Salon

Salon is a name that conjures up thoughts of exclusivity and excellence amongst Champagne aficionados. Made only in exceptional years, Salon has produced 37 vintages since wealthy furrier, Eugène-Aimé Salon, first began production of this original Blancs de Blancs Champagne in 1911. Any unsatisfactory Champagne is now sold to its sister Champagne house Delamotte, or to parent company Laurent-Perrier and the estate is one of the only wine
brands in the world not to produce wine every year.

Made from 100% Chardonnay, the volume produced each year is restricted, which alongside the infrequency of ‘excellent vintages’ compound the rarity of this Champagne. Connoisseurs consider Salon to be the quintessential Blancs-de-Blancs Champagne. Something that stuck with the late president of Laurent-Perrier, Bernard de Nonancourt. During the Second World War he was one of the first allied soldiers to reach Hitler’s eagle’s nest where he had the opportunity to taste one of the 200 or so stolen bottles of the 1928 vintage. In 1988 he fulfilled a lifelong ambition and bought the Champagne house. Salon died a bachelor, and so the estate was passed to his nephew who in turn sold the business to Dubonet-Cinzano.

Dubonet showed little appetite for developing the brand and sold to Lauren-Perrier in 1988, who have continued to promote excellence in the wine making and rapidly advanced the international distribution.

Average production is much lower than the other Grande Marques with only 60,000 bottles produced per declared vintage.

Salon is produced in incredibly low quantities when compared to other producers in the region. This coupled with the high and universal critical acclaim has propelled the house to the highest echelons. certainly one of the most expensive wines in the region, Salon has been the strongest performing Champagne from a price perspective over the past 5 years, which has no doubt been amplified by the scarcity of cases available on the market.Recent vintages have an average case price of c.£5k per 12, and prices for back vintages can reach the £30k+ in some instances.

Their 2008 will only be released in magnum format, and given the low yield from the vintage, only 10,000 will be made available on the market.

Salon Champagne Brut Blanc de Blancs

Salon ignored the accepted winemaking wisdom of his time and pursued the first blanc de blancs in the belief that the wines could open up and impress if given enough time to develop. After allowing them to age for a minimum of 10 years, he was proven right. An extremely delicate and subtly rich Champagne, Salon demands attentive aging, and after 20-30 years develops wonderful aromas of coconut, walnut, coffee and vanilla.