99

Antonio Galloni

Vinous

Krug’s 2008 Clos du Mesnil, tasted from two bottles, is a very, very special Champagne. Soaring aromatics, fine, chiseled fruit and understated depth are the signatures of a Champagne that is immediately captivating. Bright, salivating acids run through a core of citrus fruit, lemon oil, slate, chalk, mint and white pepper. A touch of reduction and a superb, fine mousse move the 2008 into a realm that straddles Champagne and a distinctly Burgundian expression of Chardonnay. The 2008 is going to be expensive, and I am already hearing that allocations will be miniscule. For readers who can find it, the 2008 is an essential Clos du Mesnil that will take its place among the greatest vintages made here, specifically the 1979, 1988 and 1996. If anyone wants to organize a comparative tasting of the four, plus maybe the 2004, I’m game! The 2008 Clos du Mesnil is a magnificent Champagne to savor over the next several decades. 05/2022

99

Richard Juhlin

Richard Juhlin

Every time I encounter my favorite wine, Krug Clos du Mesnil, I get goosebumps while my senses are heightened. This time we meet together with Krug's management and my traveling party from the Champagne Club on Boulevard Lundy in Reims. Details so small, and to the uninitiated almost invisible, arouse my emotional interest. While the specially composed music enhances our impressions, I can't help but wonder if everyone understands how grand this is. How wide is the difference in individual perception? Is it moments like this and my special ability to go deep into the soul of wine that made me dedicate my life to this divine drink? Should I be happy about my innate and trained talent or should I be sad that so many will miss the greatness of encountering one of the world's greatest treasures of pleasure? A faint sea breeze, freshly laundered sheets, a hint of orange liqueur, a note of the spark when an iron skewer meets flint, sunny chalk on a June morning in the Côte des Blancs, oyster shells on the granite slab washed by the foaming waves of Bretagne, vibrating nervousness, freshly squeezed Sorrento lemon, white peach, walnut oil, soloistic clarity, multifaceted transience, crystal clear uplifting rippling alpine stream, jasmine, the white lilacs at our country estate. Colors of grey, white, orange, neon green and lemon yellow interact with the music and the unimaginable youthful vibrancy of the wine. Everything swirls past in an incredibly floating and perfectly coordinated Pas de deux. There is an indescribable class here that can only be compared to Raveneau Les Clos and Montrachet from Lafon or DRC. The similarities are striking with these majestic cannons, but the fragile elegance is even greater in this simultaneously young and ultra-fresh storage wine. 06/2024

98+

Yohan Castaing

Robert Parker/Wine Advocate

Once again, the 2008 Blanc de Blancs Clos du Mesnil is performing well today. Offering up a complex, dense and delicately spicy bouquet of citrus oil, hazelnuts, marzipan, pastry, ripe apricot and confit citrus, it's full-bodied, perfectly balanced and layered, with a crystalline, chiseled texture framed by racy acids, leading to a long, mineral and lovely iodine-inflected finish. Despite its austerity and structure, this Chardonnay, entirely sourced from Mesnil-sur-Oger, possesses a charming character that promises to age gracefully for 20-30 years. 10/2024

99

James Suckling

James Suckling

This is a powerful, sensual and intense Blanc de Blancs with lots of chalk, lemon, apricot stone, walnut, flint, biscuit, toast, white grapefruit and quince. Vibrant. tight and structured. Tight bubbles and a sharp backbone of acidity. Very long and persistent. Keeps going. Still a baby. Dosage 4g/L. Drink or hold. 07/2022