Tasting Notes
Vinous 97
The 2006 Salon is a very rich wine, almost uncharacteristically so. Deep and exotic the 2006 exudes richness in all of its dimensions, with myriad inflections of sumptuous fruit that fill out its ample, large-scaled frame. Today, the 2006 is surprisingly accessible for a young Salon, but it needs time to shed some baby fat. At times, the 2006 recalls the 2002, but it appears to have more phenolic intensity and overall structure. Even with all of its flamboyance and pure volume, the 2006 retains quite a bit of energy and freshness. I imagine it will be a fascinating, utterly compelling Champagne to follow over the next several decades.
Anticipated maturity: 2026-2046
The Champagne Club 95
A long-awaited wine I had very hard to imagine how it would taste. The vintage exotism of the year is so far from Salon’s ascetic profile but may come. Nevertheless, it is possible to create a perfectly harmonious seamless wine which, admittedly, tastes more Grand Siecle Blanc de Blancs than a classic Salon, but is very enjoyable. Initially, the scent of salt licorice and lemon candy is dominated. The taste is soft and vital at the same time, with an exemplary purity and a light tropical undertones. The longer the wine is in the glass, the more appears the origin and the label is recognized via an underlying mineral-rich steel bath embedded in nutty and citrus-rich complexity.
JancisRobinson.com 18++
Dosage 4 g/l. Described by president of Salon Didier Depond as ‘the romantic vintage – very talkative’. Lovely forthright fruit – mandarin, nectarine. Butter and salt too, with a very open, fleshy palate, which is lighter than the nose indicates. Excellent savoury snap on the finish, with yeastiness that waits right until the finish. An aristocrat in the making. (RH)
Anticipated maturity: 2020-2040
