Tasting Notes
Vinous 97
Another highlight in this vertical, the 2002 Salon is also fascinating to taste after the 2004. Rich, opulent and intense, yet also very classic in the Salon house style, the 2002 possesses superb persistence and depth. The radiant vintage has softened the contours and given the wine fabulous depth to match its decidedly powerful personality. At the same time, the 2002 remains quite youthful. Next to the brighter and more finessed 2004, the 2002 offers more of a baritone-inflected expression of Chardonnay.
Anticipated maturity: 2016-2036
JancisRobinson.com 17.5
Disgorged June 2014. RS 7 g/l. Supplied by Salon’s UK agent, Corney & Barrow. Tasted blind. Very pale. Seems dense, and layered, with some real intensity. Racy. Very appetising. But slightly astringent on the end. Bottle variation. Not ‘ravishing’, as promised by the Salon literature.
Robert Parker 95
I sacrificed a bottle of the 2002 Brut Blanc de Blancs Le Mesnil from my own cellar to fill this gap in The Wine Advocate database and was interested to see that the wine has evolved a little since I last encountered it a couple of years ago. Subtle aromas of brioche, iodine and walnuts now inflect its bouquet of ripe lemon, green apple and crushed chalk, and on the palate, the wine is full-bodied, broad and powerful, with a fine mousse and considerable depth and dimension, concluding with a delicately chalky finish. This is an unusually ripe, muscular vintage of Salon, and my own palate tends to favor the brighter, more incisive vintages such as the 2007 or the 1996 at its best, but this is nonetheless a superb blanc de blancs that’s maturing a touch faster than I expected.
Anticipated maturity: 2018-2035
