SALON BLANC DE BLANCS BRUT 2013 750ML

Impressive yet very subtle aromas of flint, chalk, stone and honeysuckle, as well as gun powder. Medium body with a solid core of fruit, yet very refined and silky, with a delicate and refined finish. Pure and terroir-driven. Disgorged in 2023.

The first impression upon release in September 2023 is of surprisingly open, welcoming fragrance for young Salon; orange cream, floral honey and lemon peel, backed up with delicate browned pastry, milky oyster and nut oil complexity that speaks of the long lees ageing. It is taut rather than austere, with a delicate, even level of flesh on its rigid bones as the classic chalky marine squeeze of Le Mesnil takes hold and propels a long, detailed lemon peel finish. This could prove a classic Salon given considerable patience.

In the context of the vintage, the expressive and structurally open personality of Salon’s 2013 Brut Blanc de Blancs Le Mesnil took me by surprise. Expecting a taut, incisive version, considering the cool, late-ripening growing season, it shares more similarities with the 2012 rendition than differences. Disgorged in early 2023 with a dosage of 5.5 grams per liter, it soars from the glass with scents of iodine, orange zest and warm bread mingling with hints of tropical fruit. Far from linear, it is a flamboyant and elegantly glossy rendition that’s undeniably fleshier than the racy-fresh and chiseled 2007 at a similar stage of development. Laden with ripe yet vibrant acidity, complemented by a pinpoint mousse and concluding with a precise, vividly chalky finish, it is dangerously approachable even now. Rating: 95+

A graceful Champagne, with pleasing plushness to the finely detailed mousse, revealing a delicate honeyed overtone to the notes of apricot tart, lemon curd, white blossoms and smoked almond. Shows a rich, underlying streak of chalky minerality that emerges to drive the lacy finish. Drink now through 2038.