1988 Krug Clos du Mesnil
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Tasting notes
You know you are in for a special night when the first wine served is Krug's 1988 Clos du Mesnil. Where do I start? Everything about the wine is sensational from start to finish. An endless array of crushed rocks, minerals and bright citrus emerges from this intensely pointed, chiseled Champagne. The elegance, though, is really in the texture. The wine has acquired an element of vinosity over the years, with the tiniest and finest of bubbles and simply extraordinary finesse. It is a wine of mind-blowing purity and breathtaking elegance. Simply put, wine does not get better than this. The 1988 Clos du Mesnil is an eternal wine. (AG)
Critic scores
Average Score
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
More reviews and scores
Miraculously solid and savoury with a strong toastiness of its own. An extremely serious wine in its own right ideally served with food - and indeed we were treated to slivers of foie gras (with the all-important sea salt) on what one might call baguette melba toast - delicious! 18.5/20 points (JR)
Full color. Extremely fine, persistent mousse. Extraordinary mineral bath of a nose, complicated by pungent lime, iodine, peppermint and coconut; calls to mind a top Montrachet. A superconcentrated wine of incredible palate-staining intensity. Notes of toast, lemon and minerals. With its combination of powdered stone and powerful acidity, this is like a solid in the mouth, and almost painful today. Nearly a minute after swallowing this wine (spitting it is virtually impossible), the flavor had barely begun to flag. Not an easy style (this will be too powerful for some), but one of the most memorable young Champagnes I've ever tasted, and as good as virtually any chardonnay from anywhere.
About the producer
Krug is a remarkable Champagne House which only makes prestige cuvées. The wines – with their distinctive rich, complex, oxidative style – are some of the region’s best.