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Salon
The Winery
Champagne Salon
"Great love affairs start with Champagne and end with tisane."
- Honoré de Balzac
Highly lauded as one of the worlds greatest Champagne houses, Salon has limited production and is the first Champagne house to produce a “blanc de blanc”. Founder Eugéne Aimé Salon felt that the Chardonnay could stand alone without Pinot Noir, and in 1921, the purely Grand Cru Chardonnay Cuvée first saw the open market.
The fruit is harvested from Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, in the Cotes de Blancs, with vines anywhere between ages of 25 and 40 years old. In the cellar, you will not find a barrel, nor will you find any malolactic fermentation being applied. To ensure optimal quality, the bottles are held for up to a decade before being released and some is held back for longer time sur-lees. Salon fairs especially well in the secondary market, and is a worthy investment. Referred to fondly as a Montrachet with bubbles, Salon has a long history of elegance and excellence.
Salon Le Mesnil 2004
$1,376
Wines due to arrive June 2024.
Tasting Notes
- WE98
- Salon's releases are rare and signify a great vintage—the last release was the 2002. Coming from grand cru vineyards in Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, this 2004 is complex and concentrated, capturing the essence of Chardonnay in Champagne. Intense minerality and ripe apple and citrus fruits accompany the purity and crisp texture that are part of its ability to age. The wine can continue for many years, certainly to 2025 and beyond.
- JS98
- 2004 Salon weaves together immense complexity with stunning purity and makes instant impact on the nose with fresh-baked pastry and brioche, chalky minerals, fresh white mushrooms, cucumber, lemon curd and striking lemon and lime fruits. The palate has an almost smoky mineral thread while toasty autolytic flavours build and expand through the mid-palate, opening to grapefruit and ripe white-peach flavors, lemon sorbet and very lightly grilled hazelnuts to close. This is an impressively layered Blanc de Blancs in which bright acidity supports the flavorsome, concentrated and fleshy texture in seamless balance. A great Salon that’s very composed and complex in every respect; it’s a classically styled vintage in which this legendary Champagne has excelled. It will be a fascinatingly complex Champagne with further age. Drink now and for 10+ years.
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Wines due to arrive June 2024.
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