Salon Champagne Blanc de Blancs Le Mesnil 2002 1.5Ltr

The 35th and most recent vintage of Salon since the house was founded in 1905 is memorable and magnificent. Made only from Chardonnay grown in the Grand Cru village of Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, it combines intense minerality, a crisp textured core and the beginnings of maturity. The depths of this wine, with its layers of fruit and steeliness, are superb. Even after 12 years, it still needs to age further. Drink from 2018. (Cellar Selection)

An almost ideal growing season with no periods of extreme weather, ending with a cool but sunny September. Harvest began on 16 September. The very classy nose has a mineral-infused character underlying its spicy, floral scents. This Salon has the power to be long-lived and the freshness and vivacity to be already enjoyable, but also to be an ideal companion for a gastronomic meal. Perfection.

Otherworldly in its piercing intensity, focus and sense of potential that is still remarkably yet to come, this is a staggeringly great Champagne. Superfine aromas of lemon and grapefruit plus commanding chalky minerals and an ethereal floral layer too, still very primary and unevolved. The palate is scintillating, moving with incredible velocity and lightning-like intensity - acidity is the driving force. Citrus flavors are locked in deep and the precision is almost impossible to comprehend, as is the length. Near perfect. Drink it in 10+ years.

There's vibrancy and a sense of finesse to this rich and creamy Champagne, which is defined by racy acidity and a streak of chalky minerality. Offers an expansive palate of glazed apricot, oyster shell, toasted almond and spun honey flavors, accented by hints of ground ginger, dried lemon peel and marzipan. The finish is racy and persistent. Drink now through 2030.

The 2002 Cuvée S is wild and exotic, as it always has been. All of the intensity of a year marked by elevated ripeness in the Chardonnays comes through loud and clear. Soaring floral overtones, candied citrus and tropical notes open first, before clean veins of Mesnil minerality pull it all together on the mid-palate and finish. Magical.

As I commented the last time I reviewed this from 750 ml, I was mystified by the (relatively) poor showing as Salon is almost always excellent and often genuinely great. This example, though I underscore that this review is from magnum rather than 750 ml, displayed a quality and character that were literally worthy of being described as a night and day difference. So, the review from magnum format is: A cool and pure nose features notes of citrus, in particular lemon rind, along with plenty of yeast, green apple, floral and iodine elements. The refined and intense middle weight flavors are shaped by an ultra-fine mousse that contributes to the sense of subtlety and finesse, all wrapped in a fantastically long and deep finish. Moreover, this is absolutely nowhere near being ready as the '02 version of Salon is going to age for years, indeed my 2022+ estimate may very well be 5 years too early. Either way, this is an estimable vintage for one of my favorite wines.

I sacrificed a bottle of the 2002 Brut Blanc de Blancs Le Mesnil from my own cellar to fill this gap in The Wine Advocate database and was interested to see that the wine has evolved a little since I last encountered it a couple of years ago. Subtle aromas of brioche, iodine and walnuts now inflect its bouquet of ripe lemon, green apple and crushed chalk, and on the palate, the wine is full-bodied, broad and powerful, with a fine mousse and considerable depth and dimension, concluding with a delicately chalky finish. This is an unusually ripe, muscular vintage of Salon, and my own palate tends to favor the brighter, more incisive vintages such as the 2007 or the 1996 at its best, but this is nonetheless a superb blanc de blancs that's maturing a touch faster than I expected.