Wine Advisor
Salon, Cuvee S Le Mesnil Blanc de Blancs 1988
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
After the lackluster 1990, things get back on track quickly with the 1988 Salon, a wine that is absolutely peaking today. From one of the all-time great vintages in Champagne the 1988 Salon exudes power and explosive intensity, with superb balance and pulsating acidity that gives the wine its drive. A host of candied lemon peel, hazelnut, smoke, licorice and anise overtones meld into the super-expressive finish. Disgorged à la volée, with no dosage.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
Sadly, the 1988 Salon doesn’t live up to expectations. Now fully mature, the 1988 needs to be enjoyed sooner rather than later. This is my second similar experience with the 1988.
Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer
Multidimensional nose of lemon, apple, minerals, nut skin, mushroom, honey, toffee and coffee. Tiny bubbles. Powerful, rich and solid as a rock, with strong mineral underpinning. Great concentration and structure. Finishes with almost painful intensity and remarkable persistence. Extremely expressive on the nose, but still evolving in the middle palate and likely to be long-lived.
Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer
Vibrant, pure aromas of lemon, peach, orange peel, toast and rose petal. Big and mouthfilling, but quite dry and youthfully unevolved; a very serious Champagne that not yet filled in on the middle palate. Extremely unevolved. Shows the edgy acidity of the year. Finishes with almost painful intensity. A strong showing for a wine that is not ready to drink.
Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer
Vibrant, pure aromas of lemon, peach, orange peel, toast and rose petal. Big and mouthfilling, but quite dry and youthfully unevolved; a very serious Champagne that's not yet filled in on the middle palate. Extremely unevolved. Shows the edgy acidity of the year. Finishes with almost painful intensity. A strong showing for a wine that is not ready to drink.
About the Producer
Salon is one of the most prestigious houses in Champagne. Instead of making a range of styles that includes a prestige cuvée like most Champagne houses, Salon makes a single prestige cuvée, which is made entirely from Chardonnay from the village Le Mesnil-sur-Oger. The house was founded in 1911 by Eugène-Aimé Salon, who thought that Champagne was overly dominated by heavy Pinot Noir. Consequently, Salon decided to make a top Chardonnay-based label instead. Today Salon is made in only the best vintages. The wine comes from a one-hectare (2.5 acre) parcel owned by Salon and 19 smaller parcels cultivated through agreements with various growers in the Grand Cru-classified Le Mesnil. In years deemed not good enough, the grapes and wine production are diverted to become a part of the Champagne Delamotte label. Salon is held back in cellar for much longer than other Champagnes – it can spend up to a decade in bottle before it is released onto the market, and can be cellared further.
