Salon, Cuvée 'S' Blanc de Blancs Brut, Champagne, France, 2002

 Vault Wine: This wine is stored in our vault.

Overview of the Wine
Salon honors the memory of its founder, a century on. In the 1910s, Eugène-Aimé Salon had a vision, a dream: to create a Champagne for all time, from a single grape variety, Chardonnay, laid bare in all its subtlety; from a single great terroir, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger; and from a single superlative year, the vintage.

A stand-alone defined by its singularity; subtle and complex, the world’s ultimate champagne. Champagne Salon is the absolute embodiment of this quest for perfection. It contains within it the poignant beauty of nature, reflecting its long, slow toil in the silence of the cellar. This is where that astonishing backdrop of savory minerals emerged, that sensation of chalk in the mouth: an immediate hit, building slowly, gradually, ultimately all-enveloping. It was here that this virile wine took form, exceeding all expectations; here that its beautiful minerality was forged, heralding a wine with limitless aging potential. In achieving perfect balance, nature’s work is complete. 

The name Le Mesnil resonates in a special way with lovers of great wine. Nestled in the heart of the Côte des Blancs, 100% Chardonnay and 100% Grand Cru, this is the king of Champagne vineyards. It is here that the most profound expression of Chardonnay’s delicate freshness truly comes to the fore, where magnanimous nature offers a wine that is purity itself. This Champagne is produced from a 2.5-acre 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 20th century.

Grape / Blend
Chardonnay

Origin
Le Mesnil, Champagne, France

Winemaker's Tasting Notes 
Superb exemplar of the terroir of Mesnil-sur-Oger, exquisite testament to a stunning vintage and one that will stay with us long into the future, Champagne Salon 2004 is a volcano simmering serenely, one that awakens in the glass, nose and palate, ravishing the senses. 

98 Points - Falstaff
Pale yellow green, silver reflections, very fine, lively and persistent mousse. A hint of lime oil, orange blossom, fresh yellow pear fruit, white apple, a hint of red pepper, some almonds and cookie, very broad, mineral-accented bouquet. Full-bodied, complex and taut, fine nuances of pomaceous fruit but also baked goods, driven by a very fresh and precise acidity compared to the warm vintage, salty and delicate with enormous length and a corresponding future. Served from the magnum, which underlined the youthful character of this exceptional Champagne. 60,000 bottles of this individual wine were produced.

96+ Points - Vinous
The 2002 Salon is utterly mesmerizing. I have tasted the 2002 six or seven times since its release and even during those two months or so the wine has developed quite dramatically, as some of the exuberance that was present at the outset has begun to recede, revealing the wine's intense underlying minerality. The 2002 is a huge, dense wine loaded with fruit. All of the classic Salon citrus, slate and floral notes are present, but it is the wine's superb textural richness that stands out most. Even though I have not followed my own advice, I suggest readers to plan on cellaring the 2002 for a good number of years. Because of its density and depth, I expect the 2002 will develop into a fairly exotic, voluptuous Champagne, within the context of Salon, of course. I also suggest keeping an eye out for the magnums, which are sure to disappear from the market pretty much the minute they arrive

Product size: 750mL