100/100
William Kelley
“Disgorged in January 2019 with six grams per liter dosage, Salon's 2008 Brut Blanc de Blancs Le Mesnil is a striking wine, unwinding in the glass with scents of citrus oil, fresh bread, crisp green apple, white flowers, smoke and oyster shell. Full-bodied, layered and incisive, it's deep and concentrated, with a tightly coiled core of fruit that's underpinned by a racy spine of acidity. Seamless and unerringly precise, it concludes with a long and penetratingly mineral finish. Immense though its potential for aging is, its intensity and balance make it pleasurable as well as persuasive, even today. Given the eye-watering price of this magnum-only release, I was determined to hold the wine to the highest possible standards, but it surpasses even the prodigious 1996 and surely ranks as the finest Salon since at least the 1970s. In short, this is a Blanc de Blancs that admits no argument.”
19/20
Jancis Robinson MW
“Magnum. Disgorged (‘Edition’) January 2019. Just 8,000 magnums and no bottles produced. (Usually 60,000 bottles!) Didier Depond tasted the grapes with Chef de Cave Michel Fauconnet. Both of them decided that only magnums should be made because the concentration is so great. Like 1982. Dosage 6.2 g/l. Didier Depond calls 2008 ‘the dream vintage’. Picked from 17 September.
Big bubbles. Strong hedgerow aromas. Very ‘cool’ impression. Very intense and persistent. Complex and lacy. Filigree texture. Really quite open for a magnum - particularly for Salon. Wonderful length. Certainly a magical wine, likely to feed a frenzy among (well-heeled) investors.”
100/100
Antonio Galloni
“I knew it the moment I tasted it. The 2008 Cuvée S, bottled only in magnum, is perfect. I can ask nothing more. Citrus, sage, mint, white pepper, crushed rocks and oyster shells explode onto the palate. Complex and nuanced, with tons of saline intensity, the 2008 is an archetype. A truly great vintage for one of the most important wines in Champagne. Readers lucky to own it are in for an unforgettable experience. Production is just 8,000 magnums, about a third of a normal year in terms of overall volume. ”
20/20
Nick Baker TFB Founder
“100% CH | Lees Ageing: 10 Years | Disgorged: January 2019 | Dosage: 6.2 g/l | Post-Disgorgement Ageing: 5 Months
A hint of reduction and that smoky charm, there is an abundance of ripe fruit, very generous ripe apples and then you get hints of ripeness with a faint trace of tropical fruits. The magnum has great texture, precision and ripeness. For a recent disgorgement this is currently very generous, so expect it to shine for a year and no doubt close down tight for many years after. Has freshness, power, elegance and a real lightness; it plays on your palate, very fine. Drink now but will be better in at least ten years and last for many decades.”
