Description & elaboration
The Salon 2015 cuvée from Salon is a blanc de blancs champagne sourced from a single village, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger. It is a champagne with notes of linden blossom — floral, taut, and of rare purity. On the palate, the texture is generous and saline, ideal alongside a gastronomic dinner. As part of the Laurent-Perrier group, Maison Salon only produces in the greatest years, in very limited quantities.
The Terroir
Le Mesnil-sur-Oger is a Grand Cru-classified Champagne village, situated on the Côte des Blancs. Its subsoil reveals outcropping belemnite chalk, a sedimentary rock from which the vines draw their nutrients.
The Champagne climate preserves the natural acidity of the berries. These conditions form the foundation of a true wine for ageing, further structured by minerals filtered through the roots.
The vinification
Under the direction of cellar master Michel Fauconnet, the hand-harvested grapes undergo a rigorous fractional pressing. The wine ferments exclusively in stainless steel tanks, carefully isolating the cuvée juices.
Malolactic fermentation is deliberately blocked by lowering the temperature, ensuring a sensation of purity and a marked acidic tension on the palate.
Lees ageing extends over ninety-six months. This long autolytic maturation shapes the profile of the Blanc de Blancs.
The 2015 vintage
The 2015 vintage is defined by a pronounced seasonal climatic contrast. Winter passed without any damaging frosts. A rainy spring triggered early budbreak, as early as 14 April.
Flowering began on 11 June under sunny skies, followed by a long dry spell persisting until mid-August. Summer showers then revived the ripening process. A drop in night-time temperatures locked in the fruit's total acidity.
The véraison cycle was complete by the end of August. Harvest began on 8 September under clear skies. Limited yields concentrated the aromatic precursors of the must, with a particularly promising sugar-acid balance.
Tasting notes
Appearance
The Salon 2015 cuvée displays a luminous pale gold with green and silver highlights, underlining the preserved youth of the chardonnay.
Nose
The nose opens on a precise and airy bouquet. Honeysuckle aromas dominate the first impression, followed by a hint of hawthorn. With aeration, the chalky minerality asserts itself, then notes of toasted hazelnut complete the picture — a direct expression of the Le Mesnil-sur-Oger terroir.
Palate
The attack is crisp and incisive. The generous texture provides a fleshy balance, underpinned by a fine salinity. The palate combines smoothness and precision, carried by a structuring acidity. The finish lingers on notes of candied citrus, long and persistent.
Pairing suggestions
- Kintoa AOP ham
- Veal sweetbreads with morels
- Refined gougères
- Grilled line-caught sea bass
- Pan-fried turbot
- Roasted blue lobster
- Parmigiano-Reggiano
- Comté 24 months
- Beaufort d'alpage
The Plus de Bulles expert's opinion
Why I love it?
What moves me about this vintage is its saline tension and chalky imprint. I was captivated by its delicate bouquet of white flowers and linden blossom, opening onto a generous and refined palate of brilliant persistence.
My recommendation
Serve at 13–15 °C in a wine glass with grilled line-caught sea bass. This cuvée will flourish magnificently through to 2041.
Advice
How to store this champagne?
Plus de Bulles ships this bottle (75 cl) in reinforced cartons specially designed for champagne transport. After receipt, store it horizontally, away from light. Ideally in a wine cellar; alternatively, in a cool, not too dry place at a stable temperature.
Ageing potential
The Salon 2015 is built for extended ageing. Its keeping potential comfortably exceeds fifteen years, and the wooden case helps shield the glass from external variations.
- Until 2030: the cuvée will offer notes of candied yellow citrus, carried by a mineral tension that dominates the mid-palate. The purity of the chardonnay expresses itself fully.
- From 2031: the champagne will evolve towards finely toasted brioche and candied yellow fruits. Over the years, a creamy roundness will envelop the whole.
- Around 2041: the 2015 vintage will reveal notes of undergrowth. The wine will enter its full tertiary maturity, the texture becoming silky and particularly enveloping.
Serving advice
The ideal serving temperature is 13–15 °C, to allow full aromatic expression. Serve this bottle in a wide tulip glass, whose broad base encourages gentle aeration. Excessive cold would suppress the most subtle floral aromas.
Contact with air reveals the honeysuckle fragrances. No decanting is necessary. Simply remove the cork five minutes before serving to allow the chardonnay's bouquet to blossom.
A note on this cuvée
Eugène-Aimé Salon created his own brand in 1905. This pioneer crafted a wine to his own personal taste, focusing on a precise terroir: the lands of Le Mesnil-sur-Oger. His production concentrated exclusively on white grapes.
Harvests only take place in climatically favourable years. Originally intended for his private circle, the bottles quickly aroused the curiosity of Parisian gastronomy. Success truly took hold during the Roaring Twenties. The sister house, Champagne Delamotte, shares this philosophy of excellence.
President Didier Depond currently heads both entities. The twentieth century saw the birth of only thirty-seven vintages. Enthusiasts also appreciate the prestigious vintage blanc de blancs from Salon. Each numbered bottle is shipped in its original wooden case.
This strict single-plot approach has remained unchanged since the founding, and the absence of blending defines a pure, uncompromising identity.
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