New release: 2013 Champagne Salon
"In a word: Magnificent. 99 points." (AG), Vinous.com
2013 Champagne Salon Blanc de Blancs 'Le Mesnil' has just been released for sale this morning at an eye-watering £2745 per three bottles in bond. Salon continues to be in demand in markets across the world. Eugène Aimé Salon's 'personal' cuvée manages to stand completely apart from the prestige cuvées, with its unique story, its reputation as the best champagne in the world, and a scarcity that makes each new vintage a must-have for serious collectors.
Being loyal customers over the years, we have managed to build our allocations, so if you have not been on the Salon 'train' before, this is a good year to get on board, as we have limited stock available for new customers.
2013 was a cool vintage, with harvest in October, providing for an extended period of ripening, giving the wines huge flavour intensity and tension. Galloni describes this new release as "the most powerful, dense young Salon I have ever tasted. Champagne of mind-bending complexity...Imagine the sizzling energy of the 2008 and the persistence of 2004, with more mid-palate richness and riper fruit (99 points)."
You can read more below about how this cuvée was invented in 1905 by Eugéne Aimé Salon, and became an emblem of the 'Roaring Twenties' in Paris, eventually becoming acknowledged as the finest champagne in the world.
Offered on allocation, ex-cellar, landing in spring 2024.
Producer Profile
Champagne Salon
Eugène-Aimé Salon was born in 1867 in Pocancy, a village at the foot of the Côte des Blancs in Champagne. Reaching adulthood, with little interest in the family farm, he tried his luck in commerce, moving to Paris, securing a position with a furrier in Montreuil eventually taking charge of the company’s development strategy, leading to great success. At the turn of the century, he was one of the key figures in Paris society.
Constantly on business between Paris and New York, he was a noted bon viveur and had a dream of starting his own champagne house. He researched the respective merits of vineyards in Cramant, Avize, Oger and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, finding the grapes from Le Mesnil best suited to produce wines with the greatest ageing potential. He chose the Côte des Blancs to be his terroir, the best cru, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, and the best plots in the terroir, located above the church, where the balance between sugar content and acidity is perfect. His vision was to make an unblended champagne for his own personal consumption.
In 1905, he created the Blanc de Blancs, as he called it, quite simply. His friends were delighted with it and, after the Great War, they encouraged him to make more of it for their own enjoyment. This resulted in the house of Champagne Salon being founded in 1920.
From then on, Champagne Salon was a feature in all the most popular places. Maxim’s made it the house champagne in the Roaring Twenties. Salon was ground-breaking for the time, produced from Chardonnay alone. No Champagne brand had marketed a single-variety wine before World War I. In the 20th century, only 37 vintages of Salon were made, as it is only produced in the best years. Only around 60,000 bottles are produced in each vintage.
