Wine Advisor
Salon, Cuvee S Le Mesnil Blanc de Blancs 1997
View analysis
Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 1997 Salon, tasted from the 2019 disgorgement, is fabulous. Scents of marzipan, honey, apricot jam, tangerine, spice and brioche open first, followed by touches of reduction from extended time on the lees. The 1997 is in some ways mature, and yet the recent disgorgement brings so much freshness. Today, the 1997 is peaking. It is an understated, beautifully layered Champagne to savor over the next decade or so, maybe longer.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
One of the surprises in this vertical, the 1997 Salon is super-polished, delicate and refined. The 1997 offers lovely detail and nuance throughout. Hints of candied lemon peel, white flowers and white pepper add an element of brightness that complements the wine's natural richness. Although 1997 doesn't belong to the group of elite vintages at Salon, it does come close to that level. Perhaps even more importantly, the 1997 is aging gracefully and should continue to drink nicely for a number of years.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 1997 Salon is wonderfully open and expressive today. Textured and nicely layered on the palate, the 1997 impresses for its resonance and accessibility. I don’t find the visceral thrill of the very best years, but in exchange, the 1997 won’t require years to come together.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
Salon's 1997 Brut Blanc de Blancs is drop-dead gorgeous. There is a beautiful tension between the intense minerality of Mesnil and the warmth of the vintage. Textural depth, brilliance and expressive inner perfume are the hallmarks of this gorgeous Blanc de Blancs. Flowers, mint and crisp varietal fruit linger on the impeccable finish. This is a particularly youthful, vibrant disgorgement of the 1997 that can be enjoyed now or cellared. Disgorged First Trimester, 2010.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 1997 Salon and Domaine Leflaive’s 2007 Puligny-Montrachet Les Folatières were among the wines poured during one of the finest cocktails hours I have ever been to.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 1997 Salon Brut Blanc de Blancs Le Mesnil possesses striking detail and depth in a surprisingly generous style for this wine. An inner core of perfumed varietal fruit emerges from the glass, along with expressive aromas of smoke, minerals, mint, flowers and licorice, all of which are woven together with extraordinary elegance. The finish is long, sweet and sublime. Everything about this wine speaks to elegance, but in 1997 Salon is also a pleasure to drink young, unlike the 1996 which remains painfully backward.
Reviewed by: Josh Raynolds
Light yellow with a slow bead. Deeply perfumed nose displays waxy orchard and pit fruit scents, along with toasty lees, woodsmoke and wet stone. Weighty pear and yellow peach flavors are given a bitter edge by fruit skin and quinine qualities, picking up salty minerals on the back end. Finishes with firm grip and powerful echoes of minerals and pear skin. This is already beginning to show complexity.
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.
