Product Information:
Salon's newly released 2013 Blanc de Blancs comes from a challenging growing season that is emerging, at least with respect to the region's top cuvées, as one of the most underestimated vintages of the last 15 years.
With a dosage just 5.5 grams per litre, the 2013 Brut Blanc de Blancs Le Mesnil possesses a complex, fruity bouquet mingling aromas of orchard fruit with notions of lemon oil, exotic fruits, spring flowers, almond and hints of menthol and buttery pastry. It's full-bodied, rich and dense, with lively acids.
Maker:
Salon champagne stands apart as something truly special, shaped by its distinctive terroir and grape variety. It comes from the Côte des Blancs, from the singular cru of Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, crafted solely from Chardonnay grapes harvested in exceptional years and is of one man's vision Eugène-Aimé Salon.
The first vintage of Champagne Salon was 1905 by the hands of Eugène-Aimé Salon, a remarkable man with unwavering ambition. In love with champagne and captivated by the terroir of Le Mesnil, Eugène-Aimé Salon created a Blanc de Blancs Champagne. Initially it was only for his personal pleasure – but by 1920s he began to share his passion with the rest of the world.
Champagne Salon comes from a single hectare plot called 'the Salon garden' and nineteen other small plots in Le Mesnil-sur-Oger selected by Eugène-Aimé Salon at the beginning of the 20th century. The wines are aged in cellar for an average of ten years, after which they finally start to reveal their complexity and finesse. The fact that Salon still conserves bottles in its cellars from nearly every vintage is testament to its legacy. To demonstrate how rare these wines are, just 37 vintages were produced in the 20th century, a unique phenomenon in the world of wine.
Vineyard:
2013 is a cool, late-ripening vintage in Champagne, hallmarked by October harvest in cool but sunny conditions. Despite a challenging growing season for some producers, this is a superb Salon with a long, resonant finish. After a cold winter, budbreak was relatively late. The weather was rainy throughout the spring, followed by hail episodes in the Côte des Bar, in Vallée de la Marne and in Côte des Blancs, notably in Epernay. In mid-July, the weather turned hot, sunny and dry until early September. Unfortunately, the rains returned until the end of the month, causing damage and precipitating a virulent attack of gray rot (botrytis) in some locations. Harvest took place at the beginning of October. The houses that managed to contain the attacks of gray rot and to pick the grapes during the mild days of October succeeded in making excellent wines with a classic, chiseled profile that has become only too rare in the interim.
Nose - Browned Pastry, Orange Cream, Floral Honey
Orange cream, floral honey and lemon peel, backed up with delicate browned pastry, milky oyster and nut oil complexity that speaks of the long lees ageing.
Palate - Creamy, Fine Mousse, Salty Edge
Full-bodied, rich and dense, with lively acids, notably complex and incisive.
Finish - Taut, Lemon Peel, Chalky
Fine mousse with a savoury/salty edge freshening up the finish.
The 2013 is the most powerful, dense young Salon I have ever tasted. Champagne of mind-bending complexity, the 2013 possesses tremendous mid-palate intensity and power from the very first taste. Lemon confit, dried flowers, mint and a touch of brioche appear first, followed by light tropical accents that add an exotic flair. Imagine the sizzling energy of the 2008 and the persistence of 2004, with more mid-palate richness and riper fruit. Two-thousand thirteen was a cool, late ripening year. Harvest started at the beginning of October under sunny, dry days and cool nights, conditions that have not been seen since then. Readers will find a spectacular, modern Salon endowed with tremendous depth and very little of the youthful austerity that once defined Champagnes from cooler years here. The 5.5 grams per liter of dosage is perfectly judged. In a word: Magnificent. - Vinous, 99 Points.
The first impression upon release in September 2023 is of surprisingly open, welcoming fragrance for young Salon; orange cream, floral honey and lemon peel, backed up with delicate browned pastry, milky oyster and nut oil complexity that speaks of the long lees ageing. It is taut rather than austere, with a delicate, even level of flesh on its rigid bones as the classic chalky marine squeeze of Le Mesnil takes hold and propels a long, detailed lemon peel finish. This could prove a classic Salon given considerable patience. - Decanter, 97 Points.
At the moment, disarmingly open and approachable (Didier Depond compares 2013 to 1983 in this respect and expects it to close down in 18–24 months). Subtle biscuit notes on the nose, creamy on the palate with masses of concentration and many layers of texture. Fine mousse with a savoury/salty edge freshening up the finish. Plenty of driving acidity underneath but not at all unbalanced. Clearly a very long future ahead and I suspect it will need to be cellared for at least 5 years if not enjoyed in the first flush of ‘youth’! - Andy Howard MW, Jancis Robinson, Tasted 2023, 18.5+
The Finer Details
Style - Champagne
Varietal - Chardonnay
Country - France
Region - Champagne
Vintage - 2013
Bottle Size - 750ml
ABV - 12%
Closure - Cork
