ChampagneSalonBlancdeBlancs2012

Delivered in wooden box when buying 3 bottles.rrChampagne’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. Made on average only three times per decade, the 2012 vintage is the 43rd Salon to be released from this tiny House in Le Mesnil-sur-Oger. This is Blanc de Blancs in its purest form, made in the reductive style, so no oak, this vintage bears all the hallmarks of a classic Salon, rich expressive fruit typical of the 2012 vintage and the unmistakeable chalky structure, the elegance belying much power beneath. Magnums will follow later in 2022.rrWeather: The 2012 weather has been hallmarked by many as very challenging but has created some stunning Champagne. Relatively low yields due to various weather conditions throughout the year. The winter months brought some frosts and hail which damaged the early stages of bud burst. August and September were very warm and this helped rescue and give the grapes a stunning maturity. Picking started 17th September 2012.rrDidier Depond, the inimitable President of Champagne Salon, in 2014 said “since 2008, there has been no genuinely great vintage in Champagneâ€?and that a 2012 from Salon wouldn’t be released. But the just-released 2012 Brut Blanc de Blancs Le Mesnil shows that he had good reason to change his mind”rrTechnical Information:rVineyards: 100% Grand Cru | Le Mesnil-sur-OgerrGrape Varieties: 100% ChardonnayrAgeing: 8 years on the leesrDisgorgement: Spring 2021rDosage: 4 g/lrDrink: Now to 2050+rrTasting Note: The 2012 Salon is absolutely gorgeous. It offers a beguiling mix of radiance and energy that seems to capture a little bit of elements of some of its older siblings. The expression of fruit is radiant and quite overt, but without reaching the tropical exuberance of the 2006. In shape, the 2012 recalls the mid-weight style of 2007 with the freshness of 2008, but not quite the youthful austerity of that wine. If that sounds like an appealing combination, well it is. The 2012 Salon is all harmony and class. â€?Tasting note by Antonio Galloni