Wine Advisor
Salon, Cuvee S Le Mesnil Blanc de Blancs 1995
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 1995 Salon, disgorged à la volée and naturally sans dosage, is rich, ample and creamy. In this vertical, the 1995 stands out for its broad, ample frame and tropically-leaning overtones. So often, Salon is a Champagne of tension and focus. Even without dosage, the 1995 is distinctly more ample than is the norm and yet all the elements come together nicely just the same.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
Hazelnut, smoke, sage and almond are some of the many nuances that emerge from the 1995 Salon, which is also tasted in magnum. The 1995 takes us a little further into the spectrum of early tertiary notes. Texturally, the 1995 is quite open and accessible. My sense is that the 1995 won’t materially improve from here, but that it may very well hold at this plateau for some time. The 1995 is an excellent choice for near and medium-term drinking.
Reviewed by: Josh Raynolds
Pale straw, with gold highlights. Leesy, buttery aromas of honey, orange and toast. Toffee apple, fresh apricot and exotic papaya flavors are accented by dense truffle and smoke. Possesses a wonderfully supple texture and good heft but there's ample acidity to keep it fresh and bright. Finishes spicy, firm and long. This will age well. This cuvee is a recent disgorgement, done in May of this year.
Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer
Pungent, vivid aromas of pineapple, lime, rose petal, honeysuckle and powdered stone. Wonderfully dense and rich but fine-grained, with an almost velvety texture leavened by vibrant, harmonious acidity. A big, pliant, mouthcoating Salon with great ripeness of fruit and subtle floral and mineral notes. Amazingly solid Champagne that really coats the mouth on the explosive, building finish. Offers a rare combination of size and elegance. Deceptively easy to taste today owing to its richness but has the structure to develop in bottle for a decade or two.
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.
