Krug Clos du Mesnil 1989 is 100 per cent Chardonnay from Krug's walled vineyard in Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, from a warm, generous harvest. Now in its fourth decade, it has moved into a rich, honeyed and nutty stage.
About This Champagne
1989 fell in the middle of a strong run of Champagne harvests, and Krug links it with 2002 as a year that gave beautiful, generous grapes. At Clos du Mesnil that ripeness shows as depth and warmth rather than the taut citrus of cooler years. The 1989 now has a deep golden colour, beeswax and marzipan on the nose, a rich and warm palate and fresh acidity that is still holding.
Tasting Profile
- Nose: Beeswax, marzipan and tangerine, with apple cider, dried fruit and a light nutty, oxidative note.
- Palate: Warm and rich, with candied citrus and baked apple set against acidity that stays lively.
- Finish: Medium-long and savoury, finishing on almond and orange peel.
Serving & Food
Pour at about 12°C into a wide tulip or white Burgundy glass rather than a flute, and drink it over the next few years. Rich, gently spiced food works: roast chicken with a cream and mushroom sauce, veal sweetbreads, or a honey-glazed ham.
How to Enjoy
Save it for a 1989 birthday or anniversary dinner, where the wine's age is part of the story.
Product Details
Producer: Krug
Wine: Clos du Mesnil Blanc de Blancs Brut
Vintage: 1989
Grape: 100% Chardonnay
Vineyard: Clos du Mesnil, 1.84 hectares, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger
Region: Champagne, France
Volume: 750mL
About the Maison
Krug does not make a Clos du Mesnil every year. Each season the Tasting Committee spends around six months tasting the new plot wines blind, Clos du Mesnil among them, without knowing which is which.
Only when the plot gives what the committee sees as the purest expression of its Chardonnay is it bottled on its own. In other years the wine goes into the blends, adding freshness and character to a new Édition of Grande Cuvée or Krug Rosé. That is why the list of Clos du Mesnil vintages has gaps.