Wine Advisor
Krug, Clos du Mesnil Blanc de Blancs Brut 1998
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 1998 Blanc de Blancs Clos du Mesnil has developed beautifully since I last tasted it. What a wine. For the first few years of its life, the 1998 seemed to lack personality, then, suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere, it blossomed. Today, the 1998 is rich, powerful and explosive, none of which was a few years ago. Layers of textured fruit, pastry, spices and crushed rocks jump from the glass. Still an infant, the 1998 promises to drink well for two to three decades. This is without question the best bottle of the 1998 I have ever tasted. Time to do another complete vertical?
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
We started with Krug's 1998 Clos du Mesnil, a wine that keeps getting better and better with the passage of time. This bottle wasn't perfect, but then again, it has just been shipped in from London.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
We then made the jump so a set of younger wines that had been opened in advance. The 1998 Clos du Mesnil keeps getting better and better each time I taste it. This bottle was dazzling. The 1998 is probably never going to be one of the icons here, but it is stunningly beautiful just the same. The finesse of the mousse and the persistence, especially on the finish, are pure Mesnil.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 1998 Brut Blanc de Blancs Clos de Mesnil has come together beautifully since I tasted it last year. This is a remarkably taught, focused bottle of the 1998 with great energy and minerality in its precise, crystalline fruit. I don't expect the 1998 to be one of the longest-lived Mesnils, but if this bottle is any indication, it should continue to drink well for a number of years.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
Krug's 1998 Clos du Mesnil achieves a striking balance of power and elegance. Clos du Mesnil is always a more detailed, finely sculpted wine than the Vintage, as it is again in 1998. Although the fruit is incredibly primary and dense today the mousse is also extraordinarily finessed. While the 1998 Clos du Mesnil requires further cellaring, its first-rate pedigree is amply evident at this early stage.
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.
