Krug Clos du Mesnil 2004

Pristine and razor-focused, the 2004 Clos du Mesnil announces itself with lemon curd, crushed chalk and white blossom — Chardonnay from Mesnil-sur-Oger stripped to its purest expression. Fine, persistent bead carries the wine's tension beautifully, never letting the richness get ahead of the structure. There's a stony, almost flinty thread running through the finish that keeps everything taut and alive. A single-vineyard statement that earns its place alongside the great 1979, 1988 and 1996 bottlings.