salon blanc de blancs 2008 1.5 liter (magnum)

Salon is one of the most prestigious houses in Champagne. Instead of making a range of styles that includes a prestige cuvee like most Champagne houses, Salon makes a single prestige cuvee, which is made entirely from Chardonnay from the village Le Mesnil-sur-Oger. The house was founded in 1911 by Aime Salon, who thought that Champagne was dominated by heavy Pinot Noir. He decided to make a top Chardonnay-based wine instead. Now, Salon is made in only the best vintages - in years deemed not good enough, the grapes become a part of Champagne Delamotte instead. The wine comes from a one-hectare parcel owned by Salon and 19 smaller parcels cultivated through agreements with various growers in the Grand Cru-classified Le Mesnil. 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.

CRITICAL ACCLAIM

100 points, Decanter

"After an initial floral-scented, fruit-driven nose, fresh menthol notes invade the glass. Remarkable power and generosity on the palate, and yet the mouthfeel is crystalline and perfectly balanced. A compelling mix of complexity and elegance. The finish is long and pure. Has the potential to stay the distance for 50 years."

100 points, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

"Disgorged in January 2019 with six grams per liter dosage, Salon's 2008 Brut Blanc de Blancs Le Mesnil is a striking wine, unwinding in the glass with scents of citrus oil, fresh bread, crisp green apple, white flowers, smoke and oyster shell. Full-bodied, layered and incisive, it's deep and concentrated, with a tightly coiled core of fruit that's underpinned by a racy spine of acidity. Seamless and unerringly precise, it concludes with a long and penetratingly mineral finish. Immense though its potential for aging is, its intensity and balance make it pleasurable as well as persuasive, even today. Given the eye-watering price of this magnum-only release, I was determined to hold the wine to the highest possible standards, but it surpasses even the prodigious 1996 and surely ranks as the finest Salon since at least the 1970s. In short, this is a Blanc de Blancs that admits no argument."

100 points, Vinous

"The 2008 Salon is simply extraordinary. Sadly, there will only be 8,000 magnums for the world, as President Didier Depond took the unusual and dramatic decision to bottle the entire 2008 harvest in magnum only, which is a huge decrease over the typical production (when Salon is made) of closer to 60,000 bottles. In the glass, the 2008 is simply extraordinary. Soft and silky, with breathtaking finesse, the 2008 dazzles with a stunning interplay of bright Chardonnay fruit, soaring perfume and crystalline precision. A kaleidoscope of aromas, flavors and textures captivates all the senses. The 2008 remains young and austere, but like so many wines in this great vintage, Salon has an extra dimension of textural depth that keeps it from being austere. It is quite simply one of the most magnificent Champagnes I have ever tasted. The 8,000 magnums will be sold in a special wooden case with 2 bottles each of 2007, 2006 and 2002. Dosage is 6 grams per liter. Disgorged: January, 2019."

1.5L (MAGNUM)