Wine Advisor
Krug, Clos du Mesnil Blanc de Blancs Brut 1996
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Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
Krug's 1996 Clos du Mesnil remains one of the greatest Champagnes I have ever tasted. Deep, powerful and explosive, the 1996 possesses tremendous energy. The first signs of aromatic maturity are just starting to appear, but the 1996 remains driven by a range of citrus and mineral-drenched flavors. Readers lucky enough own the 1996 can look forward to many years of pure drinking pleasure. The 1996 is simply sublime.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
Before dinner starts, though, a breathtaking array of Champagnes greets guests as they enter the Test Kitchen, one of the most intimate spaces in New York, I am drawn to Krug’s 1996 Clos du Mesnil, which is one of the greatest Champagnes I have ever tasted. It is utterly magnificent, as always. The hustle and bustle of New York City below starts to fade.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 1996 Clos du Mesnil is every bit as stratospheric as it has always been. An iconic, epic Champagne of the highest level, the 1996 Clos du Mesnil captivates all the senses with its breathtaking precision and crystalline purity. The flavors are bright, sculpted and intensely mineral driven to the core. There isn't too much to add. Put simply, the 1996 Clos du Mesnil is one of the greatest and most moving Champagnes I have ever had the privilege to taste and drink.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
We then made the jump so a set of younger wines that had been opened in advance. I suppose the 1996 Clos du Mesnil can't get any better by my standards. It never fails to leave me speechless. The 1996 is a modern-day 1988 or 1979, which is to say a classic among classics; in fact the 1996 may very well be the greatest Clos du Mesnil period. Smoke, bright fruit, crushed rocks and smoke inform the kaleidoscopic, breathtaking finish.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
Once again I am completely floored by Krug's Clos du Mesnil, which remains in my opinion the very finest wine to emerge from Champagne in 1996, and one of the greatest wines ever made in any region. The clarity, precision and focus of the fruit are simply breathtaking, while the overall sense of balance is phenomenal. The wine dances on the palate with the grace of a ballerina in a stunning display of class and elegance from start to finish. In a word: perfect.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
Then it was off to one of the most mind-boggling array of 1996 Champagnes I have ever seen. Imagine being able to liberally sample all of that vintage’s top wines at once. As I have recently tasted and reviewed many of the wines recently in my retrospective of the 1996 Champagnes, I won’t comment on each wine here, except to say that so many bottles seem to be growing with each passing year. The head of the class among the 1996s remains Krug’s Clos du Mesnil.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
As if there were any doubts, Krug's 1996 Brut Blanc de Blancs Clos du Mesnil reaffirms its position as one of the greatest B if not the greatest B Champagne of this historic harvest. I have had the privilege of drinking the 1996 Clos du Mesnil a few times over the last year and it has always been breathtaking, as it is again today. The wine sparkles on the palate with a brilliant, pointillist expression of fruit, showing surreal detail, depth and polish. Like a finely cut gem, each impression reveals a different and unique shade of nuance. The 1996 Clos du Mesnil coats every inch of the palate with endless layers of perfumed fruit and a chiseled, minerally finish that lasts forever. The oak seems a touch pronounced in this particular bottle, something I have not encountered previously with this wine. If forced to drink only one Champagne (assuming budget was not an issue) I might very well choose Krug's 1996 Clos du Mesnil. This profound Champagne is as good as it gets.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 1996 Clos du Mesnil was a bit shy on this night. Still, it gradually emerged to reveal a finely-knit fabric of profound elegance. This fine, sculpted Champagne remains one of the most exquisite wines made in this historic vintage.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The two wines from Krug are simply breathtaking. Hard as it may seem to believe, the 1996 Krug Clos du Mesnil is even better. Still painfully young, the wine reveals incredible detail in a vivid expression of white peaches, flowers and minerals. While the Vintage is exuberant and expressive, the Clos du Mesnil is all about subtlety, finesse and an incredibly understated, feminine style of Champagne. This is surely one of the most profound wines that have ever passed my lips, and my only hope is that I will have an opportunity to taste it again at some point in the future. For now, the 1996 Clos du Mesnil remains a reference-point wine of the very highest level.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The peaks among the 1996s arrived fairly early with two profound wines from Krug. The 1996 Krug Vintage was monumental, large-scaled and exuberant, with tons of density and richness. I was prepared to declare this one of the greatest Champagnes I had ever tasted, but then the 1996 Krug Clos du Mesnil appeared and I was at a loss for words. This wine of staggering richness and depth revealed breathtaking clarity and definition in an elegant and incredibly refined style.
About the Producer
The House was established in Reims in 1843, by Joseph Krug, a visionary non-conformist with an uncompromising philosophy. Having understood that the true essence of Champagne is pleasure itself, his dream was to craft the very best Champagne he could offer, every single year, regardless of annual variations in climate. Paying close attention to the vineyard’s character, respecting the individuality of each plot and its wine, as well as building an extensive library of reserve wines from many different years allowed Joseph Krug to fulfil his dream. With a very original approach to Champagne making, he decided to go beyond the notion of vintage to create the most generous expression of Champagne, every year. Thus, he founded a House in which all Champagnes are of the same level of distinction. Six generations of the Krug family have perpetuated this dream, enriching the founder’s vision and savoir faire.
