of quality citrus, good density but above all a stylishness that expresses itself in a hugely long finish. Perfect balance with a lifted fresh elegance at the finish. This may yet earn a fifth star later in life. Drink from 2027-2035.Jasper Morris | 94-96 JMThe 2021 Puligny-Montrachet Les Pucelles 1er Cru has a crisp, petrichor and green apple-scented bouquet, tight at first but opening up nicely with aeration. The palate is fresh and crisp with a subtle reduction at play, fine depth, lightly spiced with stem ginger and a dab of lemongrass towards the finish. This should drink nicely over the next decade.Vinous Media | 89-91 VM

Energetic and bright with sliced green apples, mangoes and citrus with some honeysuckle. It’s medium- to full-bodied with lovely fruit. Electric acidity. Salty at the end. Drink now.James Suckling | 94 JS

A very complex nose here with ripe, deep lemon and grapefruit aromas on offer plus some restrained chalky elements, biscuit, some roasting herbs, hints of pepper, then a little tobacco too. Very complex and full of fresh characters. The palate has a wealth of different fruit flavors like lemon, peach, nectarine, and plums. The finesse in terms of structure, detail and precision is staggering; sherbet-like elegance with immense concentration and power. A great Grande Cuv‚e. Incredibly satisfying. Based on 2006.Krug ID 14024.James Suckling | 96 JSThis mouthwatering Champagne shows a lovely sense of finesse, with firm acidity deftly married to a rich profile of crème de cassis, toasted brioche and lime blossom, accented by hints of café au lait, singed orange peel and exotic spice. Long and plush on the finish. Disgorged 2014. Drink now through 2024.Wine Spectator | 95 WSA distinctive nose with honey, toast and cashew leads to a palate that’s just as powerful and pronounced, with an exotic, dry, umami richness comprising dried crystalline fruits, peach, biscuit and cream, and a touch of well-executed oak. Good acidity and terrific length. Drinking Window 2019 - 2028.Decanter | 95 DEC(NV Krug “Grande Cuvée” Brut NV (Reims) ID #212018 Base Year 2004) This release of Grande Cuvée was disgorged in the spring of 2012 and is comprised of a cépages of forty-four percent pinot noir, thirty-three percent chardonnay and fully twenty-three percent pinot meunier, making this blend one of the highest in pinot meunier in the last decade of Grande Cuvées. As is the case with the blends from the base years of 2006 and 2005, the oldest reserve wine used here was from the 1990 vintage (though of course, this does not mean that each of these blends included the same reserve wine from 1990!) and the wine shows the racy precision of the best wines from this excellent Champagne vintage of 2004. The bouquet is flat out gorgeous and really at a fine moment in its evolution, as it soars from the glass in a constellation of tangerine, white peach, hints of lavender, stunning spice tones, brioche, a complex signature of soil, gentle smokiness and a topnote of fresh almond. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, pure and utterly refined, with a rock solid core, seamless structure, elegant mousse and outstanding length and grip on the complex, vibrant finish. One of the finest recent releases of Grande Cuvée. (Drink between 2015-2040)John Gilman | 95 JGThe NV Grande Cuvée is absolutely stellar. This is one of the very best Grande Cuvées I can remember tasting. The flavors are bright, focused and beautifully delineated throughout, all of which make me think the wine will age well for many, many years. Lemon peel, white flowers, crisp pears, smoke and crushed rocks race across the palate in a vibrant, tense Champagne that epitomizes finesse. This release is based on the 2005 vintage and was disgorged in winter 2012/2013. The blend is: 44% Pinot Noir, 37% Chardonnay and 19% Meunier. Krug ID: 113001.Vinous Media | 94 VMWith its minimum of six years’ bottle aging, this is a beautifully integrated, mature wine. It has a wonderful toast character, layered over sliced pears and ripe acidity. With its complex poise between lightness and richness, this remains an intensely impressive wine.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEA brisk and powerful release of Grande Cuvée, this has the masculine charm of a linebacker as it pummels the palate with lime and seashells, lemon and tangerine flavors. The wine’s intensity and richness has a mouthwatering effect in the finish, lasting in resonant layers of flavor—powerful, yet gracious in the end.Wine & Spirits | 94 W&SOddly, the most consistent Krug wine I have been tasting lately is their non-vintage Brut Grand Cuvee, a big, boldly styled Champagne with smoky, earthy, pear, apple, and spicy aromas as well as flavors, loads of effervescence, and fine body and depth.Robert Parker | 93 RP(NV Krug Brut Grande Cuvée Champagne/Sparkling) Strong petrol aromas presently largely dominate the background notes of citrus, yeast and apple. The relatively full-bodied flavors possess admirable richness and solid power while displaying a moderately fine mousse shapes the dry but not austere finish. Some may find the distinct petrol character of the nose more than they like though I suspect that with age it will dissipate. (Drink starting 2020)Burghound | 90 BH

Deliciously balanced, this Champagne is impressive. The iconic wine is in its 171st blend, meaning it combines vintages for the best result for each bottling, not a specific vintage. The 171st essence is dry, while also having fine textured fruit. This is a magnificent wine and worth aging for another year. Wine Enthusiast | 97 WEA vivid Champagne, with chiseled acidity and a fine, vivacious mousse creating a buoyant frame for layered flavors of crushed black raspberry, grilled nuts, pink grapefruit sorbet and coffee liqueur, plus fragrant accents of ground ginger and anise, graphite and lime blossoms. Long and expressive on the finish, crackling with a lingering fleur de sel note. Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Meunier. Disgorged winter 2022 to 2021. Drink now through 2033.Wine Spectator | 96 WSThe Krug Grande Cuvée “171ème Édition” is from the base year of 2015. The final cépages is forty-five percent pinot noir, thirty-seven percent chardonnay and eighteen percent pinot meunier. It includes fully forty-two percent reserve wines in this iteration, with the wines stretching all the way back to the 2000 vintage. It was disgorged in the first months of 2022 after six years aging sur latte. The wine is supremely elegant on both the nose and palate, with the bouquet wafting from the glass in a beautifully complex blend of apple, pear, fresh apricot, brioche, a complex blend of chalky soil tones, gently musky floral tones, almond, a lovely touch of buttery oak and incipient notes of caraway seed in the upper register. On the palate the wine is pure, precise and full-bodied, with superb depth of fruit, lovely soil undertow, very refined mousse, great balance, snappy acids and a very, very long, complex and utterly seamless finish. Though this is still most emphatically still a young wine, its impeccable balance makes it all too easy to drink today! I would try to leave it alone in the cellar for five to ten years and really let it hit its apogee, but it is not going to be an easy wine with which to exercise self-restraint! (Drink between 2023 - 2085)John Gilman | 96+ JGThe NV Grande Cuvée 171ème Edition is a delightful blend of 45% Pinot Noir, 37% Chardonnay and 18% Pinot Meunier and boasts an attractive and captivating aroma of dried fruits, pastry, lemon oil, marzipan, spring flowers and ginger, with hints of almond and vanilla notes that become more pronounced over time. This medium to full-bodied wine is precise and well-structured, with a fleshy core of fruit and a sapid, incisive finish. Crafted around the 2015 vintage, the blend comprises 131 reserve wines from as far back as 2000 (42% of the total blend) and is expected to age beautifully over the next decade.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPSpanning from 1998 through the 2015 vintage, the NV Champagne Grande Cuvée 171 is lush with a kaleidoscope of aromas including orange marmalade, toasted brioche, almond, and ripe peaches. Full-bodied and rounded, it has a hint of warmth on the finish, but it’s highly attractive, balanced, and long, with outstanding depth and richness. This fantastic expression of the Grand Cuvée is gorgeous right out of the gate and will be a great addition for collectors to enjoy over the coming two decades. Drink 2023-2043.Jeb Dunnuck | 94 JDKrug’s Grand Cuvee 171ème Edition is a 45% Pinot Noir, 37% Chardonnay and 18% Pinot Meunier barrel fermented assemblage of 131 wines from 12 years. The youngest and predominant base wine was from 2015, and the oldest reserve wines from 2000. This 171eme Edition reveals an aromatically complex nose of warm citrus, poached Anjou pear, dried apricots, lemon balm and toast. Medium to full-bodied, the palate balances a beautifully energetic acid frame alongside rich flavors of Meyer lemon, apple crumble and honeycomb with a kiss of vanilla before finishing long, generous and refreshing. According to the Krug iD122014 the bottle tasted was disgorged in the spring of 2020 and released a year later in 2021.The Wine Independent | 94+ TWI

Aromas of bread dough and watermelon with peaches on the nose. Some dried fruits. Full-bodied with phenolic tannins, like a fine pinot noir. The finish is very Burgundian with rose hip tea and dried lemons and kumquats. Crunchy. Delicious finish. Drink now or hold.James Suckling | 98 JSThe NV Rosé 27ème Edition, much like the Grande Cuvée 171ème Edition, was created based on the 2015 vintage and is complemented with 38 reserve wines sourced from nine different years (which makes up 55% of the blend). The youngest reserve wine dates back to 2015, while the oldest goes all the way back to 2005. Additionally, the blend includes 10% Pinot Noir, sourced from Aÿ and Mareuil-sur-Aÿ. This delightful rosé boasts a stunning, fresh bouquet of peony, blueberry, grapefruit, blood orange, warm biscuits and spring flowers. It has a medium to full-bodied texture and is both tense and crystalline, with a delicate yet concentrated structure and a salty, lingering and mouthwatering finish. I find the mid-palate particularly fascinating, as it is both fleshy and delicate. This lively and pure Champagne rosé from Krug is made up of 57% Pinot Noir, 23% Chardonnay and 20% Pinot Meunier.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96+ RPA graceful Champagne, deftly integrating a firm spine of mouthwatering acidity with a finely detailed texture and an expansive range of flavors, including chopped almond, black cherry and apricot fruit, pink grapefruit peel and accents of sea salt, ground ginger and white peppercorn that crackle on the palate. Shows lovely precision and expression, with a long, racy finish. Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier. Disgorged winter 2021 to 2022. Drink now through 2030.Wine Spectator | 96 WSThe Krug Rosé “27ème Édition” is crafted this year from a cépages of fifty-seven percent pinot noir, twenty-three percent chardonnay and twenty percent pinot meunier. It is from the base year of 2015 and includes reserve wines in it all the way back to 2005, with fully fifty-five percent of the cuvée being comprised of reserve wines in this iteration. Ten percent of the pinot noir in the blend is still red wine from vineyards in Mareuil-sur-Aÿ and Aÿ. The wine offers up beautiful depth in its complex and very precise bouquet of blood orange, rhubarb, a touch of cherry skin, a beautifully refined base of chalky soil, delicate spice tones, wheat toast, dried rose petals and a delicate topnote of caraway seed. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied, focused and gently vinous, with superb depth at the core, refined mousse and a very long, complex and seamlessly balanced finish. The high percentage of reserve wines in the 27ème Édition gives it already a beautiful, gentle of patina of older Champagne that makes it a gorgeous drink right out of the blocks! A stunning wine. (Drink between 2023 - 2060)John Gilman | 96 JGKrug Rose 27eme Edition is an alluring assemblage rosé of 38 different wines composed of 45% from the 2015 vintage and 55% from reserve wines, the oldest of which is 2005. Pale coral with glints of gold, it is a 57% Pinot Noir, 23% Chardonnay and 20% Pinot Meunier blend of which between 8-11% is still red wine from Ay and Marieul. Expressive notes of morello cherry, pomegranate, ripe Meyer lemon, anise, toast, and smoke lead into a medium to full-bodied palate enlivened by racy, mineral-tinged acidity along with savory red fruit, citrus peel, and toast notes. It finishes wonderfully vibrant, elegant and long. According to the Krug iD122001 the bottle tasted was disgorged in the first quarter of 2022.John Gilman | 96+ JGAs rosé Champagne goes, this wine presents a unique level of complexity. It is rich, while also intensely fresh. Textured and full of ripe fruits, the wine is beautifully structured. It is ready to drink. Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEThe NV Rosé 27ème Édition is an elegant, gracious Champagne. Crushed red berry fruit, rose petals and spice are nicely layered in this soft, open-knit Rosé from Krug. There are no hard edges, quite an achievement for the challenging 2015 harvest. The 27ème Édition is an especially approachable young release. The blend is 57% Pinot Noir, 23% Chardonnay and 20% Meunier, based on 2015 with reserve wines back to 2005. Of note is the relatively high percentage of Pinot Noir in this edition. Disgorged: Winter 2021-2022. Krug ID: 122001.Vinous Media | 93 VM

The floral bouquet is very fine and elegant but also quite delicate, suffused with touches of slightly candied citrus, but the telltale autolytic note of hazelnuts is less pronounced than usual. There is, however, some almond nuttiness on the palate, as well as racy rectitude and vivacity that give thrust to a long, surprisingly breezy finish. Will benefit from five to 10 years of cellaring. Disgorged January 2020. Dosage: 4.5g/L. Elaborated from 146 wines and 11 different vintages, the oldest of which dates back to 2000. 40% reserve wines. Drinking Window 2021 - 2035.Decanter | 94 DEC