The prestigious 1998 Clos du Mesnil is the exception that confirms the rule of blending.
This wine is the product, not merely of a single grape variety and a single year, but of a single historic vineyard.
Made with only Chardonnay grapes from the Clos du Mesnil, a single walled vineyard covering just 1.85 hectares (or 4.57 acres) within the village of Mesnil-sur-Oger in the renowned Côte des Blancs.
This tiny jewel vineyard enclosed within its own stone wall has a specific micro-climat as it is located on the South Eastern part of the Clos du Mesnil hill. Thus, it is protected from spring frost which ensures the quality of Chardonnay.
In Clos du Mesnil 1998, the elegant and incisive freshness of Chardonnay and the mineral accents characteristic of this terroir mingle beguilingly with notes of honey, nougat and candy citrus.
The Clos du Mesnil was in great need of renovation. The Krug family decided to restore this jewel to its former level of prestige by reinstating the natural renewal cycle in the vineyard.
The easiest thing would have been to replant the entire vineyard all at once, but Henri Krug decided to replant parcel by parcel, since champagne has more character when it is made from the grapes of vines of different ages.
After eight year’s work, in silence, the 1979 vintage at last lived up to expectations.
The excellence of the quality was confirmed by tasting and so the Krug family decided to make an exception to their usual rule of blending and create a limited edition champagne made exclusively from the Clos du Mesnil production.
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