2008 Krug 'Clos du Mesnil' Champagne with Wood Box

Winemaker Notes: At first sight, a light, golden mineral hue. On the nose, notes of citrus, lightly toasted aromas, orange madeleine and the menthol signature of this small plot. On the palate, citrus in all its forms and grapefruit skin give way to ripe and candied citrus flavors and notes of barley sugar, with a delightful bitterness. This champagne is elegant and chiseled, all the while silky and generous.

Krug Clos du Mesnil 2008 pairs beautifully with halibut or St. Pierre in lemon butter or dill and fennel sauce, as well as with a fresh seafood platter, oysters or roast guinea fowl with herbs.

Blend: 100% Chardonnay

CRITICAL ACCLAIM


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."


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."


Robert Parker's Wine Advocate - "Disgorged a year ago, Krug's 2008 Blanc de Blancs Clos du Mesnil unwinds in the glass with notes of citrus oil, nougat, honeycomb, white flowers and a discreet hint of buttered toast and hazelnuts. Full-bodied, layered and chiseled, it's a taut, concentrated wine with a tightly wound core that's underpinned by a racy spine of acidity, complemented by a pretty pinpoint mousse and concluding with a long, chalky finish. Austerity without asperity is how I'd characterize this wine; and interestingly, though Krug likens their monovarietal single-vineyard cuvées to soloists vis-à-vis the orchestra of Grande Cuvée, in 2008 it's the Clos du Mesnil-sur-Oger—the soloist—that has produced the house's most complete wine. Given its structure and tension, it goes without saying that this will richly reward bottle age. 98+"


Wine Spectator - "A harmonious Champagne that marries the power and grace of a prima ballerina. Delivers a racy streak of acidity that's effortlessly knit to the layered range of tangerine, madeleine cake, dried mint and white blossoms, pink grapefruit sorbet and crushed hazelnut and almond notes. Finely detailed in texture -- almost luxuriously creamy -- echoing a pronounced note of salty minerality on the finish. Disgorged summer 2021. Drink now through 2038."