Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Vinous
The 2009 Clos du Mesnil is total stunner. Rich, ample and exotic, it stains the palate with a mélange of lemon confit, chamomile, dried flowers, chamomile and tangerine peel. It is the most concentrated and explosive young Clos du Mesnil I have ever tasted. The 2009 sits on the edge between the citrus and tropical sides of the fruit spectrum. That duality makes it complex and beguiling. Even with all of its radiance, the 2009 finishes with a bit of tightness that suggests it needs time in bottle to be at its finest. Magnificent. Krug ID: 124001.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Disgorged in May 2024 with a dosage of 4.5 grams per liter, Krug’s 2009 Blanc de Blancs Clos du Mesnil is performing very well. Though the 2009 vintage was defined by a sunny growing season, it no longer appears all that extreme when viewed in context with more recent years such as 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2022. Harvest commenced on September 10, with the team conducting five to six separate pickings to capture optimal ripeness, plot by plot. Each parcel was pressed and vinified individually. In the glass, the wine unfolds with a bouquet of lemon oil, green apple, peach and oyster juice, interwoven with the delicate aroma of early-blooming white blossoms. On the palate, it is medium- to full-bodied, elegantly muscular and tightly wound. Produced without malolactic fermentation—contributing to its pronounced acidity—this rendition underscores Le Mesnil’s electric character, asserting its identity over the vintage in the most flattering sense. Chiseled and taut and complemented by a pillowy mousse, it culminates in a long, saline finish delicately tinged with lemon. This release also marks a commitment to a more thoughtful agronomy: since 2009, Krug has eschewed the use of herbicides in its estate-owned vineyards.
Representing the topmost expression of a Champagne house, a vintage Champagne is one made from the produce of a single, superior harvest year. Vintage Champagnes account for a mere 5% of total Champagne production and are produced about three times in a decade. Champagne is typically made as a blend of multiple years in order to preserve the house style; these will have non-vintage, or simply, NV on the label. The term, "vintage," as it applies to all wine, simply means a single harvest year.
Associated with luxury, celebration, and romance, the region, Champagne, is home to the world’s most prized sparkling wine. In order to bear the label, ‘Champagne’, a sparkling wine must originate from this northeastern region of France—called Champagne—and adhere to strict quality standards. Made up of the three towns Reims, Épernay, and Aÿ, it was here that the traditional method of sparkling wine production was both invented and perfected, birthing a winemaking technique as well as a flavor profile that is now emulated worldwide.
Well-drained, limestone and chalky soil defines much of the region, which lend a mineral component to its wines. Champagne’s cold, continental climate promotes ample acidity in its grapes but weather differences from year to year can create significant variation between vintages. While vintage Champagnes are produced in exceptional years, non-vintage cuvées are produced annually from a blend of several years in order to produce Champagnes that maintain a consistent house style.
With nearly negligible exceptions, . These can be blended together or bottled as individual varietal Champagnes, depending on the final style of wine desired. Chardonnay, the only white variety, contributes freshness, elegance, lively acidity and notes of citrus, orchard fruit and white flowers. Pinot Noir and its relative Pinot Meunier, provide the backbone to many blends, adding structure, body and supple red fruit flavors. Wines with a large proportion of Pinot Meunier will be ready to drink earlier, while Pinot Noir contributes to longevity. Whether it is white or rosé, most Champagne is made from a blend of red and white grapes—and uniquely, rosé is often produce by blending together red and white wine. A Champagne made exclusively from Chardonnay will be labeled as ‘blanc de blancs,’ while ones comprised of only red grapes are called ‘blanc de noirs.’