Salon Champagne Blanc De Blancs Le Mesnil 2012 750ml

Name: Salon Champagne Blanc De Blancs Le Mesnil 2012 750ml
Brand: Salon
SKU: 883331
Price: 1138.95 USD
Availability: InStock
Rating: 99 (8 reviews)

size

750ml

country

France

region

Champagne

8 Ratings

See 8 Professional Reviews

Additional vintages

2013 2012 2008 2007 2006 2004 2002 1999 1997 1996 1995 1990 1988 1985

Rated 99 by Wine Enthusiast

As always, this exceptional Champagne, only released in top vintages, shows its rare qualities. Its poise between texture, acidity, intense aging ability and minerality are so right. It is ready to drink, but that would be a shame, because this wine will age so well. Drink from 2025. ... More details

Salon Champagne Blanc De Blancs Le Mesnil 2012 750ml

Rated 99 by Wine Enthusiast

Rated 98 by Wine Advocate

Back in 2014, Salon's president Didier Depond was quoted in the press as saying that “since 2008, there has been no genuinely great vintage in Champagne" and that a 2012 from Salon wouldn't be released. But the just-released 2012 Brut Blanc de Blancs Le Mesnil shows that he had good reason to change his mind, as to my palate this is, after the 2008, the finest Salon produced this millennium. Unwinding in the glass with notes of citrus oil, wet stones, freshly baked bread, white currants and oyster shell, it's full-bodied, deep and concentrated, with a tightly wound core of fruit, racy acids and an elegant pinpoint mousse. Concluding with a long and resonant finish, this is a structured and powerful Salon that's a lot more incisive than, for example, the 2002 at the same stage, but which also carries more muscle and substance than a leaner vintage such as 2007. For readers that have balked at the pricing of the magnum-only 2008, the 2012 isn't far off the latter's level in quality, and will presumably be distributed more conventionally.

Rated 98 by James Suckling

Gorgeous aromas of cooked apple, bread dough and pie crust. Hints of lemon curd, flint and match stick, too. Full-bodied and dense with agility and beauty, particularly in the center-palate that just lifts at the end. So much density and structure, yet it always remains floating and aerial. Phenolic and integrated at the end. Impressive structure and length. Very drinkable now, but gives the sensation that it will be better in three or four years.

Rated 98 by Jeb Dunnuck

The 2012 Champagne Salon pours a pale straw hue and reveals layered aromas that take time to unfold, including delicate lemon curd, a hint of smoke, candied green apple, and very pretty white flowers. The palate is focused and concentrated, with a long spine of energy throughout, offering elegant layers that are all in concert with each other, with salinity, ripe freshness, and the refined texture of the mousse. As it opens, orchard fruits emerge of apricot, croissant, and delicate sherry-like notes of iodine. This is an incredible and timeless wine that will be a pleasure to taste again over the coming decades. Drink 2024-2044.

Rated 97 by Vinous Media

The 2012 Salon is absolutely gorgeous. It offers a beguiling mix of radiance and energy that seems to capture a little bit of elements of some of its older siblings. The expression of fruit is radiant and quite overt, but without reaching the tropical exuberance of the 2006. In shape, the 2012 recalls the mid-weight style of 2007 with the freshness of 2008, but not quite the youthful austerity of that wine. If that sounds like an appealing combination, well it is. The 2012 Salon is all harmony and class.

Rated 96 by Burghound

The wonderfully fresh, cool and decidedly elegant nose reflects notes of brioche, citrus confit, quinine, Granny Smith apples and a hint of orange peel. There is impressive volume to the rich yet borderline delicate flavors that possess excellent intensity thanks to the firm but wonderfully fine supporting effervescence, all wrapped in a saline and very dry lemon-tinged finish that delivers both outstanding depth and persistence. This is terrific and a wine that could certainly be enjoyed now though even better depth will almost certainly develop with time.

Rated 95 by Decanter

The 2012 Salon is surprisingly, almost shockingly ripe, forward and open, which I put down to the late summer heat wave. The champagne boasts aromas of ripe apples, acacia flowers, and brioche. The texture is velvety, with a fine mousse, decent acid balance, and a plump, lingering finish. Although this lacks the thrillingly vibrant lemony acidity of some vintages, it compensates with an approachable, round feel that is utterly delicious. The 2012 vintage aged eight years on the lees before disgorging with 4g/L dosage and received another year on the cork before shipping.

Rated 95 by Wine Spectator

Like white Burgundy with bubbles, this fine-knit version has a spine of vibrant acidity and a minerally oyster shell overtone, with the plush mousse carrying a delicate mesh of yellow plum, pickled ginger, Marcona almond and dried white cherry flavors that lingers on the racy finish. Drink now through 2035. 5,000 cases made, 2,000 cases imported.

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Salon Champagne Blanc De Blancs Le Mesnil 2012 750ml

SKU 883331

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Professional Ratings

Rated 99 by Wine Enthusiast

Rated 98 by Wine Advocate

Rated 98 by James Suckling

Rated 98 by Jeb Dunnuck

Rated 97 by Vinous Media

Rated 96 by Burghound

Rated 95 by Decanter

Rated 95 by Wine Spectator

Product Details

size

750ml

country

France

region

Champagne

Additional vintages

2013 2012 2008 2007 2006 2004 2002 1999 1997 1996 1995 1990 1988 1985

Overview

Vintage: 2012

2012 has, so far been a positive year for wineries around the world. While it may be a little too early to speak of the wines being made in the northern hemisphere, European and North American wineries have already begun reporting that their harvesting season has been generally very good, and are predicting to continue with the kind of successes they saw in 2011. However, 2012 has been something of a late year for France, due to unpredictable weather throughout the summer, and the grapes were ripening considerably later than they did in 2011 (which was, admittedly, an exceptionally early year). French wineries are claiming, though, that this could well turn out to be advantageous, as the slow ripening will allow the resulting wines to express more flavour and features of the terroir they are grown in. The southern hemisphere has seen ideal climatic conditions in most of the key wine producing countries, and Australia and New Zealand particularly had a superb year, in particular with the Bordeaux varietal grapes that grow there and which love the humidity these countries received plenty of. Also enjoying a fantastic year for weather were wineries across Argentina and Chile, with the Mendoza region claiming that 2012 will be one of their best vintages of the past decade. Similar claims are being made across the Chilean wine regions, where Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon had an especially good year. These two grape varietals also produced characterful wines on the coastal regions of South Africa this year.

Varietal: Champagne Blend

The sparkling wines of Champagne have been revered by wine drinkers for hundreds of years, and even today they maintain their reputation for excellence of flavor and character, and are consistently associated with quality, decadence, and a cause for celebration. Their unique characteristics are partly due to the careful blending of a small number of selected grape varietals, most commonly Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. These grapes, blended in fairly equal quantities, give the wines of Champagne their wonderful flavors and aromas, with the Pinot Noir offering length and backbone, and the Chardonnay varietal giving its acidity and dry, biscuity nature. It isn't unusual to sometimes see Champagne labeled as 'blanc de blanc', meaning it is made using only Chardonnay varietal grapes, or 'blanc de noir', which is made solely with Pinot Noir.

Region: Champagne

There are very few wine regions in the world quite as famous as Champagne, and the sparkling white wines which are produced there are drank and enjoyed all over the globe as a result of their excellent quality, distinctive features and their association with grandeur and celebration. Wineries have been operating in the cool, damp north-easterly region of Champagne for hundreds of years, and over time have mastered the art of making the most of the Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Petit Meunier grape varietals which grow there across the rolling hillsides and kept in the region's unique 'Champagne caves'. Most commonly, these three varietals are blended together to produce the sparkling white wine, but the popularity of single variety Champagne wines are on the increase.

Country: France

French winemakers are subjected to several laws and regulations regarding the wines they produce, and how they can be labeled and sold. Such procedures are designed to increase the overall quality of the country's produce, and also to ensure that wines made in each particular region or appellation are of a character and type which is representative of the area. Thankfully for consumers of wine world-wide, the French have a particularly high reputation to uphold, and seem to do so flawlessly. Every year, wineries from all over France produce millions upon millions of bottles of fine wine, making the most of their native grape varieties and the excellent terrain which covers most of the country. From the expensive and exquisite red wines of Bordeaux and Burgundy, to the white wines and cremants of central France, the French are dedicated to providing the world with wines of the highest quality and most distinctive character.

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