ChampagneSalonBlancdeBlancs2007Magnum

Champagne’s finest and rarest Blanc de Blancs, Salon is the legacy of Eugène-Aimé Salon who devoted his life to creating the perfect pure-Chardonnay champagne setting up the Maison in 1911. Salon is always made from Chardonnay grapes grown in a one hectare plot at the back of the Maison, “The Salon Gardenâ€?and 19 other plots on the deep chalk soils of Le Mesnil-sur-Oger. The apparent simplicity of this formula belies the challenges inherent in creating a wine of Salon’s complexity.rrThe 2007 vintage is the 41st Salon to be released from this tiny champagne house in Le Mesnil-sur-Oger. Blanc de blancs in its purest form, the wine bears all the hallmarks of a classic Salon â€?the unmistakeable bone structure, the delicate-decadent fragrance, the elegance belying power beneath. The 2007 also marks the last vintage for some time to be released in the 75cl bottle format.rrWeather: Mostly a warm year, 2007 was characterised by unexpected major weather events. A warm spring was followed by a cool summer, although the end of the ripening process was excellent, with harvests taking place in ideal conditions. At Salon, as the uncertain season reached full term, the grapes attained perfect ripeness. The musts were rich yet not excessive in sugar levels, with fine, incisive acids to balance.rrDidier Depond, the inimitable President of Champagne Salon, has called Salon 2007 ‘une lumiere viveâ€?â€?a shining light â€?and there is indeed a radiant, uplifting quality to this vintage.rrSalon is typically released at 10-12 years following the harvest. On release Salon is “fruit forwardâ€?and expressive, often “closing downâ€?for anything from 3 to 10 years. It is after this time Salon really shines, the racy mineral freshness seem lessened and the fruit develops more than primary fruit character into an exquisite champagne with freshness, complexity & an abundance of dried fruits, especially orange, lemon and dried grass. There is no established “late disgorgementâ€?program at Salon, a small numbers of bottles are often released atlater dates like this parcel disgorged in the autumn of 2021. Confusingly the “late disgorgedâ€?bottles are labelled as normal so you would need to use our invoice and rotation codes in your bond to keep track of these. With longer lees ageing the late release Salon’s have a more “fresh profileâ€?than the original release and will be more textural on the palate.rrTechnical Information:rVineyards: 100% Grand Cru | Le Mesnil-sur-OgerrGrape Varieties: 100% ChardonnayrLees Ageing: 13 YearsrDisgorged: Autumn 2021rDosage: 4 g/lrDrink: Now to 2050+rrTasting Note: Familiar characteristics of Salon are present with the scent of jasmine, warm brioche and the signature twist of ginger. The complex flavours on the palate, tropical fruits and a creamy mousse mouthfeel feel. Given a few more years, this will become more open and forward, Salon given time is very rewarding.