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  • Country ranking ?

    973
  • Producer ranking ?

    29
  • Decanting time

    20min
  • When to drink

    now to 2025
  • Food Pairing

    White truffle risotto

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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Rather deep copper color. Aromas of brown butter, toffee and walnut call to mind a dry oloroso sherry. Then large-scaled, rich, smooth and mouthfilling, with impressive concentration and a powerful impression of solidity. Shockingly fresh in the mouth following the mature aromas. In fact, this wine seemed to grow more vibrant as it opened in the glass. Finishes very rich and very long. This superrich vintage produced chardonnay with a tendency toward heaviness, but this wine is undeniably impressive.

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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

Champagne Vintage Report by Salon / A mild and humid winter, spring frosts, spring drought, exceptional sunshine. Early bud- burst arrived early in the wake of a mild winter. Because of this prematurity, spring frosts were dreaded by all - a concern realised on the 5th and 19th April. 12,000 hectares (45% of the area under vine) were affected more or less seriously. However the frozen vines astonished yet again by the miraculous fertility of the base buds. A disruptive start to July gave way to hot weather, although with temperatures and rainfall close to the norm; however, atmospheric pressure was exceptional. The Chardonnays opened between 11th and 15th September. The ripeness of the grapes was remarkably uniform. The total sugar/acidity ratio was close to perfect. Superb wine.

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Vintage 1990

Three excellent vintages in Champagne were 1988, 1989 and 1990. Initially, many considered 1990 the finest of the trio, but that mantle has since passed to 1988. Some of the 1990 champagnes have evolved more quickly than anticipated, and there can be variation among bottles and producers. Winter and early spring saw warm weather that resulted in an early bud-break, making vines susceptible to the spring frost which duly arrived in April. This led to some uneven ripening and differing levels of maturity owing to the second generation of grapes that appeared after the frost damage and thus ripened later. The summer was generally dry and warm, which produced big, powerful, concentrated and full-flavoured wines.

 

 

 

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Average Bottle Price

2015 2012 2010 2005
622€ +30.7% 476€ +13.1% 421€ +142.0% 174€

This data comes from the FINE Auction Index, a composite of average prices for wines sold at commercial auctions in 20 countries. The average prices from each year have been collected since 1990. This chart plots the index value of the average price of the wines.

Latest Pro-tasting notes

22 tasting notes

Tasting note

color

Medium

ending

Long and Extensive

flavors

Cigar-box and Mineral

nose

Intense and Opulent

recommend

Yes

taste

Average in Acidity, Warming, Medium tannin, Balanced, Concentrated, Full-bodied, Focused, Rich and Vigor

Written Notes

1990 Salon 94 points (97) A magnum you would serve to all detractors of the 1990 vintage! A pure package of gunpowder, with an incipient coffee aroma and an insanely youthful power. Many complained, however, that it appeared to be the youngest in the congregation.
  • 94p

Deep golden colour shows significant development. The nose is mature as well, bruised apple, honey and spiciness. Layered and sweet but shows some apple jam like over-maturity. Rich voluptuous mouth-feel is wide and dense. Slightly unintegrated is the benchmark acidic spine. Aromatics are more developed whereas the structure still has great potential. Perhaps it is in a challenging phase.”

  • 91p
(Magnum) Straw yellow, golden tints, tiny bubbles. Brioche, yeast, apples, minerals, focused. Fresh acidity, a fresh 1990, focused, smoky and flinty, rich for Salon, elegant, long and refined.
  • 94p
TASTINGNOTE Vid fem års ålder kändes 90:an fortfarande som ett fatprov! Klockren och äpplig, med chablislika aromer och en storslagen ung frukt. I dag betydligt mer utvecklad fast samtidigt inne i en lite tråkig fas där aromer av torkat hö och malt dominerar över finess och frukt. På magnum känns vinet helt annorlunda med en nästan Dom Ruinart-lik rostning och bred storhusstil. Även dosagen känns högre. Jättegod, men ett mycket märkligt fenomen. Kanske har 90-skeptikerna rätt. Oxidativ senast! Årgångsbetyg: 5 av 5 poäng. En lysande årgång. 1990 var länge stramare än 89:an men rikare än 88:an. Måhända är 88:an mer klassisk men 90:an är något alldeles extra. Vinerna var så extraktrika vid lanseringen att de nästan var tuggbara. Vid tio års ålder mognade många 90:or och fisk en honungston uppbackad av saffran som kan bli en bra hake vid blindprovningar. Kommentar från provningen: En magnum man skulle servera alla årgångens många belackare! Klockrent krutpaket med begynnande kaffearom och vansinnig ungdomlig kraft. Många klagade dock på att den framstod som yngst i hela församlingen. Rangordning i provningen: 9:a av 19.
  • 97p
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Information

Origin

Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, Champagne

Vintage Quality

Excellent

Value For Money

Satisfactory

Investment potential

Average

Fake factory

Be Cautious

Drinking temperature

7

Highlights

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