drink-nowKrug, Grande Cuvée (168th Edition)

Creamy, buttery, salty shortbread notes on the nose signal generosity right away. That lovely, salty sense of richness persists as the Champagne warms up and a streak of candied lemon peel appears. The palate unites that salt-driven depth with great intensity and backs it up with luminous briskness. Yes, there is generous, buttery richness but also real raciness. Persistent bubbles serve up nuances that have yet to blossom: a hint of maple syrup, a pigment of dried shiitake against that enduring notion of crumbly, buttery shortcrust, enlivened every now and then by an ozone breeze.

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