2002 Krug "Clos du Mesnil" Brut Blanc de Blancs Champagne (direct from Krug 2018)

Krug's beautifully citrus colored 2002 Blanc de Blancs Brut Clos du Mesnil (ID 415068 - disgorged IV/2015) shows a deep, complex, very clear and precise if not etherial bouquet with citrus aromas intertwined with chalk and noble brioche notes in the background. Pure, profound and vibrantly fresh on the palate, this is a straight, athletic, very intense and expressive yet highly elegant and finessed Clos du Mesnil with a unique fresh fruit character! The 2002 reveals a great mineral structure and chalky texture on the palate. The highly complex, energetic finish reveals bracing freshness and vitality as well as the charm and creaminess from the vinification in barrels and possibly the dosage wine that seems to boost the Krug style. While terroir wine is the result of hands-off winemaking, Krug's Clos du Mesnil is perhaps a very particular Krug Champagne—it has great quality, style and complexity that is the result of the winemaking and the addition of the dosage wine. How the Clos du Mesnil would taste if farmed biodynamically, picked later and dosed with nothing but itself is a pointless question, but it hasn't left my mind since I tasted the paradoxical 2002, which is terribly fresh on one hand and also has this unique Krug reserve style. Notabene: This doesn't include the hypothesis that the wine could be any better. It would just be different and surely less "Krug," which is not what we really want, do we? Tasted April 2018. (SR) 98+ points.

On Monday, September 12, I had the rare opportunity to taste the wines of the “the Clos.” This wine had a wonderful nose of lemon meringue, toasted nuts and freshly whipped cream. On the palate, it is extremely unique with lemony zest, mandarin orange, kiwi and a little nutmeg. The finish is super, super clean with lime fruit and chalky notes. Two hours later, it was all about toasted nuts and citrus! So, very, very Krug.