Welcome to Clos Du Mesnil, Krug’s famous vineyard in Champagne. Situated in the heart of Le Mesnil-sur-Oger this 1.84ha single walled vineyard has stood since 1698 and has produced Chardonnay grapes for Champagne House Krug since it was purchased in 1971. Originally, the Clos produced parcels of grapes that went into the production of the house’s most revered Champagne, Krug Grande Cuvée. As like all of the Krug’s individual plots, the grapes are vinified and aged separately. Over the years, as the wines were tasted, the wines from Clos du Mesnil showed exceptional quality and individuality. This led to the trialling of Krug Clos du Mesnil 1979, as we can see today, Krug’s first single vineyard champagne was a great success and up to the new release of 2002, 17 vintages have been produced with un-paramount quality. Only vintages with extremely good potential are deemed suitable for its own production, in 1999 Krug began the creation of Krug Clos Du Mesnil, however following bottling and labelling the decision was made to stop the release as it didn’t taste good enough. Krug Clos du Mesnil 2002 “2002 was a very special year,” says Krug Cellar Master, Eric Lebel. “It was clement and generous, consistently warm, relatively dry, granting ideal conditions for grape maturation.” Released in June 2016, Krug Clos du Mesnil 2002 is one of the most anticipated Champagnes in the last twenty years. Quality of vintage, production size and its famous Clos have combined to create a superb champagne that is sure to be top of the wish list of many. The 2002 Clos du Mesnil (like the 2002 vintage) was released a year after its 2003 counterpart due to its superior ageing potential, the house said. Only 13,278 bottles and 500 magnums have been produced and The Finest Bubble has been lucky enough to secure a very small quantity. Recently Krug released their 2002 vintage, the last of the big champagne houses to release their 2002. If you have the chance to, Drinking Krug 2002 and Krug Clos du Mesnil 2002 side by side would be a very interesting and very tasty evening. Krug Clos du Mesnil is available now here. It is presented in a stylish Krug wooden box. “Luminous golden colour of ripe wheat. On the nose, aromas of citrus fruits, white pepper and spices, lightly toasted nuts and brioche. On the palate, Clos du Mesnil 2002 is precise, pure and fresh with tension, vivacity and great balance. Notes of peach, orange, citrus fruit and liquorice are all enhanced by a very long finish” Eric Lebel’s tasting note on Krug Clos Du Mesnil 2002.
