‘Salon 1997 Champagne is certainly extremely individual: very tense and tight-knit with a sort of filigree texture, athletic rather than corpulent – really quite delicate with an exotic whiff of incense. It would make a super-luxurious aperitif... at any point over the next five to 10 years, I would have thought. It’s rather a ballerina...’
Jancis Robinson, Purple Pages, May 27th 2008
Salon is the ‘child’ of a fanatic, eugène aimé Salon, a man so singular in his pursuit of the quintessential champagne that he devoted much of his life to realising the exceptional conditions necessary to create just one wine.
eugène aimé meticulously scoured the entire Champagne region for the parcels of terrain he believed capable of exception; he subsequently planted the Jardin de Salon in Le Mesnil – the small vineyard on a deep chalk seam, whose grapes form the heart of Salon. It was he who believed that only Chardonnay, transformed by years held on its lees, possessed the qualities he sought to produce his wine of perfection. and it was he who would pass judgement, year by year, as to whether the circumstances particular to that year had yielded the attributes necessary for Salon. If not, Salon was simply not produced.
one wine, one cru, one grape: the apparent simplicity of this formula belies the challenges inherent in creating a wine of Salon’s complexity. It is testament to eugène’s extreme perfectionist vision, that the conditions and traditions he prescribed continue to be upheld in the production of this singular wine.
exceptional complexity, focus and elegance are common to all vintages of Salon. They are the Champagne’s true identity and, like all great wines, Salon expresses this inherent identity irrespective of the vagaries of specific vintage conditions. The refined distinction between the two most recent releases, 1997 and 1996, is simply a result of differing expressions of the true Salon character.
Rebecca Palmer
June 2008
1997 in Champagne could itself be described as a vintage of extremes, during which growers needed to react swiftly to whatever Mother nature saw fit to throw next. a promisingly warm, dry, sunny start to the season was followed in May and June by heat spikes then biting cold, frosts, heavy rain, and hail; a potent mix that compromised fruit set and therefore potential yields. By contrast, July and august were uncommonly dry and hot, promoting balanced, productive canopies ideal for maturing the fruit. These beautiful, sunny conditions continued into September, sending the small, concentrated crop careering towards ripeness – and in some cases, over-ripeness. In the Côte des Blancs, however, plunging night-time temperatures, sometimes close to zero, preserved all-important acidities. Salon harvested a small crop of highly concentrated, ripe yet supremely balanced fruit.
The extremes and exceptions of the 1997 vintage can be found of course in the final wine. Sensual and voluptuous in its richness and depth, Champagne Salon 1997 is soft in texture yet finely delineated. It is a wine of immense poise. The nose is complex and extremely fine with delicate notes of blossom and acacia. The palate, remarkable for its purity and intensity, offers a sensation of indescribable lightness. The mousse is delicate and smooth, carrying rich, refined flavours of brioche, fresh bread, vivid green apples and creamy, fleshy hazelnuts.
The wine is expressive and accessible now, yet its current qualities should not detract from its ageing potential. Salon 1997’s particular balance of fruit ripeness, fine acidity and relatively low dosage will permit cellaring for 20 years or more.
Price
£798.00 per case of 6 bottles, in bond UK
1997 Salon Le Mesnil
£ PeR 6 BoTTLe qUanTITy of £ ToTaL CaSe CaSeS ReqUIRed
£798.00** nV delamotte, Le Mesnil-sur-oger, Brut
£125.94* nV delamotte, Le Mesnil-sur-oger, Blanc de Blancs
1999 delamotte, Le Mesnil-sur-oger, Blanc de Blancs
£173.94*
£203.95* nV delamotte, Le Mesnil-sur-oger, Brut Rosé
** In bond UK * Prices of Delamotte Champagnes include duty & VAT
£197.94*
(add delivery charge of £10.57 if order is below £200) Grand Total £
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Your Order
Tel: 020 7265 2430 (8am – 6pm) fax: 020 7265 2539
1 Thomas More Street, London e1w 1yZ email: wine@corneyandbarrow.com
The price of Salon le Mesnil is quoted in bond UK and will be subject to duty and VaT charges at the prevailing rates when the wine is cleared from bond. These rates are currently £11.20 per 6 bottle case for duty and 17.5% on both the original cost and the duty for VaT.
The prices of delamotte Champagnes include duty and VaT.
CoRney & BaRRow Head offICe 1 Thomas More Street, London e1w 1yZ
Tel: 020 7265 2400 fax: 020 7265 2444 www.corneyandbarrow.com
CoRney & BaRRow eaST angLIa Belvoir House, High Street, newmarket, Suffolk CB8 8dH
Tel: 01638 600 000 fax: 01638 600 860 newmarket@corneyandbarrow.com
CoRney & BaRRow wITH wHIgHaMS of ayR oxenfoord Castle, Pathhead, Midlothian eH37 5UB
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