Salon Champagne Vertical Tasting back to 1988

"in a perfect world, everyone would have a glass of Champagne every evening"
Willie Gluckstern

And if we could have a glass of Salon Champagne every night that would be what I call, “Life well planned”.  That’s when I realized that I had 8 vintages of one of the world’s rarest Champagnes in the store and said- “this may never happen again, so it’s time for a Salon Vertical Champagne tasting!” 

We have eight vintages of Champagne Salon on the table going back to the 1988 vintage featuring the 2008 in Magnum!  This 2008 vintage was only produced in large format and has been touted as the best vintage of Salon to date, the price is already over $6000/Magnum!!  But you know what I say- “Always Drink the good stuff First”!  Chef Toni will be making a special five course tasting menu to accompany the Champagne and the fee for this tasting which includes dinner is $1250 + tax.  For reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com.

Salon Champagne Vertical Tasting back to 1988
Friday, August 27, 2021
7:30 PM

1988 Salon Blancs De Blancs Brut Champagne
Price: $1800.00  Sale Price: $1400.00         Quantity in Stock: 3
(96 points)Outer quote mark A laser beam. Beautifully focused, intense and densely flavored with lime, honey and chanterelles in butter. So rich it's almost too much, but the vibrant acidity keeps everything in check and driving through the long finish. (BS) Inner quote mark (11/2000) Wine Spectator

1996 Salon "Le Mesnil" Brut Blanc de Blancs Champagne
(99 points) This bottle of the 1996 Blanc de Blancs Le Mesnil Brut was drinking superbly and represents the apotheosis of Blanc de Blancs, unfurling over the course of three hours with a stunningly complex bouquet of citrus oil, confit lemon, dried white flowers and oyster shell, with hints of praline and pastry cream becoming more pronounced as the wine opens up in the glass. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, deep and multidimensional, defined by the incisive spine so typical of the vintage that, here, is cloaked in layers of crisp fleshy and chalky extract. The finish is long, penetrating and saline. (WK) (8/2019)  Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

1997 Salon "Le Mesnil" Brut Blanc de Blancs Champagne
List Price: $1237.50          Your Price: $1088.56        Quantity in Stock: 2
(95 points) From a recently released bottle disgorged in 2018, the 1997 Blanc de Blancs Le Mesnil Brut is showing very well indeed, offering up aromas of citrus oil, crushed chalk, white flowers, warm bread and iodine that are appreciably more youthful than the more mature dried fruit tones that readers will find in bottles of the original disgorgement. On the palate, the wine is medium to full-bodied, tensile and incisive, with superb concentration, chalky structure and a long, searingly mineral finish. (WK) (8/2019) Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

1999 Champagne Delamotte Blanc de Blancs Brut
Price: $375.00    Your Price: $330.00          Quantity in Stock: 1
(94 Points)  From a richer, lower-acid vintage, the 1999 Blanc de Blancs Millésimé Collection is fully mature today, bursting with aromas of iodine, hazelnuts, dried fruits, flowers and brown butter. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, ample and fleshy, with an enveloping, textural profile and a sapid, even saline finish that adds interest and gastronomic potential.  225, The Wine Advocate

2002 Salon Cuvee 'S' Le Mesnil Blanc de Blancs Brut Champagne
(97 points) There's vibrancy and a sense of finesse to this rich and creamy Champagne, which is defined by racy acidity and a streak of chalky minerality. Offers an expansive palate of glazed apricot, oyster shell, toasted almond and spun honey flavors, accented by hints of ground ginger, dried lemon peel and marzipan. The finish is racy and persistent. *Collectibles* (AN)  (11/2015)  Wine Spectator

2004 Salon Cuvee 'S' Le Mesnil Blanc de Blancs Brut Champagne
Price: $725.00    Your Price: $638.00          Quantity in Stock: 1
(97 points) "The 2004 Salon has been superb each time I have tasted it over the last year or so. Bright, tense and crystalline, with all of the energy that is typical of both Salon and the vintage in the Côte des Blancs, the 2004 bristles with superb precision and cool, pulsating minerality. The 2004 spent a dozen years on its lees. Over the last six months or so, it has gradually begun to open up, but it is very much a wine for the cellar. Two thousand four is remembered as a vintage with record high yields. Salon (and Delamotte) did a terrific job in keeping the vines well balanced. Production was just 46,000 bottles, as opposed to the 60,000 or so that is more typical. Chef de Caves Michel Fauconnet opted for a low dosage of just 4 grams per liter. This is a tremendous showing. (AG) 97+ " (6/2016) Vinous

2006 Salon Cuvee 'S' Le Mesnil Blanc de Blancs Brut Champagne
Price: $725.00    Your Price: $638.00          Quantity in Stock: 2
(96 points) The 2006 Salon Blanc de Blancs Le Mesnil Brut has a shining silver-golden color, the bubbles are tiny and enormously fine—they probably wouldn't stop rising from the bottom of the glass if you left the wine in it instead of drinking it. On the nose, there is a fascinating, pure and fresh bouquet with acacia, chalk, incense and concentrated lemon flavors. The 2006 is mouthfilling, round and elegant on the palate, as well as dense and tight but also fresh and cleansing, provided with great finesse, mineral complexity, length and structure. The finish is clear and aromatic, round and well balanced, slightly creamy, very intense, greatly finessed and truly elegant, with stimulating salinity in the aftertaste. (SR) 96+ (11/2017) Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

2007 Salon Cuvee 'S' Le Mesnil Blanc de Blancs Brut Champagne
Price: $765.00    Your Price: $673.20          Quantity in Stock: 5
(96 Points)  The superb 2007 Brut Blanc de Blancs Le Mesnil wafts from the glass with a beautiful bouquet of crushed chalk, lemon oil, crisp green apple, white flowers and brioche. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, taut and incisive, with bright acids, a tight-knit core and a brisk mousse, concluding with a long, chalky and bone-dry finish. After the comparatively broad and fleshy 2002, 2004 and 2006 vintages, the 2007 Salon seems to mark a return to a racier, more precise style—though admittedly that's in keeping with the style of the vintage—that makes me anticipate the release of the 2008 all the more eagerly.  Wine Advocate

2008 Salon Cuvee 'S' Le Mesnil Blanc de Blancs Brut Champagne Magnum
Price: $6500.00  Your Price: $5720.00        Quantity in Stock: 1
Never Before has a champagne reached this level of perfection, of complexity and balance.  It is a triumph, the stuff of dreams.
A triumph forged in soil and rock, from the sun and stars above:  the 2008 vintage of Champagne Salon touches another realm; a dream of over ten years in the making; a pure dream amplified: for Salon 2008 so rare it will be made available in magnums only.
The choice to bottle Salon 2008 in magnums was designed to further enhance this gift of nature, one refined by skill and instinct.  For the harvest was small - just 8000 magnums - and the wine itself monuental.
Maturing Salon 2008, this age-worthy of vintages, at the graceful pace of a magnum will give this masterpiece, as yet unknown, every opportunity to reveal its ultimate potential, and over time also - however paradoxically this may seem - its air of everlasting youth.
In the glass, Salon 2008 is the epitome of Salon - diaphanous, yellow diamond glinting with green rays; on the nose its aaromatic depth is powerfully redolent of the earth, heralding on the palate that sense of balance and structural firmness that will allow the wine to develop its fill complexity.  There is a driving sense of stone here a heightened minerality , its chalky acidity first drying then mouthwatering, slender and rapier-fine to the end of time.
All of nature's produce- from air, land or sea- will flatter Champagne Salon 2008.  Anything  will suit, from every corner of the world, as long as it is exquisite.  This is the spirit of Salon 2008, generous and all-embracing.  A dream.

Menu
Selection of Charcuterie and Cheese
American Sturgeon Caviar Filled Potatoes
Shoe String Fries with Parmesan Reggiano and White Truffle
Wahoo Carpaccio with Vanilla/Orange infused Olive Oil and edible flowers
Korean BBQ Pork Belly Bites with Spicy Chickpea Fries
Japanese Wagyu A5 Filet Sashimi with Ponzu Dipping Sauce and Sticky Rice

The fee for this tasting which includes dinner is $1250 + tax, for reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com

A bit about Champagne Salon and Delamotte :

A great champagne is first and foremost a great wine. This is the challenge that drives Maison Delamotte and its sister house, the mythical Champagne Salon, both of which are located in Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, one of the most prized Grand Cru Villages of the Côté des Blancs.

In 1760, Champagne Delamotte was one of only five Champagne houses in the region. Located in the heart of the Côte des Blancs in Le Mesnil-sur-Oger it is the sister house of Champagne Salon, with which it shares the same viticultural, winemaking and management team. Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, Avize and Oger are villages where Chardonnay lights up the landscape. This delicate variety, confronted in the Côte des Blancs with a striking terroir, finds here the perfect combination to preserve its freshness intact over time.
.
While Salon exclusively produces vintage Champagne—and only in extraordinary years—Delamotte regularly produces non-vintage Brut, Blanc de Blancs and Rosé varieties. Vineyard location is the key that guides Delamotte’s expression, defining the house’s elegant and focused style of wine. A house like no other with all its vineyards sourced from the Grands Crus of Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, Oger, Avize and Cramant for chardonnay, Delamotte is one of the very few négociants to cultivate such a passion for the expression of this unique ward of Champagne.

Delamotte Brut is a blend of approximately 55% chardonnay, 35% pinot noir et 10% pinot meunier, which combine to give a wine of subtle power, appealing freshness, soft curves and a precise, fresh fruit finish . This is a dry and extremely attractive champagne, balanced and elegant. Each grape plays a part, as Chardonnay sets the wine in place, its foundation and roots. Pinot Noir helps give the wine more breadth and depth. A small portion of Pinot Meunier brings its aromatic charm to produce a pure and intense Brut.
Aged on the lees for 30 to 36 months, Delamotte brut receives a light dosage of 7g/l, similar to that of the Delamotte range

Maison Delamotte has been a benchmark in Champagne since 1760. The firm's wine is among those preferred by the Champenois who recognise consistent quality and unflagging respect for the terroir and the Côte des Blancs. It is in the choice of Champagne Delamotte that the hedonist, the lover of subtle pleasures, stands out from the crowd. Fashionable but never stereotyped, their choice is produced with great care and passion in a place where nature is expressed most openly.

All the Champagne Delamotte we have at the Wine Watch:

NV Champagne Delamotte Brut
Price: $54.00       Your Price: $47.52
Delamotte Brut is a blend of approximately 55% chardonnay, 35% pinot noir et 10% pinot meunier, which combine to give a wine of subtle power, appealing freshness, soft curves and a precise, fresh fruit finish : this is a dry and extremely attractive champagne, balanced and elegant. Each grape plays a part, as Chardonnay sets the wine in place, its foundation and roots. Pinot Noir helps give the wine more breadth and depth. A small portion of Pinot Meunier brings its aromatic charm to produce a pure and intense Brut.
Aged on the lees for 30 to 36 months, Delamotte brut receives a light dosage of 7g/l, similar to that of the Delamotte range.
In 1760, Champagne Delamotte was one of only five Champagne houses in the region. Located in the heart of the Côte des Blancs in Le Mesnil-sur-Oger it is the sister house of Champagne Salon, with which it shares the same viticultural, winemaking and management team.
Vineyard location is the key that guides Delamotte’s expression, defining the house’s elegant and focused style of wine. A house like no other with all its vineyards sourced from the Grands Crus of Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, Oger, Avize and Cramant for chardonnay, Delamotte is one of the very few négociants to cultivate such a passion for the expression of this unique ward of Champagne.

Champagne Delamotte Blanc de Blancs NV
Price: $82.50       Your Price: $72.60
(92 Points) Based on the 2015 vintage and disgorged in 2020, the latest release of Delamotte's emblematic NV Brut Blanc de Blancs wafts from the glass with aromas of citrus oil, mandarin orange, green apple, fresh bread and white flowers. Medium to full-bodied, pillowy and vibrant, it's bright and precise, exemplifying the house style. Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

NV Delamotte Rose Brut Champagne
Price: $100.50    Your Price: $88.44
(92 points) Outer quote mark The Delamotte NV Brut Rosé is a blend of 80% Pinot Noir and 20% Chardonnay that receives its beautiful pink-salmon color from the saignée method. The grapes are sourced exclusively in grand cru villages such as Bouzy, Ambonnay and Tours-sur-Marne for the Pinot and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger for the Chardonnay and are fermented together. The wine tasted here is based on 2012 (disgorged in June 2016 with a dosage of seven grams per liter) and opens with a highly delicate and subtle bouquet of red fruits intermixed with very fine chalky flavors. On the palate, this is an intense yet fine, very elegant, well-structured and persistent Rosé with a lovely vinous character and charming fruit reminiscent of raspberries and cherries. The finish is pure, fresh and even salty, revealing a delicate grip and a lush, highly delicate texture. This is a picture book Rosé that doesn't need any occasion but itself. (SR) Inner quote mark (11/2017)  Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

2007 Delamotte Blanc de Blanc Champagne
Price: $112.50    Your Price: $99.00
(93 points) Disgorged in May 2015, Delamotte's white-golden colored 2007 Blanc de Blancs (dosage Brut) opens with a pure, fresh, intense and smoky/chalky bouquet with white fruit aromas, orange/lemon, brioche, nut and toffee flavors. Pure, fresh and elegant on the palate, this is a concentrated, complex and juicy yet finessed and tensioned Chardonnay from the Côte des Blancs. It is tight but creamy and harmonious and reveals concentrated lemon juice flavors in the long, mineral finish. - Wine Advocate

2012 Delamotte Blanc de Blanc Champagne
Price: $123.00    Your Price: $108.24          Quantity in Stock: 4
Each village has its own style. Le Mesnil-sur-Oger (20%): acidity, purity and chalky minerality. Avize (20%): balance and structure. Oger (20%), warmth, body and generosity. Cramant: smoky minerality. Chouilly: robustness and length. And finally, Oiry: acidity and roundness. To reprise the musical analogy, each territory has its own score and, when they are all played together to create Delamotte Blanc de Blancs 2012, each one can be heard in its own right. It is left to age over six long years. Not much, given the powerfulness of this wine. Its richness is equalled only by its concentration, and yet it remains light on its feet. It can even be generous…Such is the supreme elegance of a wine with ageing potential!
In the glass it immediately shows its impatience. Delicate, thin and vivid bubbles are quick to form an elegant, pale gold crown at the top of the glass. On the nose, it gives off an irresistible sensation of freshness. Aromas of lemon, English candy, and lychee, along with a suggestion of white flowers, waft from the glass. On the palate it is both creamy and sharp and is prolonged by a long mineral finish, punctuated by a bitter orange peel.