Tasting Notes
Antonio Galloni 93
I am much less enthralled with the 1995 Brut Bland de Blancs Clos du Mesnil, which comes across as excessively heavy and ponderous, with little of the delineation and nuance of the 1996. The aromas and flavors are surprisingly advanced for a wine of this age, and notes of roasted nuts and caramel suggest this won’t be an especially long-lived Clos du Mesnil. On the positive side, the mousse is exceptionally elegant. Still, I am not sure that this alone is enough at this level.
Vinous 92+
Light gold, with a slow mousse. Complex aromas of buttered nuts, brioche, honey, yellow peach and apricot seem evolved and open-knit. But this is surprisingly brisk on the palate, showing edgier, more citrus-driven pink grapefruit and lime flavors. The bitter citrus zest flavors are powerful and almost painfully concentrated. Displays the combination of richness and tart tones that is typical of this vintage. Clos du Mesnil has always been Krug’s single-vintage statement, but one has to wonder what could have been had Krug blended some ’96 or another lively vintage’s juice into this.
Wine Advocate 95
The 1995 Clos du Mesnil shows pretty notes of autumn leaves, truffles and citrus. It is a rather fat, texturally rich vintage that probably won’t age forever, but rather a wine that offers rewarding drinking at a relatively young stage by Clos du Mesnil standards.
