1997 Salon, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger Grand Cru
Regular price
$1,255
×
This wine has a per person limit. We do this as the wine is hard to find, very rare and/or incredibly sought after.
We do this to ensure that we are able to share the love with everyone!
We kindly ask that you do not abuse this limit by placing multiple orders. In the event that you place multiple orders - they will be canceled and subject to a 5% cancellation fee.
If you would like to request more than the allowable amount - we may be able to help - send us an email at info@thatcherswineconsulting.com
1997 Salon, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger Grand Cru
Same Day Pick Up At Bay Area
The wine is currently not available for pickup from Bay Area.
View store information
One wine, one label: always 100% Chardonnay from the finest vineyards of Le Mesnilsur-Oger, considered by most to be the very finest example of Chardonnay in all of Champagne. These are incredibly chalk-rich vineyards, which supercharge the acidity and structure, allowing the wine its longevity and finesse.
Salon
The penultimate expression and essence of Chardonnay, Salon is as tightly wound in its youth as it is long-lived, with new characteristics unwrapping every year seemingly. Still, it is to be honored and appreciated through every point in its life. Created as the first über-luxury cuvée in 1911 (1905 first vintage released) for a select few, Salon has only been released in select vintages - 38, counting from its first commercial release (1921) to the latest, 2008. So selective are they that many vintages, like 2002, are held back until being deemed ready, often releasing vintages like the 2004 prior to the 2002. The sister house Delamotte often will use the grapes in the vintages that aren’t declared, and often times the prime fruit that does not meet the extreme standards of the Salon brand.
Typically the bottles see ten years’ time on their lees in the coldest of cellars, allowing the mousse to develop the most tiny, delicate but pervasive mousse. Absolutely no oak is used, and every bottle hand-riddled. The peak of Chardonnay!
Meet the Producer
Salon
One wine, one label: always 100% Chardonnay from the finest vineyards of Le Mesnilsur-Oger, considered by most to be the very finest example of Chardonnay in all of Champagne. These are incredibly chalk-rich vineyards, which supercharge the acidity and structure, allowing the wine its longevity and finesse.
The penultimate expression and essence of Chardonnay, Salon is as tightly wound in its youth as it is long-lived, with new characteristics unwrapping every year seemingly. Still, it is to be honored and appreciated through every point in its life. Created as the first über-luxury cuvée in 1911 (1905 first vintage released) for a select few, Salon has only been released in select vintages - 38, counting from its first commercial release (1921) to the latest, 2008. So selective are they that many vintages, like 2002, are held back until being deemed ready, often releasing vintages like the 2004 prior to the 2002. The sister house Delamotte often will use the grapes in the vintages that aren’t declared, and often times the prime fruit that does not meet the extreme standards of the Salon brand.
Typically the bottles see ten years’ time on their lees in the coldest of cellars, allowing the mousse to develop the most tiny, delicate but pervasive mousse. Absolutely no oak is used, and every bottle hand-riddled. The peak of Chardonnay!
Vinous
Vinous
93
Light yellow with a slow bead. Deeply perfumed nose displays waxy orchard and pit fruit scents, along with toasty lees, woodsmoke and wet stone. Weighty pear and yellow peach flavors are given a bitter edge by fruit skin and quinine qualities, picking up salty minerals on the back end. Finishes with firm grip and powerful echoes of minerals and pear skin. This is already beginning to show complexity.
What the Critics are Saying
Vinous
Vinous
93
Light yellow with a slow bead. Deeply perfumed nose displays waxy orchard and pit fruit scents, along with toasty lees, woodsmoke and wet stone. Weighty pear and yellow peach flavors are given a bitter edge by fruit skin and quinine qualities, picking up salty minerals on the back end. Finishes with firm grip and powerful echoes of minerals and pear skin. This is already beginning to show complexity.