Tasting Notes
Antonio Galloni 97+
The 2004 Salon has been superb each time I have tasted it over the last year or so. Bright, tense and crystalline, with all of the energy that is typical of both Salon and the vintage in the Côte des Blancs, the 2004 bristles with superb precision and cool, pulsating minerality. The 2004 spent a dozen years on its lees. Over the last six months or so, it has gradually begun to open up, but it is very much a wine for the cellar. Two thousand four is remembered as a vintage with record high yields. Salon (and Delamotte) did a terrific job in keeping the vines well balanced. Production was just 46,000 bottles, as opposed to the 60,000 or so that is more typical. Chef de Caves Michel Fauconnet opted for a low dosage of just 4 grams per liter. This is a tremendous showing.
Anticipated maturity: 2019-2044
Neal Martin 96
This is the first time that I encountered the 2004 Salon, this in magnum format. What a gem! It has a typically steely and almost terse nose before it opens with thrilling scents of dew dappled green apples and citrus lemon mixed with crushed limestone. The palate is crystalline, brilliantly defined and poised with an underlying bitterness that maintains tension. There’s real nerve to this Salon that fans out on the finish, deciding to keep everything very linear and strict, which just makes you love it more. This is a long-term proposition. Tasted at dinner at Moon Bay in Hong Kong.
Anticipated maturity: 2023-2060
