The “166ème Edition” Krug Grand Cuvée was not yet ready for tasting at the time of my March visit to the estate in Reims, but as a bottle arrived at my office prior to the publication of this issue, I include the note on the wine here. This is from the base year of 2010 and is composed of a blend of forty-five percent pinot noir, thirty-nine percent chardonnay and sixteen percent pinot meunier. Forty-two percent of the cuvée is composed of reserve wines, but as Cellar Master Eric Lebel observ

Despite the slightly more elevated percentage of new wood, its presence is actually a bit less evident than the Vaudésir (though still noticeable). There is elevated ripeness to the openly exotic nose of yellow fruit, lemon and white flower aromas. Like the Vaudésir, this possesses exceptionally rich, overtly powerful and imposing big-bodied flavors that despite the impressive size and weight, retain a fine sense of precision and detail on the linear and explosive finish where a touch of menthol