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. 2025 - 2055
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. Drink or hold.
