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  • Country ranking ?

    791
  • Producer ranking ?

    25
  • Decanting time

    15min
  • When to drink

    now - 2035
  • Food Pairing

    Salmon Pâté

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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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.

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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

Vintage 1995 / In the wake of a mild but very rainy winter, the first two weeks in April were hot. April featured marked thermal contrasts, with May and June similar. Generous summer conditions settled in. Flowering was rapid. Harvesting ran between 18th September and 3rd October. The Chardonnays produced a rather powerful wine with sufficient vivacity, where citrus, white and exotic fruit aromas predominated.

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Vintage 1995

A welcome relief after some difficult years in the region. Quantity-wise, it was the seventh high-cropping year in a row. But, in 1995, the quality also excelled, and particularly so for Chardonnay. There were significant frost damages during the spring and the warm but wet weather in the summer ignited mildew and rot problems. The vines cropped heavily and rigorous vineyard work and selection during harvest led to best results. Harvest commenced on September 18th and yielded grapes of a fine balance of sugar and acidity. The vintage has turned out to be much better than first expected and it has emerged from the shadow of the much-hyped 1996. This vintage is marked by elegance of its inviting fruitiness, beautiful balance and slow-building finesse. Its greatest examples include Charles Heidsieck Blanc des Millénaires, Dom Pérignon (whole range), Louis Roederer Cristal and Cristal Rosé, Bollinger R.D, Krug Vintage and Taittinger Comtes de Champagne.

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Latest Pro-tasting notes

24 tasting notes

Tasting note

color

Medium

ending

Medium and Flavorful

flavors

Toasty, Smoky, Mineral and Floral

nose

Intense, Complex and Seductive

recommend

Yes

taste

Average in Acidity, Warming, Medium tannin, Well-Integrated, Well-structured, Developing, Medium-bodied, Rich, Round and Ripe

Written Notes

Salon is simply one of the most thrilling champagnes available, though only made in tiny quantities and only as a vintage wine. It was different to the Comtes, as one would expect, but I could not say which was better. Both so good. This was like glacéd lemon and hazelnuts with frangipani notes. Like drinking liquid crystal (as opposed to Cristal). Balanced and elegant, with crunchy acidity and a neverending finish. 99+.

  • 99p
1995 Salon 95 points (95) Perhaps the biggest surprise of the tasting, with a fully mature and charming style. Hardly typical of the house or the classical style, but full of Comtes-like pastry tones with hints of vanilla and saffron. A true Casanova.
  • 95p

Time and again the 1995 gives me positive surprises. Shadowed by the grandeur of the 1996, this one delivers sheer pleasure already today in its mellowed maturity and open, voluptuous nature. Decadently toasty and bready with vanilla and coffee richness perfectly integrated to the smoky, biting mineral finish.”

  • 93p

Watery golden, tiny bubbles. Yeast, brioche, detailed nose, not the most intense nose, layered, bakery, hint of crust, some ripe lemons far back and apples, touch of spices. Fresh acidity, elegant mousse, transparent yet intense, nuanced, detailed, bordering on hollow but the layers and nuances brings it back in the game, truly long. 94-95

  • 95p
Salon 1995 Surprisingly open right away with a very airy and fresh nose of green apple skin, lemon, mineral and fresh almonds. With air it develops a much more nutty side with walnuts, marzipan and hallmark curry note as well as some licorice notes too. Very pure and elegant. Medium bodied and very intense though round palate that feel very harmonious and open with flavors that mirrors the nose but has touch more depth. Superb mid-palate grip and fantastic length that sings with minerals and nutty note. Open from the get go but builds power and finesse in the glass over three hours. A superb Salon though not really at the level of 1996. 2015-2045 96p
  • 96p
TASTINGNOTE Att prova dessa viner utan dosage och nydegorgerade innan de kommit ut på marknaden är nästan som att utsättas för ett fatprov. Jag kan komma att ändra mig kring detta vin eftersom vinet med all sannolikhet kommer att genomgå en metamorfos under årens lopp. Vid sex och ett halvt års ålder var detta en frisk fjällbäcksren upplevelse med skarpa äppelsyror och knastertorr nästan stenig mineralkaraktär. Komplexiteten tar många år att bygga upp. Direkt efter att dosagen tillkommit blev vinet snabbt lättillgängligt. I mitten av 2005 framstår vinet fortfarande som en krämig, elegant och mycket charmig champagne i en modern stil. Vi får vänta länge innan detta babyfett torkar upp och den nötiga och höstdoftande komplexiteten tar vid. Årgångsbetyg: 4 av 5 poäng. Äntligen! Den första årgången sen 1990 som de flesta producenter tyckte var god nog för tillverkning av årgångschampagne. Charmiga viner med läckert leende frukt och karamellartad karaktär i kontakt med dosagen. Chardonnayskörden blev speciellt lyckad. En älskvärd årgång som kommer att hålla länge även om den är njutbar nu. Kommentar från provningen: Kanske provningens största överraskning med en helt mogen charmig stil. Knappast hustypisk eller klassisk men fylld av Comtes-lika bakverkstoner med inslag av vanilj och saffran. En riktig Casanova! Rangordning i provningen: 8:a av 19.
  • 95p
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Information

Origin

Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, Champagne
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