Christmas came early this year. Not in the tinsel sense, although there was plenty of that too, but in the form of a different kind of sparkle – a surprise glass of Krug Clos du Mesnil 2008.
This is single-vintage Blanc de Blancs from a tiny, walled plot in Le Mesnil-sur-Oger – arguably Champagne’s most iconic Chardonnay village. Extremely limited. Somewhat of a unicorn. Which might go some way to explain why a single glass costs roughly $650.
All of which is impressive, sure, but that’s not the most interesting part.
I was tasting it at Bennelong – the only place in the world where you can currently try it by the glass, which so happens to be home to sweeping beams, moody lighting, and a quiet sense of understated opulence. In other words, it’s the kind of setting that primes you for a soft, comfortable richness: the epitome of an aged Grand Cru. Yet this Champagne had other ideas.
Despite spending more than 15 years in the cellar, born in what is universally acknowledged as “one of the great years in modern Champagne history”, it doesn’t present as mature in the way we’re conditioned to expect.
What surprised me first was how disciplined this glass of Krug felt. I expected rounder edges, maybe some slightly honeyed notes, that unavoidable softening that comes with age. Yet there was no overt richness, no oxidative comfort blanket. Instead, it’s taut, vibrant and almost confrontationally precise. The ultra-fine bubbles feel simultaneously silky and electric. Unlike me after a long slumber, it feels undeniably awake.
On the nose: crisp citrus, light toast. On the palate: that citrus instantly opens up and multiplies, giving it a beautiful depth. You get that classic delicious toasted brioche coming through, a hint of nuttiness perhaps, and then this distinct chalky spine that shoots straight through the middle.
The texture is what lingers, simultaneously delicate and alert. I kept waiting for it to relax, to broaden, to do the very thing prestige Champagnes so often do with age. It never did. And that restraint is the flex.
That’s why Krug’s Clos du Mesnil 2008 feels so disarming. You expect age; you get clarity. You expect weight; you get energy. You expect a crescendo; you get control.
Will I be buying a bottle any time soon? Absolutely not. A girl has rent to pay. But as a once-in-a-lifetime experience, it earns its reputation.
