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  • Country ranking ?

    321
  • Producer ranking ?

    23
  • Decanting time

    15min
  • When to drink

    now to 2025
  • Food Pairing

    Scampi and caviar toasts

The Tb points given to this wine are the world’s most valid and most up-to-date evaluation of the quality of the wine. Tastingbook points are formed by the Tastingbook algorithm which takes into account the wine ratings of the world's best-known professional wine critics, wine ratings by thousands of tastingbook’s professionals and users, the generally recognised vintage quality and reputation of the vineyard and winery. Wine needs at least five professional ratings to get the Tb score. Tastingbook.com is the world's largest wine information service which is an unbiased, non-commercial and free for everyone.

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100 points Vinous

 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. 

97 points Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

 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. 97+ 

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The Story

Krug Clos du Mesnil, a very rare Champagne, showcases the unique character of a single plot of Chardonnay, harvested in a single year. Our 1.84-hectare vineyard overlooked by the village church has been protected by walls since 1698. The vineyard is located in the heart of Mesnil-sur-Oger, one of the most iconic villages for Chardonnay in the Champagne region. Krug Clos du Mesnil has an expansive generous personality enhanced by the finish which powers through with extreme precision.

The vineyard was secretly replanted over eight years, and it was not until 1979 that the first harvest was deemed to fulfil expectations. When the wine was tasted, it proved so outstanding that the Krugs decided to bottle it on its own. There would be no "assemblage” – a bold decision amply justified by the exquisite quality of the single ingredient.

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Wine Information

The story of Clos du Mesnil started in 1698 when a 1,85 ha plot in the outskirts of the village of Le Mesnil-sur-Oger was sealed with walls for reasons unknown. The village grew in size and in 100 years the vineyard plot was surrounded by housing. The walls protected the vineyards from being dug up and from being used for housing purposes. The plot landed in the hands of the Krug family, when the brothers were searching for new vineyard acquisitions in the 1975s. A property was being sold in the Côte de Blancs, and as vineyard land was fiercely sought after, the brothers bought the plot without really seeing what they had bought.

 


When they first saw the Clos du Mesnil, they became very excited by the idea of producing a single vineyard wine. As the plot was not in good condition, Krug had to take the decision to replant it. Therefore, the first vintage of Krug Clos du Mesnil dates back to 1979 when the vines were old enough to produce good wine and when the unique quality of wine from the plot was realised. The Clos du Mesnil is produced in a similar way to the vintage. The plot comprises 6 individual parcels of varying vine ages. Each is picked and vinified separately. Enhancing terroir attributes is the guiding philosophy throughout vine growing and vinification.

Rémi Krug stresses that it was not the single vineyard concept that was fascinating in itself. Instead it was the uniqueness of the parcel and its wine; “a diamond one wishes to show on its own”. The Krugs always insist that the Clos du Mesnil is a unique wine, but never better than the vintage or the Grande Cuvée.

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Vintage 1988

CHAMPAGNE: From this year, the most classic and refined champagnes were producedChampagnes are long-lived and mature slowly to their peak.

Winter and spring were fairly mild. Inflorescences began in good weather in June. Already during the next month, the cloud masses swarmed to the Champagne province. Finally, the sky broke right before harvest. The harvest remained smaller than in the previous year. Even though the weather was unstable, the vintage produced fine and elegant wines, of which many have just reached their peak. The wines are marked by high acids and a concentrated, precise style. A real classic vintage. There is no rush to enjoy these wines, as they endure storage well and will continue to develop well for the next 10–12 years. Indicative of a slowly maturing vintage is that Krug released to the market first the Clos du Mesnil 1989 vintage before the 1988 vintage. This year has also stayed in mind as the vintage when Jacquesson & Fils produced the first of its three late bottled special cuvées – the Jacquesson DT (Dégorgement Tardif).

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Average Bottle Price

2015 2014 2012 2010 2005 2000
1 406€ +0.5% 1 399€ +0.7% 1 389€ +20.2% 1 156€ +236.0% 344€ +28.4% 268€

This data comes from the FINE Auction Index, a composite of average prices for wines sold at commercial auctions in 20 countries. The average prices from each year have been collected since 1990. This chart plots the index value of the average price of the wines.

Latest Pro-tasting notes

18 tasting notes

Tasting note

color

Medium

ending

Long, Extensive and Pure

flavors

Vanilla, Honey, Truffles, Creamy, New-oak and Caramel

nose

Intense

recommend

Yes

taste

Perfectly balanced, Well-Integrated, Complex, Full-bodied, Vigor, Jammy and Toasty

Verdict

Impressive and Masterpiece

Written Notes

We started with the 1988 Krug Clos du Mesnil. It was delicious and is generally Bruce’s favorite of Krug’s exemplary wine. This had all the yellow richness and great spice that you expect with a great Clos du Mesnil, along with cedar, smokiness and a tangy, long finish.  This is one for the ages (97+).   

  • 97p

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!

  • 95p
Developing deep yellow colour. A seductively harmonious nose of rich creaminess, nuts, apples and old wood. Yet again a sublime acid structure linear and focused. Rich, harmonious and absolutely stunning at the same time. Lively,juicy and concentrated. Paeking right now but there is no hurry!
  • 87p
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Information

Origin

Reims, Champagne

Vintage Quality

Excellent

Value For Money

Good

Investment potential

Excellent

Fake factory

None

Glass time

30min

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Clos du Mesnil Vinothèque

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Grande Cuvée 160ème Édition

Grande Cuvee 161st edition

Grande Cuvée 162ème Édition

Grande Cuvee 163th edition

Grande Cuvee 164th edition

Grande Cuvée - 165ème Édition

Grande Cuvée -166ème Édition

Grande Cuvée 167ème Edition

Grande Cuvée 168éme edition

Grande Cuvee 169th Edition

Grande Cuvée 170ème Édition

Grande Cuvée 171ÉME Edition

Grande Cuvée Edition 167

Krug Clos d'Ambonnay

Krug Collection

Krug Rosé

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Krug Vintage

Private Cuvée

Private Cuvée Extra Sec

Rosé - 18ème Édition

Rose 21st Edition

Rosé 22 Edition

Rosé 27ème Édition

Vintage

Inside Information

In the Cellar 
Jul 2011
Antonio Galloni 100 Drink: N/A  
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.
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