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  • Country ranking ?

    322
  • Producer ranking ?

    6
  • Decanting time

    10min
  • When to drink

    now
  • Food Pairing

    Seafood, Salads & Consommes

The Tb points given to this wine are the world’s most valid and most up-to-date evaluation of the quality of the wine. Tastingbook points are formed by the Tastingbook algorithm which takes into account the wine ratings of the world's best-known professional wine critics, wine ratings by thousands of tastingbook’s professionals and users, the generally recognised vintage quality and reputation of the vineyard and winery. Wine needs at least five professional ratings to get the Tb score. Tastingbook.com is the world's largest wine information service which is an unbiased, non-commercial and free for everyone.

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The Story

This Champagne is produced from a one-hectare parcel owned by Salon: "Salon’s garden", and from 19 other smaller parcels in Mesnil-sur-Oger, chosen by Aimé Salon at the beginning of the century. The wines are cellared in the bottle for an average of 10 years, gaining in complexity and finesse.

The proof that memory and history are important is shown by the bottles in the cellars from nearly all the vintages that have ever been produced at Salon. Headed by Aimé Salon until his death in 1943, the house was then left to his nephew. In 1988, Champagne Laurent-Perrier, a family-owned company, became the majority shareholder of Champagne Salon.

Made from 100% Chardonnay from the Côte des Blancs grand cru vineyard, Le Mesnil-sur- Oger. The densely planted vines are located on the mid-slope in chalky soil, and the Cordon de Royat method of trellising is used, which allows access to the soil at the base of the vines.

The grapes are picked and sorted by hand. Only the first pressing, or cuvée, is used. This is the lightest, freshest juice, containing the highest percentage of acidity, which is essential to the evolution and vivacity of the Champagne. The first fermentation takes place in a stainless steel tank. The wine receives no oak exposure and does not undergo malolactic fermentation.

The wine is cellared in the bottle for an average of 10 years, gaining in complexity and finesse. Riddling is done by hand. All bottles are disgorged within 8 months of the first disgorgement, also by hand.

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Wine Information

1976

Bud-burst took place between 6th and 21st April depending on the variety and the precocity of the terroir. The emergence of clusters was considered generous. Flowering, from around 10th-15th June, came early. Summer weather was extremely hot, the soil already exceptionally dry and drought widespread over the vineyards. The speed of the ripening period, from early August, surprised the majority of winegrowers on holiday and forced to make a hasty retreat to prepare for the harvest. Ripening came extremely early, with a mere 84 days between flowering and harvesting. The grapes were perfectly healthy with low acidity. The excellent ripeness and high degree obtained for the musts, their low acidity produced a wine highlighting particular characteristics with an exceptional constitution. Robust, extremely vinous and supple.

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Vintage 1976

This sunny and hot drought year with record heat levels across Europe led to a very early harvest, which began on September 1st. Large yields (averaging 10,359 kg/ha) of super ripe fruit produced rich and powerful champagnes, although relatively low in acidity (averaging 7.2 g/l). The acidity levels made some winemakers doubt the wines' longevity but this has since been proven wrong by a multitude of majestic 1976 Champagnes defying time. The style is unashamedly ripe, big and even fatty with plush fruitiness. By no means ‘classic' in style but nevertheless great and a forefather to the warm vintages we are experiencing now. Bollinger R.D. 1976 from magnum for example, is something to behold. Other magnificent cuvées include Philipponnat Clos des Goisses, Dom Pérignon Brut and P3, Perrier-Jouët Belle Époque, Piper-Heidsieck Rare and Taittinger Comtes de Champagne.

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Latest Pro-tasting notes

14 tasting notes

Tasting note

color

Light

ending

Medium, Round and Flavorful

flavors

Bread, Mushrooms and Creamy

nose

Youthful and Complex

recommend

Yes

taste

Average in Acidity, Medium tannin, Well-structured, Complex, Developing, Medium-bodied, Rich, Fresh, Medium-Dry and Silky tannins

Written Notes

1976 Salon 96 points (96) A wine that cannot be misunderstood. Absolutely adorable, with its fat, sweet and warm generosity and even fullness. Hardly a classic Salon, but what a pleasure.
  • 96p
Salon 1976 Magnum/ This particular vintage was the 31st vintage ever made of this adorable wine. Fine looking bottle. Beautifully bright yellow colour with golden tints and refined energetic bubbles. Very intense nose with hints of mushroom aromas but still youthful with green apples, bread and creamy tones. Crisp, medium-bodied taste had an adorable creamy mousse and persistence with a lemony bite on the palate with great length. Superb start for an exclusive seven course menu!
  • 95p
Varje gång jag får möjlighet att öppna en flaska där man kan urskilja den karaktäristiska guldskimrande bokstaven ’S’ följt av ’le Mesnil-sûr-Oger’ och flaskan är av den äldre modellen är jag nöjd. Stålgrimman spricker av tidens rand. Korken avlägsnas med en försiktig vridning av flaskan. ’Plopp’, ur flaskan strömmar en kanonad av den gamla champagnens aromer; lätt brända smöraromer, konfiterade fikon, brûléetoner… fet, oljig, rik! En helt underbar rostad Mesnilbouquet, med inslag av kokos, kaffe och höstlöv. Enastående rik nästan fet och knappast någon av de elegantaste champagner som kommit från firman & men vinet är tveklöst ett av årgångens främsta.
  • 97p
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Information

Origin

Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, Champagne

Vintage Quality

Excellent

Value For Money

Very good

Investment potential

Below Average

Glass time

30 min

Drinking temperature

8
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