Clos du Mesnil is the most famous vineyard in all of Champagne and one of the finest Chardonnay sites outside the Grand Cru of Burgundy itself. In the heart of Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, the vines were planted and the protective wall built in 1698. Although Krug purchased the plot in 1971, it wasn't until the outstanding 1979 harvest that Olivier's father suggested they make a single wine: from one grape, one year and one little garden. Based on pure chalk, this tiny 1.84-hectare east-facing plot achieves less ripeness than some of Le Mesnil's south-facing slopes, making it all the more suited to Krug's long-ageing style. Clos du Mesnil is an extremely rare and exclusive champagne produced only in the very best vintages. Just 13,160 bottles and 500 magnums of Clos du Mesnil were produced in 2008, each individually numbered.

"Krug Clos du Mesnil 2008 exhibits elegance, length, distinction, and a delicately chiselled structure. It is both silky and inviting. " - Julie Cavil, Cellar Master

Krug ID: 321045 | Each bottle of Krug has a Krug ID on the back label which enables you to discover the story of that very bottle. You can do so using the smartphone App or on the Krug website.

Weather: 2008 was one of Champagne’s coolest in 14 years, and also one of the region’s least sunny in almost half a century. It was a classic northern climate, one that has not been seen much since. Rainfall was normal, the summer was dry, and temperatures were constant throughout the growing season. This absence of extremes resulted in slow and steady grape maturation. Under these circumstances, the fruit was intense, elegant and beautifully structured. Heterogeneity in the vines brought great complexity, with a full spectrum flavours and aromas observed upon harvest.

Technical Information:
Vineyards: 100% Grand Cru | Clos du Mesnil
Grape Varieties: 100% Chardonnay
Lees Ageing: 12 years
Disgorged: Summer 2021
Drink: Now to 2035+

Tasting Note: On the nose, notes of citrus, lightly toasted aromas, orange madeleine and the menthol signature of this small plot. On the palate, citrus in all its forms and grapefruit skin give way to ripe and candied citrus flavours and notes of barley sugar, with a delightful bitterness. This champagne is elegant and chiselled, all the while silky and generous.

Krug Clos du Mesnil 2008 is presented in a beautifully branded wooden gift box (as shown in the bottom left picture). There is a very limited quantity available due to its extreme scarcity and popularity.

Just five years after Joseph Krug founded his eponymous Champagne House in 1843, he documented his great vision for Krug in a cherry-red leather notebook. In it, he revealed the principles of creating a champagne of incredible richness yet great elegance, of selecting only the finest elements from the greatest terroirs, rejecting mediocre fruit and making both a non-vintage and a vintage cuvée - revolutionary at the time. Discovered in 2010 by current House Director and sixth generation of the founding family Olivier Krug, the ideals in this notebook and Krug's resolute commitment to them have secured their position as the most luxurious and exclusive of all Champagne producers.

Unlike other Champagne Houses, Krug's range consists of prestige cuvées only. Their iconic non-vintage Grande Cuvée is a masterful blend of some 120 wines, vintage Krugs are renowned as true classics, majestically displaying the characteristics of each harvest and their unique and exclusive single-vineyard champagnes, Clos du Mesnil and Clos d'Ambonnay are the ultimate rarities. The recent introduction of ID codes displayed on the back of every bottle - revealing base year, disgorgement periods and product information - has helped revise the vision of Krug in line with the great founder's philosophy.

Cellar Master: Julie Cavil
Winery Location: Reims | Champagne, France
Champagne Region: Montagne de Reims
Annual Production (bottles): 760,000