During a recent visit to Reims France, Mukul Manku savoured Champagne Krug Grande Cuvée 173eme at Le Parvis champagne bar just across the famous Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Reims. In this post Mukul writes about this ethereal experience.
Enchanting City of Reims
A visit to the city of Reims in heart of the champagne region, was on my mind since long, in fact it had been there ever since I first developed a liking for the world of champagne. And as destiny would have it, we finally travelled to this famous city known for a vibrant champagne culture, in Dec 2025, and got enchanted by it.
We started exploring the city by walking through its wide and beautiful streets flanked by shops, restaurants and eateries. It was the Christmas season and so the entire city was decorated and carried a festive look.
Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Reims – Reverence and Awe
While wandering through the lively streets of Reims, as we took a quiet side turn, our eyes encountered the majestic façade of Cathedral Notre-Dame de Reims – it was towering and dominating. Its immense presence felt almost deliberate, as if it were making us aware of its quiet authority over the city.
In fact, this reminded me of how Mark Twain, in his book The Innocents Abroad (1869), noted that wherever one wandered in Reims, the cathedral never left the eye.
On entering inside this historic cathedral, we were awestruck by its massive scale and rich interiors. The soaring roof made one feel humble and small, while the decorations and frescoes lent the space a deeply religious aura. A sense of awe and reverence gripped the mind, even as the cathedral buzzed gently with activity, children practicing choir at its centre.
How champagne became the wine of celebration
It was late evening by the time we finished our visit to the Reims Cathedral which proved to be a deeply immersive experience for us. Just across the cathedral was a champagne bar which seemed full of activity. Being in the near vicinity of both the historic cathedral and champagne suddenly inspired me towards storytelling – on how champagne became associated with celebration.
Built from the 13th century onwards, Notre-Dame de Reims is also where the successive kings of France were traditionally crowned. Legend says that during the celebrations which followed one such King’s Coronation, champagne was served to the guests. And this was probably the first time that champagne got associated with celebration – a trend which would continue for generations to come and one which holds true even today.
Champagne Krug Grande Cuvée 173eme
Creation of Krug Grande Cuvée began with one clear dream – Joseph Krug wanted to create the best champagne possible every single year, no matter how the weather behaved. And this is achieved by masterfully blending of over 120 wines from more than 10 different years which results in a layered, complex champagne which has a richness of flavour and offers its fullest expression.
Each year, Maison Krug honours his vision with a new Édition of Krug Grande Cuvée – one of the most generous expression of champagne.
I had selected Champagne Krug Grande Cuvée 173eme that evening. So what’s meant by 173eme? Let’s talk about this in some more detail.
173eme” is a French term, meaning 173rd in English. The suffix “eme” is used in French to denote sequence – much like 1st, 10th, 15th etc. So when we see 173eme, we need to read it as 173rd. Accordingly here 173eme Edition refers to the 173rd release of Krug’s Grande Cuvée since the house was founded in 1843.
Composed around the harvest of 2017, Krug Grande Cuvée 173eme Edition is a blend of 150 wines from 13 different years. The youngest is from the year 2017 and the oldest dates back to 2001.
This brings me to the moment I actually savoured the Krug 173eme that day. I distinctly remember being delighted by its rich aromas and flavours. The champagne displayed a persistent perlage where intensity of bubbles did not fizzle out till the end.
On the palate it unfolded with a fine balance between fruitiness and yeast notes. There was an unmistakable presence of citrus but I found it much masked by the rich brioche and toastiness. Last but certainly not the least, it paired perfectly with the caviar on toast.
If I have to sum up my experience in one word then I would say that Krug Grand Cuvee 173eme is a generous champagne.
Author’s Note
I had the experience of savouring this champagne on 11th Dec 2025 but somehow I was able to write about it only now. There’s also something beyond the scope of this blog post, which I can say something very confidently – which is that it’s an absolutely pleasure to drink champagne in champagne region itself.
So if you are a lover of champagne, do add this into your bucket wish list as a must do. Cheers !!
Mukul Manku – President Wineglitz India | 10 Feb 2026
