Don’t agree with the low scores here. This champagne was bright at the open and settled into a beautiful butterscotch flavor that revealed graceful aging. Enjoyed over 3 or 4 hours without chilling. We tasted a lot of Burgundy wines that night and this was undoubtedly a standout.
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Houze's Wedding; 12/9/2023-12/10/2023: Bright white fruit and quite sweet, however paled next to the 96 magnum and a stunning 99 Cristal Vinotheque magnum from the night before. Touch thin and unstructured. 93
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Great example of ‘99. Fresh bottle. Still fresh and bright, plenty of acidity and tension, energy maybe fading a little and showing some secondary development. Green apple, bruised yellow apple. Acid is good. Little savory at the end, little fall spice. Complete and very nice now. I’d guess that well kept bottles will drink nicely for up to another five years. Staying power to the palate.
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Medium+ nose intensity with notes of pear, lemon, citrus, apple, grapefruit, yeast. Still youthful and still have long years ahead. Will improve with age.
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Swirling, sniffing and sipping with Hooters’ gals while snacking on grilled chicken nachos. The ladies, of vintage circa 2000, giggled when observing so terribly astutely, that they were younger than the wine. I was in a mood 😇
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Open in bottle for an hour, took to restaurant...all FIRE from the get go! Pure crystalline yellow orchard fruits...creamy and full bodied with a tropical pineapple sweetness that worked PERFECTLY with the HUGE zip of lemon fresh citrus...lovely green apple tartness...white burgundy like chalky and salty minerality...really in a great stage right now, firing on all cylinders! The white flower florals, wafts of vanilla on honey were so pretty and engaging...fine bubbles and a creamy ginger lees mousse...a wine of power, and elegance. Third time I've had the 99, and it keeps getting better and better and better. Closing in on the 96?
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Quite possibly the best champagne I had the pleasure to drink. Sublimely fine bubbles, smooth and yeasty character. But then… an explosion of restraint white fruit, mango, pineapple and peaches. Light and intense pleasure with interminable length. Structured, balanced and light footed, but with incredible precision.
Hedonistic pleasure well outside the champagne canon. Just unapologetically good. Ageless?
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One of my favorite 99 champagnes - acidity is PING PONGING all over still. The wine is saliva inducing and saturated with delicious yellow fruit and citrus rind.
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This bottle is not showing nearly as well as previous commentators would suggest. TBH, it’s more dull, linear and unimpressive than all the others in the series, including the vintage Delamottes.
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4,9. Straw yellow, with a periferal tint of green. Brioche, butter and stored yellow apples on the nose. Dry. Sophisticated with creamy bubbles. Feels suprisingly young, with a fresh acidety. Looong and lingering exit, with a citric touch. A fabolously delicious Champagne! 🍾🍾🍾
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The 99 Salon Magnum is staggeringly fresh and vibrant, almost a completely different wine to the standard 99 Salon I had a few years ago. This is clearly a significant step up to the standard bottle in both the intensity and freshness. Ripe and potent portfolio of citrus. Drink now – 2044. (94/100)
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Very good but a bit disappointing though for the pedigree. Pretty evolved while clearly not oxidised. Balanced, elegant, refined bubbles, but lacks of depth, freshness and tension. Then again, good but not great.
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Honung i doften till en början. Kola. Jag tycker också att det finns en viss rökighet och lite bränt på ett fint nedtonat sätt.
I början: Fyllig, lite tyngd, ålder, koncentrerat men med balans, låg syra och äpple.
Efter en timme: Kolan kommer fram mer i smaken, knäckig, godis och fortfarande tar syran ingen plats. Ju mer tiden går desto fylligare blir det. Väldigt gott och bra!
Jag gissade på Pinot vilket ju var helt fel. Blev väldigt förvånad när det visade sig att det var Salon. Första gången som jag provar Salon och allt jag har läst och hört har varit om den skyhöga syran och hur extremt mycket tid den behöver innan den blir bra. Den här flaskan var inte alls så. Låg syra och väldigt bra att dricka nu!
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First off I just need to say: this did not taste like it was 21 years old. A blind guess would have been between 2005-2010. Almost no sign of age at all?! It seems literally immortal. I was almost disappointed that it ‘wasn’t ready’ since it’s not one of the absolute top vintages? That just speaks to the insane quality of Salon...
Still the palest color like a young champagne. A bit greenish hue. On the nose lots of citrus, pickled lemon, pineapple, minerality, vanilla, slight hint of licorice and the thickest, fatest, most creamy notes of bread, butter and brioche!
Taste of citrus, brioche, Granny Smith apple, butter, nuttiness and a bit of browned butter too. Insane young, fresh and racy acidity for something being 21 years old... I can’t believe this could have been saved even longer, but it also gets riskier with faulty cork etc. A long and thick aftertaste with Granny Smith apple and so much butter it’s almost sticky!
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Celebrating my wife’s birthday@ L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon – Hong Kong
Restaurant is a bit dark so cannot see clearly the colour. Yellow probably, not golden. Pronounced freshness, citrus fruit, floral note on nose. On palate balanced, crisp, honey, complex yet very fresh and I could taste the citrus fruits. Extremely long finish and amazing finest bubbles mouth feel. At its peak right now. I have never had any champagne better than this, it’s perfectly matured with no bitterness at all. Cheers!
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In a great place now, fine mousse and amazing nose of white chalk and white peaches. The mouthfeel is creamy, finest bubbles and extremely long finish. What a great Salon again.
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Bright, fresh, sharp citrus and chalky nose. Fine and tight mousse. Doesn’t have the depth and power of the most recent ‘02 but is more comparable than I remember. Very youthful bottle. Has good blanc de blanc cream as well. Producer overrides the vintage here.
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My second time trying in a week. This time we had two bottles, but huge bottle variation. The first was beautifully balanced, yet the second was bitter and acidic. Interestingly one had been shipped that day, the other rested for a while. But who knows. I score based on the better bottle
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Popped and poured. Had the quality and size to have been decanted perhaps. Pale lemon. Quite full bodied. Strong effervescence and lively structure. Delightful wine.
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The 1999 Salon is slightly underwhelming vintage compared to the 1997 Salon, both trading at a similar premium. I would recommend 1997 Salon over 1999. Energetic tree fruits and ripe lemons, some oxidative flavours. Decent weight, medium bodied with mellow fruit concentration on the palate. Good Chardonnay finesse touch but it doesn’t have the usual purity or precision of Salon. (88/100)
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Pure and fresh, with plenty of green apple and white peach. It is full, harmonious and long, with some dosage sweetness and excellent balance. It doesn’t have the cut and thrust of the ’96, but is a very good Salon, drinking beautifully today.
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Popped the question (she said yes) then popped this. Delicious wine but underwhelming for Salon. At hour two this still hasn’t fully revealed itself. Will hold forever.
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Out of magnum. Shared with a dear friend who shipped it down for all of us to enjoy. Fresh, vibrant, solid palate feel, long finish, unbelievably great.
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Acker 200; 2/7/2020-2/8/2020 (The Pool & Cipriani): From a magnum although unfortunately half of the magnum did not make it into a glass since it got spilled. This was an interesting one for a Salon. Different than what I typically expect from the producer. Much more mineral and sharper edges and a ton of lemon and lime. Just at the end in the glass the very hint of the vanilla bean (which is one of my favorite parts of the wine. Good but can also understand why this wasn't a stand out year for them.
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Light yellow color in the glass, clear looking throughout with light, tiny beading. Nose of nutmeg, creme and yellow pear. Flavors of lemon curd, creme fraîche and green apple. Bright acidity, full bodied. Drink or hold.
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Drinking beautifully. The bubbles were very well integrated and not too aggressive, and there was a great mix of white flowers, nuts and buttery brioche on the nose. Good acidity and weight on the palate, and came across as very fresh.
It wasn't quite as laser-focused as it could be, and didn't quite have the complexity of a greater vintage, but performing very well nonetheless.
As with most Salons, these wines really take their time to unfurl. This still came across as quite primary, and I'd love to revisit in 5+ years.
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The best bottle of 99 Salon I had. Hazelnut, minerals and stone fruit on the nose. Palate was open and expressive. The balance between the fruit and acidity was just right. It drank like a montrachet. 93-94
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Winter Solstice Tasting @ JD's home (Groot-Ammers): Winter Solstice tasting. Paired with caviar and served alongside 2004 Pol Roger Champagne Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill. This for me had the upper hand...Just a bit more complete and compelling!
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From magnum. Very good but not great. Especially compared with the 2003 Selosse, also served in magnum. It is a nice champagne, balanced, elegant, but it has nothing really impressive. No default, but little charm and no distinctive qualities that would make it memorable.
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Burgundy and Barolo (Oficine Brera, Los Angeles): Crisp on the attack, round on midpalate, yeasty with a chalky finish. Lively, complete, and not yet secondary. This has many years of development ahead of it, but is certainly excellent for current drinking.
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Opened and shared with friends. Powerful precision. Persistent citrus tinged bubbles enveloped in a creamy full body. Should be my house wine. The enjoyment of finishing a bottle like this never waned. It requires more emotion rather that than technical description.
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Weekend in Napa; 7/5/2018-7/8/2018 (Napa, CA): Albeit maybe not the best vintage Salon this showed great. Some notes of maturity on the nose, still with great precision and crisp acidity.
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Latour Big Vintages (Berens am Kai 1 star Restaurant): Elegant, reluctant, typical for a Salon in his young stage, a hint of roasted nuts, but I miss the precision and power in the late palate. I had more developed 99's of Salon with more complexity. I think it won't be much "better". A little bit disappointing for a Salon. 92-93
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Just an amazing texture to this wine. The definition of creamy and smooth. Silky in the mouth this had so much nuance and complexity. The tiniest of bubbles. Lemon, citrus with some toast and a zesty streak of creaminess. Tons of energy and spark. This was a great bottle and special in its texture and mouthfeel.
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When I saw this brought to the restaurant, I was ecstatic to try it after reading about "one of the top five Champagnes you have to try at least once in your lifetime". Learning from previous experience of people boasting on the internet, I calmed down pretty quick. Nevertheless, this is a freakin´ good Champagne, folks. It has freshness, it has complexity, it has raciness, it has the potential to age for minimally a decade more. For a 19-year-old Chardonnay, it holds it shit together perfectly. But yet, I remained unmoved by all this excitement and there´s only one reason for this – the fruit is simply suffocated under these huge layers of acidity and creaminess. Even when the wine opens up, the delicate fruit fades away and leaves you with a missing piece to the puzzle. For the price, I honestly think that there are much better sparklers out there at this moment.
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Out of magnum - very complex and elegant vintage of Salon and very drinkable now although still somewhat short of tertiary flavors. Lovely smoky yeast notes with a fine line of acidity and a complex, minerally finish. Lacks some verve to be rated any higher.
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Nose has brioche, minerals and ripe yellow fruit. Palate is very elegant and precise with lots of stuffing. It evolves more with more time in the glass exhibiting hint of smoked fruit and oxidative note. Lovely one.
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2006 anything goes dinner. Out-of-theme, but yet another Salon to finish the dinner, again, courtesy of Ms. V! Refreshing freshness, citrus & green-apples. Very nice finale for this dinner...
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My wife and I drank this for our anniversary. It had been in the cellar and we figured our 5th anniversary was the date to drink it. This is a nice wine but if I am being honest it was slightly disappointing given the price point. I expected it to explode with vibrance, depth and a myriad of flavors but it was a bit dull. Of course there were brioche notes and some marmalade/lemon hints but it was not a "special" champagne. It was a gift so perhaps before it transferred to us it wasn't stored properly however the cork was tight.
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Getting better...powerful elegance, crisp and refreshing citrus, bursting bubbles, creamy marzipan mousse, ginger, green apple skin tartness. Love the intermingle play with the pretty flower florals and a little smoke and lees! Saline minerality...sea air, lemon squeeze, vanilla...really a joy to sip on!
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A lot of lime and minerals on the nose and palate. It needs a lot of time. It opens up with more time in the glass to show its depth. It has the underlying substance to improve significantly.
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About one year later, I tried this from bottle and it is still brilliant! It has a beautiful inner core, smooth, shows power with grace and is perfect now.
Twenty Years of Salon (The Bristol - Chicago IL): Served alongside 97. A very odd wine in several ways. First, this was very reductive to start, which I find very rare with Champagne. Sulfur dissipated after 20-30 minutes, then it seemed much ripe than I recall from before. Dried mango and other tropical hints (atypical for Salon and this vintage), but then with good structure bringing back balance from the middle forward.
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Stone fruits and light yellow floral notes on the nose, overall presenting a rather austere profile. Tart peach joins on the palate. Certainly not one of my favorite Salons it its current state. 92-93
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Zachys Wine Vault II (Le Bernadin Prive): Salon for me is in a class by itself and that includes even 'off' years. This was poured from magnum. The bubbles were so fine they just melted in the mouth. Nice levels of toast. Missing some of the vanilla bean that I usually get in Salon (the '97 we had later in the day had it in spades), but still a beautiful champagne. Paired very well with a truffle seafood pasta dish from Le Bernadin.
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An average Salon, but still quite lovely. Drink while aging the more classic vintages. I've had several bottles of this including from magnum during my posting hiatus. All have been in the 91-92 range for me.
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Drank at 67 Still very young and needs time to open up. Full grand cry burgundy nose with brioche, lemon and flowers. Rich clean crisp palate. Lovely. Give it more time.
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Like drinking a lemon hazelnut brioche. So refreshing, acidity present but not overwhelming. Very structured with perfect ripe fruit just starting to drink now but lots of upside potential from here. Will be fascinating to follow!
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Fresh young nose with plenty of citrus, requires a fair bit of airtime to get the more developed notes of bread and reductive Chardonnay fruit. Absolutely beautiful when it gets there, sharp and fresh palate with bits of cream and smoke notes too. A pleasure to enjoy now but should definitely be put away for a few years for best results. Awesome, powerful, always a special one.
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Limestone, tart yellow fruits. Moderate length citrus acids on finish. Not as well shaped or defined as better vintages but quite enjoyable now and may yet improve somewhat. 92-93
Wow. Buttery vanilla notes with hints of hazelnut and lemon. This is all about balance, structure and subtle power. Very long and precise. After an hour it slowly starts opening up. Today it was Great but with so much potential for the next decade. Stunning wine that should be drunk at 12-15 degrees centigrade and out of big glasses (i used the Riedel Sommeliers Montrachet).
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My second experience which Salon and while this might not have been quite as great as the '96, it's prob the second best champagne I've ever had. These are just special. Lots of vanilla bean and white flowers in the glass. Really interesting and delicious. Got a pretty good deal from a Pennsylvania store and really wish they'd had more.
Noe grønne epler men med en elegant nøttearoma som gir et møte mellom det modne og det ferske som er ordentlig lekkert. Kjølig, flott mousse, god balanse, fabelaktig i munn, raffinert og delikat.
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Beethoven's 7th.... Big, but with a precise and direct cut that lights a path to wherever you're going. Okay then, almond paste, honey...... Very very long finish. It must be that this will age at least another ten.
D'abord discret, fin, dans l'élégance d'un chardonnay riche et ciselé (j'ai d'abord pensé a un comte de Champagne), il s'est ensuite épanoui a l'air (un carafage aurait été de circonstance), gagnant en longueur, en complexité, en personnalité. Tour à tour riche, concentré, mûr, d'une rondeur caressante rendue élégante par ses bulles si fines, il laisse sa trace longtemps en finale. Un très beau champagne donc, flamboyant et séducteur. Le 96 etait tout autre, il avait plus de grâce et de fraicheur sans présenter cette richesse maîtrisée. Deux styles différents. Tres difficile de lui donner un potentiel de garde sachnt que c'est la force de Salon de se bonifier durant des décennies...
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Lazy, rainy Sunday so why not enjoy the indoors with, arguably, the best champagne on the planet!? We treated this dahlin' with due respect by properly serving in white Burgundy glasses. Flutes are for orchestras ;-)! Pale yellow with a glimmer of green and teeny-itsy-bitsy pearls of bubbles. Aromas of brioche (Oh, yeah, baby) with some soft citrus, butter and almonds. Are we devouring a liquid breakfast!? Fresh and fun, yet sophisticated and structured. The feeling just before proposing marriage to "your person" :-). Nutty, citrusy, creamy and vanilla palate. Nearly Nirvana...perhaps when she blossoms from being barely legal (a little more than barely) into salacious, vibrant, bouncy yet elegant and all that she can be. Thinking of Ronda Rousey in a few more years when she will only be a lady...rather than a somewhat overly enthusiastic lady...enjoying the latter, but will absolutely go ga-ga for the former!
Intense, youthful, greenish lemon color. Warm vintage is evident in the ripe fruit in the nose, dominated by yellow apple and white peach. Some yeasty white bread, notes of floral aromatics and a hint of mature, dried yellow fruit in the background. Subdued, steely, taut and extremely youthful on the palate with flavors of crisp green apple. Creaminess, stony minerality, some white chocolate and a touch of honey underneath. Surprisingly high acidity, given the vintage - not remarkably high, but very pronounced in relation to the fruit. Really small, fine and subtle mousse. Very tightly wound, acid-driven, bone-dry structure with no evidence of 16 years of age. Green apple notes and apple peel bitterness, citrus fruits and steely minerality in the aftertaste with a pure, crisp and mouthwatering finish of medium to med+ length.
Overall this wine is the definition of blanc de blancs grace and elegance; really an antonym of a "rich Champagne". Truly a holy grail of blancs des blancs and a favorite of many, but still I remained quite unimpressed. Granted, the wine is surprisingly - even painfully - youthful and structured now, given its age of more than a decade and a half, but this is also why it gives no real pleasure whatsoever: the subtle fruit is hugely overwhelmed by the tightly wound texture and crisp acidity. Probably the wine might fare better after another 10-15 years, after it has hopefully developed some mature characteristics, but for current enjoyment it is plain silly to open this one - it gives nothing that a young Blanc de Blancs 5-6 times less the price would give. I hope that the lean, almost austere texture opens up faster than the delicate fruit fades. Elegant and astonishingly structured, but in its current state it really does not justify its price of more than 300€.
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Only a slim curve of tiny bubbles is dancing in the flute in a light golden background. The bubbles are nearly imperceptible on the palate but this champagne definitely does not need bubbles. It shines as a beautiful matured chardonnay, perfectly delineated with layers of minerality, fruits of sour notes (green apple, star fruit, guava, ...), agrume zests and an amazing roundness. Still quite young for a 16y old.
Pale gold. Super dry. Smoke, matchstick, sulphur, some citrus, lemon meringue pie, fennel, black liquorice. Some brioche, probably more with time. Awesome wine but '96 and even '97 were superior.
A blast of lime and brioche on the nose. The palate has deep yellow orchard fruit and some citrus notes. Some nutty notes add complexity. If I had a criticism I'd ask for a little more acidity but a very appealing wine.
At a White Horse Tavern in the north country: Hints of oxidation, quite open and friendly in an easy going sort of way; soft and sweet, well balanced, gentle in it’s presence. Still, a bit if a disappointment for what it is.
We sipped at Restaurant Gordon Ramsay at Hospital Road, which, arguably, is the best restaurant on the face of the planet. From A to Z, a most exceptional dinning establishment of pure culinary ecstasy. Yummy! Not surprisingly, expensive. Having said that, you do not often have the privilege and pleasure to sip BY THE GLASS 1999 Salon!
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Aromas wafted up from the glass in a purely Burgundian expression of apricot with saline minerals, flower petals and rich roasted almond. On the palate, it was like pure silk with elegant, fine bubbles caressing the senses in one of the softest yet engaging experiences in my recent memory. Its perfectly balanced acidity kept the mouth watering, as notes of mineral, crushed flowers and stone fruits lingered long throughout the finish. This is in a beautiful place now and should continue to mature for many years to come.
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Light yellow with fine bubbles, aroma of honey, nuts. Tension of light acidity and light sweetness, nothing dramatic but there is finesse, med long with minerality, similar to a very fine Chablis. Maybe I am drinking this too young.
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LUNCH @ CALLAS (The Hague): A lovely wine of depth and sensual roundness. Perfectly balanced with fine well-integrated bubbles and a complex mix of creamy yellow fruits and peach. Weightless, refined and very complex on the lingering finish.
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While extremely youthful, still an impressive Champagne. A very fine mousse with a mineral streak. Complex and long finish. Promptly bought a few more bottles to enjoy this wine evolve over time.
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Leiden visits New Years Lunch in The Hague: Fantastic champagne. Fresh nose, complex, mineral, abit saline, very fine mousse. Taste vibrant and sweet, citrus, marzipan, long finish.
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Forgot to post this bottle, consumed just before The Ball dropped. Similar to my TN a couple weeks prior, if lacking a bit in its precision and stunning-ness (!). I attribute that mostly to serving it a touch too cold (relative). Still, gorgeous Chard. And still very young
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Very generous share from EC. I loved his opening comment: "wow - this tastes like WINE!" subtle statement but precisely on point - this is absolutely gorgeous Chard. Truly stunning. Nearly perfect medley of freshness, crisp acidity, mouthfeel of ultra fine mousse, and precision.
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Bubble Bash 2014 (Pier A Harbor House): Very fine mousse, almost microscopic bubbles from the wine of Le Mesnil. Pours a golden, slightly copper color. Nose of sugarcane, stewed plums, candied lemon peel, brioche, some brett. Very very creamy and unctuous that just oozes class from chardonnay. Mineral backbone. Palate of brioche, peaches and cream, citrus, earl grey ice cream, marzipan, and mint. Some eucalyptus. Low acidity and the harsh edges are all gone, yet the wine is still quite coiled. Needs time. Carbonation is almost minimal. Incredibly long finish that just lingers on for over 30 seconds. WOTN for me.
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Nose is filled with camomile, yellow plums & apples with a hint of licorice. The palate is elegant yet broad with a focused acidity. Lovely length, balanced concentration, flinty and too young. My guess is it will become a great wine with time.
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Fresh, bright, effervescent, lively, mineral driven and filled with sweet, citrus and brioche notes, this really hit the spot when paired with a cornucopia of shellfish dishes.
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Nice acidity, lemon and citrus. Tasted very young still and my feeling is that it is too early to drink this champagne at this point in time. The finish was not that long and the wine lacked a bit of complexity. Maybe a characteristic of the vintage? 1999 seems to drink really fresh and vibrant for Blanc de blancs and Chardonnay dominated Cuvees but lacks the creaminess I like and look for in more mature high quality wines. I will hold off on drinking any of my 1999 champagnes for at least 2-3 years.
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Got back home from a nice summer break and we decided to break out the last bottle of 1999 Salon to celebrate the return. This Salon has evolved very nicely in the last several years. It is still relatively forward and rich with wonderfully integrated ripe fruit flavors to go with the signature minerals, wet rocks, flint, steel nuances, vanilla, and ginger. However, what really keeps the ripe flavors in perfect balance is the soaring acidity, which is higher than any 1999 champagne I have had to date. This Salon will easily last for a couple of decades, but it is drinking so well today that there really isn't any reason to wait. One of the best champagnes I have had in a long time. Salon is now clearly in my top two champagne producers. Really looking forward to checking in on the 1996 and 1997. I would also like to try the new 2002 if the price had not been jacked up to almost $400 per bottle.
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looks and tastes as if it was harvested yesterday. Intense lime and mineral. Very tight and will surely require at least another decade to fully open. More impressive than really enjoyable at the moment, but the quality is undeniable. Shockingly high acid for a 99 but no lack of ripeness.
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The wine looks light gold colored. There is no sediment in the bottle. It smells like lemon, apple, peach, pear and baker's yeast. The body is light/medium. The wine finishes medium. The wine has medium acidity.
Dinner in LA (b.o.s - Los Angeles, CA): to me, this was somewhat shut down. The nose had some fresh bready notes, but was kinda quiet. The palate had a dense lime and lemon note, with nice acidity and cream. I think this needs a helluva lot more time to flesh out the complexity that’s (most likely0 buried underneath.
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Skränmunkarna May 2014 (Minervaskolan, Umeå, Sweden.): Blind. Light yellow. Dark, mellow and a rather unattractive "spicey" nose that was attractive to some tasters, but not to me. Towards sweaty teenager. In the mouth, it has a fabulous, creamy mouthfeel. But... This murky special character towards cummin and Mexican food does not do well to marry my taste buds.
My score is for mouthfeel and the fabulous concentration and intensity of this wine. But:
Slight honeyed nose with mature apple flavors. This was more about elegance and finesse. A rounder wine compared to the laser focus and precision of the ’02.
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Tasting Salon 2002 and Related Champagne (Knightsbridge - Northbrook IL): Apple and pear aromas with some toasted walnut. Same flavors with hints of peach, lemon and lemon curd. Rich and seemingly ripe, but then intense minerality on finish. A surprising pop-rock like effervescence that was really enjoyable, but not quite like I recalled from prior bottles.
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-brilliant light/med gold with green tinge, pinpoint bubbles -tiny reduction, lemon, green apple -super clean, lemon, mineral, quinine -elegant, precise, like a Chablis with bubbles
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WOTN for most. So elegant but also so much there. Better on it's own. Almost too elegant for food. Not sure what to serve this with but something very very light.
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En magnum. Sweet peachy nose. Bubbles had kinda faded by the time I got to it. Very calm and restrained wine with a long long finish. An intellectual wine.
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Altaya (HKCEE): Altaya wine event. Overrated given the price, there are many different choices. Tried the pol roger Churchill which was many times better.
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Corney & Barrow Tasting at Millbank Tower. Brief notes. Gentle but concentrated fresh apple flavours with pectic grip and fully integrated acid. Fabulous velvety race. Only the exorbitant asking price of £220 per bottle spoils the party! Should be good for another 10 years+ - where's my lottery ticket?
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Dim Sum Club tries Fleur de Sel (Fleur de Sel, Tras Street): A very friendly, forward Salon, very understated, almost too much so - this came across as rather unremarkable until one really paid attention. The nose was nice, but a little tight, with little bits of honey and biscuits, some deeper apple fruit aromas, white flowers, and a bit of minerality and spice that opened up with time. The palate had a very elegant gentleness to it, with easy, pleasant flavours of white peach and nectarine and some kumquats on the side. Effortlessly balanced and wreathed in a fine mousse, this was a Champagne with an amazing finesse; quite delicious, but very quietly and subtly so - this was more ballerina than boxer, more Nureyev than Ali; certainly not one for those who look for power and punch in their Champagne. I found it quite easy to fall in love with its long, slim, graceful lines though. It had a nice finish too, with lemon zest and kumquats laced with spice and mineral. It feigned to faded away quite quickly at first, but then came back in a lovely, long retour. This lacked a bit of oomph at the moment; there was still a rather monolithic top later to it, maybe just statring to peel off to reveal some complexity. All in all though, I thought it was very nice indeed, and the great thing is that it still has its best days ahead of it. I would love to try it again in 5 years. 92+
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Very intense and youthful with lots of pent up potential so I will reserve a final judgment but this seemed a little underwhelming after tasting a giant lineup of grower champagnes in the AM.
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young in the sense that you know it's going to get better, but still precise focused fruit that's quite bight and lovely. White flowers mix in with the citrus. Compelling 99. Are 96 and 99 Salon my favorite 96/99 wines? might be!
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Fu comes to town: Needs serious time....still quite coiled, but OH so refreshing and crisp....tart lemon citrus, green apple skin, ginger airy mousse, white flowers....did cream up later on, little smoke and lees....laser beam citrus and minerality. Love it now, but better in 10 more yrs.
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Effervescent, streams of tiny bubbles, aromatic - field flowers, light jasmine, peach - apple on the back-end - - started opening toward the end of the bottle - -Too early for this one - strong upside is 4 to 5 years away
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Tasted blind. Yoghurt nose with hazelnutty toast, smoked meat, butter and lemon. Hardly any other fruit. Dry palate of ripe apple and red fruits. Quickly disappearing moussé and juicy acidity. Liquorice, florals, grapefruit bitterness, burnt sugar to caramel touch and a long chalky finish. Very linear and tight with underlying intensity. So, this must need time. A lot of time. Underwhelming experience for my first taste of Salon.
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Tuesday Night BYO Wine Dinner (EL Ideas - Chicago IL): From magnum. Lots of tart apple, lemon and lemon peel aromas. Similar on palate, mostly starting with apple, ending more citrus. Long, lean and very precise, this was similar to when I last tried it a year+ ago, but slightly more integrated and softened. Still lots of upside from here, no question still getting better.
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From magnum. Vibrant aromas of lemon, biscuit, and earthy minerals. Bursts with bright tense bubbles, tart citrus fruits richly texture and juicy like quality. Great minerality, shows very young and has real breed.
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Prestige Champagne tasting with Munskänkarna - blanc de blancs and 1995s (Stockholm): Nose with mineral, rather stony character, some smoke, some apple and citrus, discrete flowery notes. Very dry on the palate, mineral, citrus and in particular grapefruit, high acidity. Long and firm grapefruit-dominated aftertaste. Definitely young, very firm and elegant, 92++ p.
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The nose smells exactly like apple crisp: caramel and apple in spades. The palette is delicate. Very feminine. The mousse was very fine. A really well-made Champagne, to be sure, but I've had better farmer fizz at a fraction of the cost.
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decanted and consumed in burgundy stems - and what a difference it makes. this is taut, crisp, and fresh. nose of saline, minerals, and bright lemon zest. flavors match the nose with a savory, nutty finish. really distinctive champagne.
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Medium gold with fine, continuous perlage. Medium+ intensity, very fresh, young. Slightly reduced? Mushrooms. Yellow flowers, citrus fruit. Just a hint of nutty aromas.
Medium body, very fresh. Complex, subtle, long. Mineral, flavourful.
With a lot of time (after tasting all the others): slightly alcoholic and bitter.
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Disgorged June 2012. 5 g/l dosage. Very pale, fine bead. White peach on the nose. Wonderful vinosity and creamy texture. So refined and characterful. Very finely balanced. Didier Depond says it will keep 60 years!
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Bordeaux 1999 overview (Restaurant Boreas, Heeze): Tasted next to Cristal 99, this also showes quite lush and ripe, yet more reserved, concealed than the Cristal. Tight and taciturn, although after a while some mandarin, toast, yeast and chalky minerality starts to peer through the heavy, velvet curtains that seem to cover this wine. This is highly interesting and it's a real privilige to experience, but this wine is very hard to pin down and denominate now. Guess it needs more time. 18.5/20
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Clean and fresh; very linear flavors. Much like what a top Chablis would be with bubbles. Some minerality; Myer lemon. I like this a lot, but it is not a food wine, but whether a sipping wine. At The Playground.
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Solid salon but very young. Left opened and room temp for 4 hours and the clasic hazelnut flavors came out. Great nose. Very elegant and great acidity.
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Champagnedagen 2012 (Grand Hotel, Stockholm): Nose: discrete flower, hint of vanilla (can't say if it indicates oak, which shouldn't be present, or a hot year), ripe fruit, peach, mineral (but the nose isn't really extremely minerally), some smoke, definitely elegant. Palate: clearly minerally attack, with both the gravel and sparkling water type, high acidity (but not extremely high), hints of ripe apple, citrus and some peach, very elegant. Young, but accessible for a Salon at this stage. 93-94 p? From magnum. In this case I must say that the vintage character has probably made its mark in the style, and created a Salon that is more "user friendly" already on release compared to what is usually the case.
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Very sharp and full of minerals. Classy as always but the vintage does not offer more I think. Might be a bit more interesting with time but at the moment I prefer the 97.
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My first time with the new 1999 Salon. One thing that struck me immediately about this champagne is that the fruit seems much more forward than the 1997 Salon, or even the 1996. As a result, this is actually drinking very well young, but it is not a classical Salon vintage and I am not sure how this will develop in the long run. For now though this is a very enjoyable champagne with a wonderful depth of yellow fruits, minerality, piercing acidity and that slightly nutty flavor that is a hallmark of Salon. This is well worth trying if you can find a bottle around $200. Not sure this is worth $300 though.
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Very restrained, though nose was expressive. A little flat on the mid-palate at the beginning. Later, after a couple of hours, was showing more complexity. Up against a 99 Taittinger CdC and an 02 Guy Charlamagne that both had more fruit and sharp acidity, this seemed a bit weak. But I did like it much better at the end of the evening. This should be opened at least an hour before beginning to consume it, and time in the bottle is likely to do wonders too. New Year at the house.
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Tasted at Weygandt. Great nose of tropical fruit, sherry, loads of hazelnuts and chalk. Palate of yellow fruit, sherry, lots of chalk and nuts as well. This was my favorite bubbles I had all day, fantastic stuff that really needs time to show its stuff.
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New Year's Eve 2011 (Washington, DC): Tim brought this wine, and it showed very well. The nose is just incredible, full of intense lemon, lemon cream pie, honey, sherry and intense minerals. The palate is creamy and mouthfilling, with delicious honey and apricot flavors, matched with intense saline, mineral and lemon rind flavors. I love the cocounut and yellow apple flavors as well. Long finish. This is still a very young wine, and I'm sure it will develop for many years. Still, it was a great wine to have on New Year's Eve. Thanks, Tim!
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Quite young but after some time open very nice. Oak aromas make their way through the very apparent nose of chardonnay that leans towards the fullness and notes of coconut I associate with Burgundy, very ripe. Acidity and mineral at the end that shows this wine has stuffing for the long run!
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Seventh Annual White Truffle Dinner (Chez Weber - Chicago IL): Very lean and precise wine, showing lemon on the nose and palate. Lots of acidity and lots of minerality. Not necessarily very accessible today, but I think this has some good long-term potential. Tasted alongside its 1997 counterpart, which was more forward and pleasurable today, but I think this 1999 might be better in a few years.
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Very dry lean nose showing light mineral elements, bits of lemon, and not much else. Quite austere with good prickly bubbles, and stoney lime quality. Dark edge to mineral driven finish. Not very pretty right now. Perhaps it willl develop better with some age? Just not grabbing me tonight.
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Friday after Thanksgiving (Palm Beach, FL): Ripe, crisp apple and citrus notes. Clean, with great clarity to the flavors. Note the up-front acidity of the '96, but still quite good.
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Friday after Thanksgiving (FAT) (Palm Beach Gardens FL): My first time trying this wine, and it was late in the evening. But it came across far more accessible than the 1996 when released, but more powerful and ageworthy than the 1997. I will have to try this again when I can better appreciate it, rather than as a palate cleanser between flights of DRC RSV and Dugat Charmes-Chambertin.
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Salon and Delamotte dinner at Dogwood Cafe (Baltimore, Maryland): Tasted side by side with the 97, this is a heavy weight. Ripe yellow fruits, almost tropical, honey, fresh almond, flint, seashell, lanolin perhaps nutmeg. This is an impressive scale champagne with ripe fruit but without losing the freshness. This is a baritone and the 97 a lyric tenor. This lacks the perfect precision of the 96 but it would be interesting to taste it twenty+ years from now.
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Wow! Absolutely stunning already – and this is just the very beginning of a long lifespan for this remarkable wine. 100% Clos de Mesnil Chardonnay. Very fine bubbles and a creamy mousse. Light floral/mineral aromas. Crisp palate full of youthful power with apple, yeast, floral, and mineral flavors. Very elegant minerality throughout. Surprising little citrus fruit is evident. Very dry long finish. Powerful – mostly lurking within at this point – but with a feminine delicacy at the same time – terrific balance. Obviously, this wine will benefit from many decades of aging but at a first glance it is simply phenomenal. The epitome of elegance in a bottle.
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Tasted at the Corney & Barrow UK launch in London - 09 March 2011
Clearly a wine with much cellaring ahead of it but it was outstanding from the off. My first tasting of this wine and I had to double check my experience with my colleague. This champagne is so subtle and with such delicate nuances it stops you right there in your tracks. Initial impression is one of neutrality but this is a champagne that gently coaxes you in operating under a sophisticated vail of stealth. This champagne rewards the drinker with sublime minerality and truly scales the upper echelons of quality. A champagne for the true connoisseur. If the 1999 Salon is made available to you and you have the means, do not hesitate in acquiring.
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3/4/2024 - VINNICK Likes this wine: 97 Points
Don’t agree with the low scores here. This champagne was bright at the open and settled into a beautiful butterscotch flavor that revealed graceful aging. Enjoyed over 3 or 4 hours without chilling. We tasted a lot of Burgundy wines that night and this was undoubtedly a standout.
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12/10/2023 - nmmnori Likes this wine: 90 Points
Laser focused; almost completely dominated by an unyielding acid profile.
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12/10/2023 - hprphf wrote: 93 Points
Houze's Wedding; 12/9/2023-12/10/2023: Bright white fruit and quite sweet, however paled next to the 96 magnum and a stunning 99 Cristal Vinotheque magnum from the night before. Touch thin and unstructured. 93
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12/3/2023 - englishman's claret wrote:
Extraordinarily tight, though the magnum format probably didn't help that.
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9/1/2023 - The Vines That Bind wrote: 94 Points
Great example of ‘99. Fresh bottle. Still fresh and bright, plenty of acidity and tension, energy maybe fading a little and showing some secondary development. Green apple, bruised yellow apple. Acid is good. Little savory at the end, little fall spice. Complete and very nice now. I’d guess that well kept bottles will drink nicely for up to another five years. Staying power to the palate.
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8/13/2023 - Sean Tay wrote: 95 Points
Medium+ nose intensity with notes of pear, lemon, citrus, apple, grapefruit, yeast. Still youthful and still have long years ahead. Will improve with age.
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6/18/2023 - burg++23 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Flower day, classic white flower and lemon tart flavour, but on the sweeter side. Extremely youthful showing still all primary at this point
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1/20/2023 - BuzzzzOff Likes this wine: 96 Points
Swirling, sniffing and sipping with Hooters’ gals while snacking on grilled chicken nachos. The ladies, of vintage circa 2000, giggled when observing so terribly astutely, that they were younger than the wine. I was in a mood 😇
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8/18/2022 - jhngo Likes this wine: 95 Points
Young and not even ready to drink. Very tight tons of acid. Not giving up much in terms of flavor.
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8/12/2022 - jhngo Likes this wine: 97 Points
Just tight wound up and young. Hardly any secondary flavors all very primary and fresh. wow.
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5/5/2022 - Mrbuzz Likes this wine: 98 Points
Open in bottle for an hour, took to restaurant...all FIRE from the get go! Pure crystalline yellow orchard fruits...creamy and full bodied with a tropical pineapple sweetness that worked PERFECTLY with the HUGE zip of lemon fresh citrus...lovely green apple tartness...white burgundy like chalky and salty minerality...really in a great stage right now, firing on all cylinders! The white flower florals, wafts of vanilla on honey were so pretty and engaging...fine bubbles and a creamy ginger lees mousse...a wine of power, and elegance. Third time I've had the 99, and it keeps getting better and better and better. Closing in on the 96?
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3/18/2022 - merlotsmile wrote:
Vertical
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2/23/2022 - TayoW Likes this wine: 98 Points
This is in a wonderful place right now, improving from earlier bottles.
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12/24/2021 - Willi Vinotti wrote: 98 Points
Quite possibly the best champagne I had the pleasure to drink. Sublimely fine bubbles, smooth and yeasty character. But then… an explosion of restraint white fruit, mango, pineapple and peaches. Light and intense pleasure with interminable length. Structured, balanced and light footed, but with incredible precision.
Hedonistic pleasure well outside the champagne canon. Just unapologetically good. Ageless?
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12/17/2021 - clayfu wrote:
One of my favorite 99 champagnes - acidity is PING PONGING all over still. The wine is saliva inducing and saturated with delicious yellow fruit and citrus rind.
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8/27/2021 - sdr Does not like this wine: 87 Points
This bottle is not showing nearly as well as previous commentators would suggest. TBH, it’s more dull, linear and unimpressive than all the others in the series, including the vintage Delamottes.
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6/12/2021 - GlennO86 Likes this wine: 99 Points
4,9. Straw yellow, with a periferal tint of green. Brioche, butter and stored yellow apples on the nose. Dry. Sophisticated with creamy bubbles. Feels suprisingly young, with a fresh acidety. Looong and lingering exit, with a citric touch. A fabolously delicious Champagne! 🍾🍾🍾
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5/16/2021 - Jammy Wine wrote: 94 Points
The 99 Salon Magnum is staggeringly fresh and vibrant, almost a completely different wine to the standard 99 Salon I had a few years ago. This is clearly a significant step up to the standard bottle in both the intensity and freshness. Ripe and potent portfolio of citrus. Drink now – 2044. (94/100)
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5/10/2021 - Vinum Deorum wrote: 93 Points
Very good but a bit disappointing though for the pedigree. Pretty evolved while clearly not oxidised. Balanced, elegant, refined bubbles, but lacks of depth, freshness and tension. Then again, good but not great.
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1/1/2021 - pigdaddy wrote: 94 Points
magnum. platinum blonde, fine & elegant persistent mousse; everything focussed white mineral, constrained fruit, a celebratory dance of acidity, refined & excellent.
NY Eve starter, so note is from memory, but appreciated by the small group of family imbibers.
assorted hors d': castelveltrano olives stuffed w/anchovy & Calabrian chile; deviled quail eggs; pimiento cheese-stuffed prosciutto roulade
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12/8/2020 - champagne99 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Fick den blint på en provning.
Honung i doften till en början. Kola. Jag tycker också att det finns en viss rökighet och lite bränt på ett fint nedtonat sätt.
I början: Fyllig, lite tyngd, ålder, koncentrerat men med balans, låg syra och äpple.
Efter en timme: Kolan kommer fram mer i smaken, knäckig, godis och fortfarande tar syran ingen plats. Ju mer tiden går desto fylligare blir det. Väldigt gott och bra!
Jag gissade på Pinot vilket ju var helt fel. Blev väldigt förvånad när det visade sig att det var Salon. Första gången som jag provar Salon och allt jag har läst och hört har varit om den skyhöga syran och hur extremt mycket tid den behöver innan den blir bra. Den här flaskan var inte alls så. Låg syra och väldigt bra att dricka nu!
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11/14/2020 - Lehto Likes this wine: 97 Points
First off I just need to say: this did not taste like it was 21 years old. A blind guess would have been between 2005-2010. Almost no sign of age at all?! It seems literally immortal.
I was almost disappointed that it ‘wasn’t ready’ since it’s not one of the absolute top vintages? That just speaks to the insane quality of Salon...
Still the palest color like a young champagne. A bit greenish hue. On the nose lots of citrus, pickled lemon, pineapple, minerality, vanilla, slight hint of licorice and the thickest, fatest, most creamy notes of bread, butter and brioche!
Taste of citrus, brioche, Granny Smith apple, butter, nuttiness and a bit of browned butter too. Insane young, fresh and racy acidity for something being 21 years old... I can’t believe this could have been saved even longer, but it also gets riskier with faulty cork etc. A long and thick aftertaste with Granny Smith apple and so much butter it’s almost sticky!
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10/23/2020 - Bullethead Likes this wine: 96 Points
Celebrating my wife’s birthday@ L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon – Hong Kong
Restaurant is a bit dark so cannot see clearly the colour. Yellow probably, not golden. Pronounced freshness, citrus fruit, floral note on nose. On palate balanced, crisp, honey, complex yet very fresh and I could taste the citrus fruits. Extremely long finish and amazing finest bubbles mouth feel. At its peak right now. I have never had any champagne better than this, it’s perfectly matured with no bitterness at all. Cheers!
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10/9/2020 - jlgnml wrote: 96 Points
Beautiful, youthful color, great palate feel, devious and long finish. Great on a warm fall night outside with friends.
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9/7/2020 - Ltim BE Likes this wine: 95 Points
In a great place now, fine mousse and amazing nose of white chalk and white peaches. The mouthfeel is creamy, finest bubbles and extremely long finish. What a great Salon again.
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9/4/2020 - RayOB wrote: 96 Points
Drank at 67
This really has developed beautifully over the years. At an amazing stage at the moment. Beautiful balance and softness.
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8/30/2020 - The Vines That Bind wrote: 93 Points
Bright, fresh, sharp citrus and chalky nose. Fine and tight mousse. Doesn’t have the depth and power of the most recent ‘02 but is more comparable than I remember. Very youthful bottle. Has good blanc de blanc cream as well. Producer overrides the vintage here.
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8/5/2020 - _water.into.wine_ Likes this wine: 94 Points
My second time trying in a week. This time we had two bottles, but huge bottle variation. The first was beautifully balanced, yet the second was bitter and acidic. Interestingly one had been shipped that day, the other rested for a while. But who knows. I score based on the better bottle
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7/29/2020 - Sen4469 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Very delicate champagne with purity and balance. Delicious!
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7/28/2020 - _water.into.wine_ Likes this wine: 92 Points
Popped and poured. Had the quality and size to have been decanted perhaps. Pale lemon. Quite full bodied. Strong effervescence and lively structure. Delightful wine.
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7/4/2020 - ovenmitt wrote: 96 Points
Sublime!
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5/19/2020 - Jammy Wine wrote: 88 Points
The 1999 Salon is slightly underwhelming vintage compared to the 1997 Salon, both trading at a similar premium. I would recommend 1997 Salon over 1999. Energetic tree fruits and ripe lemons, some oxidative flavours. Decent weight, medium bodied with mellow fruit concentration on the palate. Good Chardonnay finesse touch but it doesn’t have the usual purity or precision of Salon. (88/100)
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3/10/2020 - Jeremy Holmes wrote:
Pure and fresh, with plenty of green apple and white peach. It is full, harmonious and long, with some dosage sweetness and excellent balance. It doesn’t have the cut and thrust of the ’96, but is a very good Salon, drinking beautifully today.
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2/27/2020 - N.Bonaparte wrote: 93 Points
Popped the question (she said yes) then popped this. Delicious wine but underwhelming for Salon. At hour two this still hasn’t fully revealed itself. Will hold forever.
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2/8/2020 - jlgnml Likes this wine: 97 Points
Out of magnum. Shared with a dear friend who shipped it down for all of us to enjoy. Fresh, vibrant, solid palate feel, long finish, unbelievably great.
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2/8/2020 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
Acker 200; 2/7/2020-2/8/2020 (The Pool & Cipriani): From a magnum although unfortunately half of the magnum did not make it into a glass since it got spilled. This was an interesting one for a Salon. Different than what I typically expect from the producer. Much more mineral and sharper edges and a ton of lemon and lime. Just at the end in the glass the very hint of the vanilla bean (which is one of my favorite parts of the wine. Good but can also understand why this wasn't a stand out year for them.
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1/15/2020 - wineismylife wrote: 93 Points
WIML93
Tasted non blind.
Light yellow color in the glass, clear looking throughout with light, tiny beading. Nose of nutmeg, creme and yellow pear. Flavors of lemon curd, creme fraîche and green apple. Bright acidity, full bodied. Drink or hold.
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1/11/2020 - KimKnape Likes this wine: 95 Points
Luxury wine and perfect matured
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1/6/2020 - Burgnick wrote: 91 Points
Generally consistent with my previous notes but it was less powerful and expressive.
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9/27/2019 - Alex G. Likes this wine:
'99 Red Burgundy Tasting: Sweet attack, crisp mineral finish, eminently gulpable. Could drink this all day long...
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9/9/2019 - BradE wrote:
From magnum. Initially presented beautifully. I didn't revisit later like others.
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9/3/2019 - tinybubbles Likes this wine: 94 Points
Showed well tonight. Clean and crisp but not overly sharp or acidic.
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2/14/2019 - oxwombat Likes this wine: 94 Points
Opened at the Jackson Room in the Hong Kong Club.
Drinking beautifully. The bubbles were very well integrated and not too aggressive, and there was a great mix of white flowers, nuts and buttery brioche on the nose. Good acidity and weight on the palate, and came across as very fresh.
It wasn't quite as laser-focused as it could be, and didn't quite have the complexity of a greater vintage, but performing very well nonetheless.
As with most Salons, these wines really take their time to unfurl. This still came across as quite primary, and I'd love to revisit in 5+ years.
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12/31/2018 - danchaq Likes this wine: 95 Points
Long and concentrated. Not sweet, heavy or acidic; perfectly balanced. A touch chalky rounded by baked fruits. Very enjoyable with and without food.
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12/30/2018 - Burgnick Likes this wine: 93 Points
The best bottle of 99 Salon I had. Hazelnut, minerals and stone fruit on the nose. Palate was open and expressive. The balance between the fruit and acidity was just right. It drank like a montrachet. 93-94
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12/21/2018 - dvansteenderen Likes this wine: 94 Points
Winter Solstice Tasting @ JD's home (Groot-Ammers): Winter Solstice tasting.
Paired with caviar and served alongside 2004 Pol Roger Champagne Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill. This for me had the upper hand...Just a bit more complete and compelling!
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12/21/2018 - Xavier Auerbach wrote: 93 Points
Winter Solstice Tasting (Jan-Dirk Taams' residence, Groot-Ammers, Netherlands): Fresh but mature style, ripe citrus and nutty evolution, cool minerality, drinking well, at peak.
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12/14/2018 - Vinum Deorum wrote: 93 Points
From magnum. Very good but not great. Especially compared with the 2003 Selosse, also served in magnum. It is a nice champagne, balanced, elegant, but it has nothing really impressive. No default, but little charm and no distinctive qualities that would make it memorable.
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10/12/2018 - Alex G. Likes this wine:
Burgundy and Barolo (Oficine Brera, Los Angeles): Crisp on the attack, round on midpalate, yeasty with a chalky finish. Lively, complete, and not yet secondary. This has many years of development ahead of it, but is certainly excellent for current drinking.
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9/5/2018 - Ellenkf Likes this wine: 97 Points
Opened and shared with friends. Powerful precision. Persistent citrus tinged bubbles enveloped in a creamy full body. Should be my house wine. The enjoyment of finishing a bottle like this never waned. It requires more emotion rather that than technical description.
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7/7/2018 - Vinophiliac559 wrote: 94 Points
Weekend in Napa; 7/5/2018-7/8/2018 (Napa, CA): Albeit maybe not the best vintage Salon this showed great. Some notes of maturity on the nose, still with great precision and crisp acidity.
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6/15/2018 - SimonG wrote: 93 Points
Paul & Keith’s Old World v New World Chardonnay Challenge (La Trompette, London): Magnum. Fresh and chalky. Not showing any development yet, but poised and balanced with no sense of screechiness. Fresh. Becomes a little lose knit in the glass. Needs time, but not the class of the 96. ****
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6/12/2018 - aquacongas wrote: 93 Points
Latour Big Vintages (Berens am Kai 1 star Restaurant): Elegant, reluctant, typical for a Salon in his young stage, a hint of roasted nuts, but I miss the precision and power in the late palate. I had more developed 99's of Salon with more complexity. I think it won't be much "better". A little bit disappointing for a Salon. 92-93
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6/2/2018 - andrewstevenson.com wrote: 93 Points
Lovely evolved nose.
Great balance. Really biscuity. Deep and characterful.
A delicious champagne.
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3/4/2018 - Kemo Sabe Likes this wine: 95 Points
Just an amazing texture to this wine. The definition of creamy and smooth. Silky in the mouth this had so much nuance and complexity. The tiniest of bubbles. Lemon, citrus with some toast and a zesty streak of creaminess. Tons of energy and spark. This was a great bottle and special in its texture and mouthfeel.
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1/27/2018 - grapenomad wrote: 93 Points
When I saw this brought to the restaurant, I was ecstatic to try it after reading about "one of the top five Champagnes you have to try at least once in your lifetime". Learning from previous experience of people boasting on the internet, I calmed down pretty quick. Nevertheless, this is a freakin´ good Champagne, folks. It has freshness, it has complexity, it has raciness, it has the potential to age for minimally a decade more. For a 19-year-old Chardonnay, it holds it shit together perfectly. But yet, I remained unmoved by all this excitement and there´s only one reason for this – the fruit is simply suffocated under these huge layers of acidity and creaminess. Even when the wine opens up, the delicate fruit fades away and leaves you with a missing piece to the puzzle. For the price, I honestly think that there are much better sparklers out there at this moment.
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12/21/2017 - dream Likes this wine: 93 Points
Out of magnum - very complex and elegant vintage of Salon and very drinkable now although still somewhat short of tertiary flavors. Lovely smoky yeast notes with a fine line of acidity and a complex, minerally finish. Lacks some verve to be rated any higher.
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12/13/2017 - Burgnick Likes this wine: 93 Points
Nose has brioche, minerals and ripe yellow fruit. Palate is very elegant and precise with lots of stuffing. It evolves more with more time in the glass exhibiting hint of smoked fruit and oxidative note. Lovely one.
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10/29/2017 - S-C-S Likes this wine: 97 Points
Outstanding
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10/7/2017 - Zweder wrote: 93 Points
Regular dinner group (By JvT @ Fitzgerald): No formal notes. Good citrus and some herbs and spices. Very fresh and beautiful wine.
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9/10/2017 - BradE wrote:
Favre-a-thon 6.0 Saturday Whites: The 99 Salon was racy, exuberant, powerful, and downright fun. If the Beach Boys had drunk champagne, etc....
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4/13/2017 - etyc Likes this wine:
2006 anything goes dinner. Out-of-theme, but yet another Salon to finish the dinner, again, courtesy of Ms. V! Refreshing freshness, citrus & green-apples. Very nice finale for this dinner...
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3/25/2017 - Surfowl Likes this wine: 91 Points
My wife and I drank this for our anniversary. It had been in the cellar and we figured our 5th anniversary was the date to drink it. This is a nice wine but if I am being honest it was slightly disappointing given the price point. I expected it to explode with vibrance, depth and a myriad of flavors but it was a bit dull. Of course there were brioche notes and some marmalade/lemon hints but it was not a "special" champagne. It was a gift so perhaps before it transferred to us it wasn't stored properly however the cork was tight.
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3/14/2017 - BradE wrote:
Very good, and exceeded expectations.
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2/24/2017 - fcxj wrote: 92 Points
PY dinner. Very crisp, citrus.
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2/18/2017 - doctornoah Likes this wine: 96 Points
My 40th Birthday Weekend; 2/17/2017-2/20/2017: Lemon and lemon curd, slight dusty caramel note. Exquisite texture. Everything it's cracked up to be.
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1/15/2017 - Mrbuzz Likes this wine: 94 Points
Getting better...powerful elegance, crisp and refreshing citrus, bursting bubbles, creamy marzipan mousse, ginger, green apple skin tartness. Love the intermingle play with the pretty flower florals and a little smoke and lees! Saline minerality...sea air, lemon squeeze, vanilla...really a joy to sip on!
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11/29/2016 - Burgnick Likes this wine: 92 Points
A lot of lime and minerals on the nose and palate. It needs a lot of time. It opens up with more time in the glass to show its depth. It has the underlying substance to improve significantly.
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11/12/2016 - AV2012 wrote: 92 Points
Broad and clean on the palate, again subtle. Milky, mild, sweetness on the finish, caressing. Loved it but not at a price point.
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11/5/2016 - aquacongas Likes this wine: 93 Points
Pretasting with a small Salon and VVF vertical Tasting (Elystan Street, London): The weakest Salon I has so far. It is a good BdB champagne but it could be Pierre Peters or Guy Charlemagne. Nothing extraordinary, citrus, grapefruit, middle ong finish, good at tzhe moment, I think it won't be much better, 92-93
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10/20/2016 - lepetitchateau wrote: 97 Points
About one year later, I tried this from bottle and it is still brilliant! It has a beautiful inner core, smooth, shows power with grace and is perfect now.
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10/17/2016 - Burgundy Al wrote: 92 Points
Twenty Years of Salon (The Bristol - Chicago IL): Served alongside 97. A very odd wine in several ways. First, this was very reductive to start, which I find very rare with Champagne. Sulfur dissipated after 20-30 minutes, then it seemed much ripe than I recall from before. Dried mango and other tropical hints (atypical for Salon and this vintage), but then with good structure bringing back balance from the middle forward.
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10/15/2016 - tinybubbles wrote: 92 Points
Stone fruits and light yellow floral notes on the nose, overall presenting a rather austere profile. Tart peach joins on the palate. Certainly not one of my favorite Salons it its current state. 92-93
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10/15/2016 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
Zachys Wine Vault II (Le Bernadin Prive): Salon for me is in a class by itself and that includes even 'off' years. This was poured from magnum. The bubbles were so fine they just melted in the mouth. Nice levels of toast. Missing some of the vanilla bean that I usually get in Salon (the '97 we had later in the day had it in spades), but still a beautiful champagne. Paired very well with a truffle seafood pasta dish from Le Bernadin.
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10/9/2016 - cadamson Likes this wine: 93 Points
Very focused, pleasantly drinking with very nice acidity, lots of lemon notes. Graceful.
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8/26/2016 - jeff nowak Likes this wine: 91 Points
An average Salon, but still quite lovely. Drink while aging the more classic vintages. I've had several bottles of this including from magnum during my posting hiatus. All have been in the 91-92 range for me.
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7/25/2016 - RayOB wrote: 93 Points
Drank at 67
Still very young and needs time to open up. Full grand cry burgundy nose with brioche, lemon and flowers. Rich clean crisp palate. Lovely. Give it more time.
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5/12/2016 - Lord Rayas wrote:
Alex's MNSC (The Pawn): a little tight initially, opened up later with good ripeness.
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5/4/2016 - dchain Likes this wine: 94 Points
Like drinking a lemon hazelnut brioche. So refreshing, acidity present but not overwhelming. Very structured with perfect ripe fruit just starting to drink now but lots of upside potential from here. Will be fascinating to follow!
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4/25/2016 - The Vines That Bind wrote: 92 Points
Fresh young nose with plenty of citrus, requires a fair bit of airtime to get the more developed notes of bread and reductive Chardonnay fruit. Absolutely beautiful when it gets there, sharp and fresh palate with bits of cream and smoke notes too. A pleasure to enjoy now but should definitely be put away for a few years for best results. Awesome, powerful, always a special one.
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3/24/2016 - tinybubbles Likes this wine: 92 Points
Limestone, tart yellow fruits. Moderate length citrus acids on finish. Not as well shaped or defined as better vintages but quite enjoyable now and may yet improve somewhat. 92-93
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3/13/2016 - Wine_lvr Likes this wine: 94 Points
Wow. Buttery vanilla notes with hints of hazelnut and lemon. This is all about balance, structure and subtle power. Very long and precise. After an hour it slowly starts opening up. Today it was Great but with so much potential for the next decade. Stunning wine that should be drunk at 12-15 degrees centigrade and out of big glasses (i used the Riedel Sommeliers Montrachet).
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2/26/2016 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
My second experience which Salon and while this might not have been quite as great as the '96, it's prob the second best champagne I've ever had. These are just special. Lots of vanilla bean and white flowers in the glass. Really interesting and delicious. Got a pretty good deal from a Pennsylvania store and really wish they'd had more.
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2/12/2016 - obmoen wrote: 96 Points
Noe grønne epler men med en elegant nøttearoma som gir et møte mellom det modne og det ferske som er ordentlig lekkert. Kjølig, flott mousse, god balanse, fabelaktig i munn, raffinert og delikat.
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12/5/2015 - Burgundy Al wrote: 92 Points
Eleventh Annual White Truffle Dinner (Chez Weber - Chicago IL): From magnum. Apple and pear aromas, with much the same flavor profile supplemented with some citrus. Slightly rounder and fatter vs the 1997, also not quite as long. Very good now.
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11/24/2015 - ovenmitt wrote: 95 Points
Beethoven's 7th.... Big, but with a precise and direct cut that lights a path to wherever you're going. Okay then, almond paste, honey...... Very very long finish. It must be that this will age at least another ten.
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11/6/2015 - AtoZ wrote:
This bottle drank rather subtle and closed. Still quite elegant. Leading I prefer Salon with very light foods or alone.
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11/4/2015 - Raage Likes this wine: 95 Points
D'abord discret, fin, dans l'élégance d'un chardonnay riche et ciselé (j'ai d'abord pensé a un comte de Champagne), il s'est ensuite épanoui a l'air (un carafage aurait été de circonstance), gagnant en longueur, en complexité, en personnalité. Tour à tour riche, concentré, mûr, d'une rondeur caressante rendue élégante par ses bulles si fines, il laisse sa trace longtemps en finale. Un très beau champagne donc, flamboyant et séducteur. Le 96 etait tout autre, il avait plus de grâce et de fraicheur sans présenter cette richesse maîtrisée. Deux styles différents.
Tres difficile de lui donner un potentiel de garde sachnt que c'est la force de Salon de se bonifier durant des décennies...
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10/4/2015 - BuzzzzOff Likes this wine: 97 Points
Lazy, rainy Sunday so why not enjoy the indoors with, arguably, the best champagne on the planet!? We treated this dahlin' with due respect by properly serving in white Burgundy glasses. Flutes are for orchestras ;-)! Pale yellow with a glimmer of green and teeny-itsy-bitsy pearls of bubbles. Aromas of brioche (Oh, yeah, baby) with some soft citrus, butter and almonds. Are we devouring a liquid breakfast!? Fresh and fun, yet sophisticated and structured. The feeling just before proposing marriage to "your person" :-). Nutty, citrusy, creamy and vanilla palate. Nearly Nirvana...perhaps when she blossoms from being barely legal (a little more than barely) into salacious, vibrant, bouncy yet elegant and all that she can be. Thinking of Ronda Rousey in a few more years when she will only be a lady...rather than a somewhat overly enthusiastic lady...enjoying the latter, but will absolutely go ga-ga for the former!
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9/29/2015 - lepetitchateau wrote: 97 Points
From magnum, this was absolutely brilliant!
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9/23/2015 - forceberry wrote: 91 Points
Intense, youthful, greenish lemon color. Warm vintage is evident in the ripe fruit in the nose, dominated by yellow apple and white peach. Some yeasty white bread, notes of floral aromatics and a hint of mature, dried yellow fruit in the background. Subdued, steely, taut and extremely youthful on the palate with flavors of crisp green apple. Creaminess, stony minerality, some white chocolate and a touch of honey underneath. Surprisingly high acidity, given the vintage - not remarkably high, but very pronounced in relation to the fruit. Really small, fine and subtle mousse. Very tightly wound, acid-driven, bone-dry structure with no evidence of 16 years of age. Green apple notes and apple peel bitterness, citrus fruits and steely minerality in the aftertaste with a pure, crisp and mouthwatering finish of medium to med+ length.
Overall this wine is the definition of blanc de blancs grace and elegance; really an antonym of a "rich Champagne". Truly a holy grail of blancs des blancs and a favorite of many, but still I remained quite unimpressed. Granted, the wine is surprisingly - even painfully - youthful and structured now, given its age of more than a decade and a half, but this is also why it gives no real pleasure whatsoever: the subtle fruit is hugely overwhelmed by the tightly wound texture and crisp acidity. Probably the wine might fare better after another 10-15 years, after it has hopefully developed some mature characteristics, but for current enjoyment it is plain silly to open this one - it gives nothing that a young Blanc de Blancs 5-6 times less the price would give. I hope that the lean, almost austere texture opens up faster than the delicate fruit fades. Elegant and astonishingly structured, but in its current state it really does not justify its price of more than 300€.
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9/18/2015 - Jeremy Holmes wrote:
The 1999 Salon Champagne was a little mealy on the nose. It was creamy, full and rich with good line.
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9/12/2015 - TuanHH Likes this wine: 97 Points
Only a slim curve of tiny bubbles is dancing in the flute in a light golden background. The bubbles are nearly imperceptible on the palate but this champagne definitely does not need bubbles. It shines as a beautiful matured chardonnay, perfectly delineated with layers of minerality, fruits of sour notes (green apple, star fruit, guava, ...), agrume zests and an amazing roundness. Still quite young for a 16y old.
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9/10/2015 - The Vines That Bind Likes this wine: 94 Points
Pale gold. Super dry. Smoke, matchstick, sulphur, some citrus, lemon meringue pie, fennel, black liquorice. Some brioche, probably more with time. Awesome wine but '96 and even '97 were superior.
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9/6/2015 - Uglypinga Likes this wine:
A blast of lime and brioche on the nose. The palate has deep yellow orchard fruit and some citrus notes. Some nutty notes add complexity. If I had a criticism I'd ask for a little more acidity but a very appealing wine.
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8/31/2015 - KCBrian wrote: 95 Points
My first Salon and it was exceptional. There was such structure and power! Just got better and better!
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7/8/2015 - beatles wrote:
At a White Horse Tavern in the north country: Hints of oxidation, quite open and friendly in an easy going sort of way; soft and sweet, well balanced, gentle in it’s presence. Still, a bit if a disappointment for what it is.
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6/4/2015 - BuzzzzOff Likes this wine: 96 Points
We sipped at Restaurant Gordon Ramsay at Hospital Road, which, arguably, is the best restaurant on the face of the planet. From A to Z, a most exceptional dinning establishment of pure culinary ecstasy. Yummy! Not surprisingly, expensive. Having said that, you do not often have the privilege and pleasure to sip BY THE GLASS 1999 Salon!
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4/25/2015 - mjg87 wrote:
Citrus, flowers, brioche, yellow fruits, great minerality and fantastic precision. Really effervescent and electric. This was a total crowd pleaser.
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2/27/2015 - Eric Guido wrote: 95 Points
Aromas wafted up from the glass in a purely Burgundian expression of apricot with saline minerals, flower petals and rich roasted almond. On the palate, it was like pure silk with elegant, fine bubbles caressing the senses in one of the softest yet engaging experiences in my recent memory. Its perfectly balanced acidity kept the mouth watering, as notes of mineral, crushed flowers and stone fruits lingered long throughout the finish. This is in a beautiful place now and should continue to mature for many years to come.
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2/26/2015 - conviction buy wrote: 91 Points
Light yellow with fine bubbles, aroma of honey, nuts. Tension of light acidity and light sweetness, nothing dramatic but there is finesse, med long with minerality, similar to a very fine Chablis. Maybe I am drinking this too young.
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1/16/2015 - Barry Rothof wrote: 94 Points
LUNCH @ CALLAS (The Hague): A lovely wine of depth and sensual roundness. Perfectly balanced with fine well-integrated bubbles and a complex mix of creamy yellow fruits and peach. Weightless, refined and very complex on the lingering finish.
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1/9/2015 - TayoW Likes this wine: 96 Points
While extremely youthful, still an impressive Champagne.
A very fine mousse with a mineral streak. Complex and long finish. Promptly bought a few more bottles to enjoy this wine evolve over time.
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1/9/2015 - Burgaddict wrote: 94 Points
Leiden visits New Years Lunch in The Hague: Fantastic champagne. Fresh nose, complex, mineral, abit saline, very fine mousse. Taste vibrant and sweet, citrus, marzipan, long finish.
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1/1/2015 - Brett and Megan Likes this wine: 94 Points
very buttery and good with sweet honey and white fruits, hazelnut
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12/31/2014 - nortonnose wrote: 95 Points
Forgot to post this bottle, consumed just before The Ball dropped. Similar to my TN a couple weeks prior, if lacking a bit in its precision and stunning-ness (!). I attribute that mostly to serving it a touch too cold (relative). Still, gorgeous Chard. And still very young
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12/17/2014 - nortonnose wrote: 98 Points
Very generous share from EC. I loved his opening comment: "wow - this tastes like WINE!" subtle statement but precisely on point - this is absolutely gorgeous Chard. Truly stunning. Nearly perfect medley of freshness, crisp acidity, mouthfeel of ultra fine mousse, and precision.
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12/4/2014 - emzee.mc Likes this wine: 97 Points
Bubble Bash 2014 (Pier A Harbor House): Very fine mousse, almost microscopic bubbles from the wine of Le Mesnil. Pours a golden, slightly copper color. Nose of sugarcane, stewed plums, candied lemon peel, brioche, some brett. Very very creamy and unctuous that just oozes class from chardonnay. Mineral backbone. Palate of brioche, peaches and cream, citrus, earl grey ice cream, marzipan, and mint. Some eucalyptus. Low acidity and the harsh edges are all gone, yet the wine is still quite coiled. Needs time. Carbonation is almost minimal. Incredibly long finish that just lingers on for over 30 seconds. WOTN for me.
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11/9/2014 - johnh1001 wrote: 93 Points
Bright citrus and toast. Very forward.
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10/17/2014 - anders_bjorn Likes this wine: 93 Points
Nose is filled with camomile, yellow plums & apples with a hint of licorice. The palate is elegant yet broad with a focused acidity. Lovely length, balanced concentration, flinty and too young. My guess is it will become a great wine with time.
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10/5/2014 - Jeff Leve wrote: 95 Points
Fresh, bright, effervescent, lively, mineral driven and filled with sweet, citrus and brioche notes, this really hit the spot when paired with a cornucopia of shellfish dishes.
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9/11/2014 - BenBlu Likes this wine: 92 Points
Nice acidity, lemon and citrus. Tasted very young still and my feeling is that it is too early to drink this champagne at this point in time. The finish was not that long and the wine lacked a bit of complexity. Maybe a characteristic of the vintage? 1999 seems to drink really fresh and vibrant for Blanc de blancs and Chardonnay dominated Cuvees but lacks the creaminess I like and look for in more mature high quality wines. I will hold off on drinking any of my 1999 champagnes for at least 2-3 years.
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8/30/2014 - dcwino wrote: 95 Points
Dinner at Don and Gary's - 64 CB, 03 Plume and 67 D'Yquem (Don's house): Quite fat and generous without losing the precision. It shed ripe yellow fruits and nose more citrus driven. It is evolving nicely. From a magnum purchase from PC.
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8/29/2014 - jhngo Likes this wine: 94 Points
Great as always
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8/23/2014 - fatfishzsy wrote: 94 Points
有香槟帝王之称的-Champagne Salon沙龙香槟,仅使用单一葡萄园(100% Le Mesnil-sur-Oger)中的单一葡萄品种 (100% Chardonnay) 来酿制;为世上第一款完全以夏多内葡萄酿制的白中白 (Blanc de Blancs)香槟 。自1921至1998这77年间,Salon沙龙香槟仅生产32个绝佳年份。
沙龙香槟现用不锈钢酒槽作初次发酵容器,不进行苹果酸乳酸发酵,以素面朝天的自信萃取了精彩年成里Le Mesnil村独特风土所孕育的霞多丽精华。悠悠一世纪里,沙龙香槟仅出品三十七个年份。其陈年潜力惊人,一般要待酒龄二十岁之后才接近巅峰;其特别长寿的年份如1979、1988和1996,陈年五十载亦不成问题.
第二次喝这个年份的沙龙,细腻柔媚,保持三小时
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8/12/2014 - Salons de kuma Likes this wine: 100 Points
シャンパーニュ地方のシャトーホテルのレストランで、ヘッドソムリエとスーシェフ(日本人)の方のお勧めで1999を食事と共に。最後の肉料理には赤ワインをグラスで。
とにかく正統派といった感じで飲み飲み心地全てが心地よい。これぞシャンパンの中のシャンパンといった感じで、泡立ち,キレも良くすっきりした端正な味わいがいつまでも変わらず、飲み続けていたい感じ。どんな料理にもよく合いコースとともに楽しめる。
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8/9/2014 - Krugman wrote: 97 Points
Got back home from a nice summer break and we decided to break out the last bottle of 1999 Salon to celebrate the return. This Salon has evolved very nicely in the last several years. It is still relatively forward and rich with wonderfully integrated ripe fruit flavors to go with the signature minerals, wet rocks, flint, steel nuances, vanilla, and ginger. However, what really keeps the ripe flavors in perfect balance is the soaring acidity, which is higher than any 1999 champagne I have had to date. This Salon will easily last for a couple of decades, but it is drinking so well today that there really isn't any reason to wait. One of the best champagnes I have had in a long time. Salon is now clearly in my top two champagne producers. Really looking forward to checking in on the 1996 and 1997. I would also like to try the new 2002 if the price had not been jacked up to almost $400 per bottle.
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8/8/2014 - Atreyu wrote: 96 Points
looks and tastes as if it was harvested yesterday. Intense lime and mineral. Very tight and will surely require at least another decade to fully open. More impressive than really enjoyable at the moment, but the quality is undeniable. Shockingly high acid for a 99 but no lack of ripeness.
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7/12/2014 - fatfishzsy wrote: 95 Points
The wine looks light gold colored. There is no sediment in the bottle. It smells like lemon, apple, peach, pear and baker's yeast. The body is light/medium. The wine finishes medium. The wine has medium acidity.
入杯时香气很淡,感觉还年轻,在口中结构很硬朗,很瘦,经过3个小时的变化,香气中的白色水果、烤面包都出来了,而且有一丝淡淡的桃的甜香,全程4个小时气泡屹立不倒。
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5/28/2014 - tooch wrote:
Dinner in LA (b.o.s - Los Angeles, CA): to me, this was somewhat shut down. The nose had some fresh bready notes, but was kinda quiet. The palate had a dense lime and lemon note, with nice acidity and cream. I think this needs a helluva lot more time to flesh out the complexity that’s (most likely0 buried underneath.
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5/12/2014 - StefanAkiko Does not like this wine: 87 Points
Skränmunkarna May 2014 (Minervaskolan, Umeå, Sweden.): Blind.
Light yellow.
Dark, mellow and a rather unattractive "spicey" nose that was attractive to some tasters, but not to me. Towards sweaty teenager.
In the mouth, it has a fabulous, creamy mouthfeel. But... This murky special character towards cummin and Mexican food does not do well to marry my taste buds.
My score is for mouthfeel and the fabulous concentration and intensity of this wine.
But:
I would NEVER buy this!
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4/29/2014 - IWineAlot wrote: 92 Points
Slight honeyed nose with mature apple flavors. This was more about elegance and finesse. A rounder wine compared to the laser focus and precision of the ’02.
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4/29/2014 - psmith wrote: 92 Points
Still very young and raw. Medium-bodied, clean flavors. Yellow citrus and a firm mineral backbone. Saline. Nice wine.
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4/29/2014 - Burgundy Al wrote: 93 Points
Tasting Salon 2002 and Related Champagne (Knightsbridge - Northbrook IL): Apple and pear aromas with some toasted walnut. Same flavors with hints of peach, lemon and lemon curd. Rich and seemingly ripe, but then intense minerality on finish. A surprising pop-rock like effervescence that was really enjoyable, but not quite like I recalled from prior bottles.
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4/11/2014 - AtoZ wrote: 93 Points
This had some real bite to it. A masculine version of Salon today. I think it needs at least five years. Rounds out with time. Plenty of acid.
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4/5/2014 - Koods wrote:
Average. Out of mag.
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3/25/2014 - chatters wrote:
Burgundy Dinner (Rock Pool Bar and Grill): tart lemon notes, slight green apple, biscuit tending to toast. Went flat in the glass quite quickly. Forgettable
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3/15/2014 - Cote d'Or wrote:
-brilliant light/med gold with green tinge, pinpoint bubbles
-tiny reduction, lemon, green apple
-super clean, lemon, mineral, quinine
-elegant, precise, like a Chablis with bubbles
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1/22/2014 - AtoZ wrote: 95 Points
WOTN for most. So elegant but also so much there. Better on it's own. Almost too elegant for food. Not sure what to serve this with but something very very light.
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1/17/2014 - Dbrane wrote: 88 Points
En magnum. Sweet peachy nose. Bubbles had kinda faded by the time I got to it. Very calm and restrained wine with a long long finish. An intellectual wine.
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12/31/2013 - Lord Rayas wrote:
Juliano's NYE dinner (AMC): stylish but a bit restrained and reticent, which seems to be Salon's trait among recent vintages.
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11/22/2013 - jeremy@ wrote: 92 Points
Altaya (HKCEE): Altaya wine event. Overrated given the price, there are many different choices. Tried the pol roger Churchill which was many times better.
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10/30/2013 - NickBurwood Likes this wine: 94 Points
Corney & Barrow Tasting at Millbank Tower. Brief notes.
Gentle but concentrated fresh apple flavours with pectic grip and fully integrated acid. Fabulous velvety race. Only the exorbitant asking price of £220 per bottle spoils the party!
Should be good for another 10 years+ - where's my lottery ticket?
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10/18/2013 - Paul S wrote: 92 Points
Dim Sum Club tries Fleur de Sel (Fleur de Sel, Tras Street): A very friendly, forward Salon, very understated, almost too much so - this came across as rather unremarkable until one really paid attention. The nose was nice, but a little tight, with little bits of honey and biscuits, some deeper apple fruit aromas, white flowers, and a bit of minerality and spice that opened up with time. The palate had a very elegant gentleness to it, with easy, pleasant flavours of white peach and nectarine and some kumquats on the side. Effortlessly balanced and wreathed in a fine mousse, this was a Champagne with an amazing finesse; quite delicious, but very quietly and subtly so - this was more ballerina than boxer, more Nureyev than Ali; certainly not one for those who look for power and punch in their Champagne. I found it quite easy to fall in love with its long, slim, graceful lines though. It had a nice finish too, with lemon zest and kumquats laced with spice and mineral. It feigned to faded away quite quickly at first, but then came back in a lovely, long retour. This lacked a bit of oomph at the moment; there was still a rather monolithic top later to it, maybe just statring to peel off to reveal some complexity. All in all though, I thought it was very nice indeed, and the great thing is that it still has its best days ahead of it. I would love to try it again in 5 years. 92+
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8/20/2013 - Rezy13 wrote:
Very intense and youthful with lots of pent up potential so I will reserve a final judgment but this seemed a little underwhelming after tasting a giant lineup of grower champagnes in the AM.
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8/2/2013 - clayfu wrote:
young in the sense that you know it's going to get better, but still precise focused fruit that's quite bight and lovely. White flowers mix in with the citrus. Compelling 99. Are 96 and 99 Salon my favorite 96/99 wines? might be!
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8/2/2013 - Mrbuzz Likes this wine: 94 Points
Fu comes to town: Needs serious time....still quite coiled, but OH so refreshing and crisp....tart lemon citrus, green apple skin, ginger airy mousse, white flowers....did cream up later on, little smoke and lees....laser beam citrus and minerality. Love it now, but better in 10 more yrs.
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6/15/2013 - punter wrote: 91 Points
Effervescent, streams of tiny bubbles, aromatic - field flowers, light jasmine, peach - apple on the back-end - - started opening toward the end of the bottle - -Too early for this one - strong upside is 4 to 5 years away
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5/26/2013 - avp wrote:
Tasted blind.
Yoghurt nose with hazelnutty toast, smoked meat, butter and lemon. Hardly any other fruit.
Dry palate of ripe apple and red fruits. Quickly disappearing moussé and juicy acidity. Liquorice, florals, grapefruit bitterness, burnt sugar to caramel touch and a long chalky finish.
Very linear and tight with underlying intensity. So, this must need time. A lot of time. Underwhelming experience for my first taste of Salon.
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4/23/2013 - Burgundy Al wrote: 93 Points
Tuesday Night BYO Wine Dinner (EL Ideas - Chicago IL): From magnum. Lots of tart apple, lemon and lemon peel aromas. Similar on palate, mostly starting with apple, ending more citrus. Long, lean and very precise, this was similar to when I last tried it a year+ ago, but slightly more integrated and softened. Still lots of upside from here, no question still getting better.
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4/23/2013 - KenK Likes this wine: 93 Points
From magnum. Vibrant aromas of lemon, biscuit, and earthy minerals.
Bursts with bright tense bubbles, tart citrus fruits richly texture and juicy like quality. Great minerality, shows very young and has real breed.
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4/22/2013 - Vintomas wrote: 92 Points
Prestige Champagne tasting with Munskänkarna - blanc de blancs and 1995s (Stockholm): Nose with mineral, rather stony character, some smoke, some apple and citrus, discrete flowery notes. Very dry on the palate, mineral, citrus and in particular grapefruit, high acidity. Long and firm grapefruit-dominated aftertaste. Definitely young, very firm and elegant, 92++ p.
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3/22/2013 - tastark Likes this wine: 90 Points
The nose smells exactly like apple crisp: caramel and apple in spades. The palette is delicate. Very feminine. The mousse was very fine. A really well-made Champagne, to be sure, but I've had better farmer fizz at a fraction of the cost.
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2/22/2013 - KellyW wrote: 94 Points
This was like drinking a fully coiled spring. Dense but not giving. Pre-natal. I do not remotely plan on opening another before 10 more years.
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2/16/2013 - Melli Likes this wine: 97 Points
Really a whole other world above the '99 Dom Perignon.
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12/20/2012 - kthornton78 Likes this wine: 94 Points
decanted and consumed in burgundy stems - and what a difference it makes. this is taut, crisp, and fresh. nose of saline, minerals, and bright lemon zest. flavors match the nose with a savory, nutty finish. really distinctive champagne.
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11/28/2012 - bernardo wrote: 92 Points
Medium gold with fine, continuous perlage.
Medium+ intensity, very fresh, young.
Slightly reduced? Mushrooms. Yellow flowers, citrus fruit. Just a hint of nutty aromas.
Medium body, very fresh. Complex, subtle, long. Mineral, flavourful.
With a lot of time (after tasting all the others): slightly alcoholic and bitter.
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11/28/2012 - suesbrew Likes this wine: 96 Points
Disgorged June 2012. 5 g/l dosage. Very pale, fine bead. White peach on the nose. Wonderful vinosity and creamy texture. So refined and characterful. Very finely balanced. Didier Depond says it will keep 60 years!
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11/3/2012 - Zweder wrote: 94 Points
Occasional dinner group; TOP Bordeaux 1999 (@ Two Michelin * Restaurant Boreas in Heeze, Netherlands.): Mild and elegant all the way; in the nose and on the palate. Very soft citrus and soft minerals. Elegant and tempting with great depth. Nevertheless I hoped for and expected a bit more. I scored the wine 94 for this moment.
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11/3/2012 - jkoenen wrote: 94 Points
Bordeaux 1999 overview (Restaurant Boreas, Heeze): Tasted next to Cristal 99, this also showes quite lush and ripe, yet more reserved, concealed than the Cristal. Tight and taciturn, although after a while some mandarin, toast, yeast and chalky minerality starts to peer through the heavy, velvet curtains that seem to cover this wine. This is highly interesting and it's a real privilige to experience, but this wine is very hard to pin down and denominate now. Guess it needs more time. 18.5/20
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8/4/2012 - psmith wrote: 94 Points
Best showing of this yet. Clean, deep, and well delineated flavors. Citrus and mineral notes. Youthful. Full bodied. Very nice.
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6/29/2012 - Colima74 wrote: 92 Points
Clean and fresh; very linear flavors. Much like what a top Chablis would be with bubbles. Some minerality; Myer lemon. I like this a lot, but it is not a food wine, but whether a sipping wine. At The Playground.
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5/5/2012 - JenTomHank wrote: 95 Points
Solid salon but very young. Left opened and room temp for 4 hours and the clasic hazelnut flavors came out. Great nose. Very elegant and great acidity.
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4/16/2012 - Vintomas wrote: 93 Points
Champagnedagen 2012 (Grand Hotel, Stockholm): Nose: discrete flower, hint of vanilla (can't say if it indicates oak, which shouldn't be present, or a hot year), ripe fruit, peach, mineral (but the nose isn't really extremely minerally), some smoke, definitely elegant.
Palate: clearly minerally attack, with both the gravel and sparkling water type, high acidity (but not extremely high), hints of ripe apple, citrus and some peach, very elegant. Young, but accessible for a Salon at this stage. 93-94 p?
From magnum.
In this case I must say that the vintage character has probably made its mark in the style, and created a Salon that is more "user friendly" already on release compared to what is usually the case.
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4/10/2012 - hutch wrote: 93 Points
Classic. Super intense. What a cool bottle of bubbles. 93+
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2/27/2012 - St Paul wrote: 94 Points
Very sharp and full of minerals. Classy as always but the vintage does not offer more I think. Might be a bit more interesting with time but at the moment I prefer the 97.
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1/15/2012 - Krugman wrote: 94 Points
My first time with the new 1999 Salon. One thing that struck me immediately about this champagne is that the fruit seems much more forward than the 1997 Salon, or even the 1996. As a result, this is actually drinking very well young, but it is not a classical Salon vintage and I am not sure how this will develop in the long run. For now though this is a very enjoyable champagne with a wonderful depth of yellow fruits, minerality, piercing acidity and that slightly nutty flavor that is a hallmark of Salon. This is well worth trying if you can find a bottle around $200. Not sure this is worth $300 though.
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12/31/2011 - Colima74 wrote: 93 Points
Very restrained, though nose was expressive. A little flat on the mid-palate at the beginning. Later, after a couple of hours, was showing more complexity. Up against a 99 Taittinger CdC and an 02 Guy Charlamagne that both had more fruit and sharp acidity, this seemed a bit weak. But I did like it much better at the end of the evening. This should be opened at least an hour before beginning to consume it, and time in the bottle is likely to do wonders too. New Year at the house.
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12/31/2011 - manonthemoon wrote: 94 Points
Tasted at Weygandt.
Great nose of tropical fruit, sherry, loads of hazelnuts and chalk.
Palate of yellow fruit, sherry, lots of chalk and nuts as well.
This was my favorite bubbles I had all day, fantastic stuff that really needs time to show its stuff.
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12/31/2011 - isaacjamesbaker wrote: 94 Points
New Year's Eve 2011 (Washington, DC): Tim brought this wine, and it showed very well. The nose is just incredible, full of intense lemon, lemon cream pie, honey, sherry and intense minerals. The palate is creamy and mouthfilling, with delicious honey and apricot flavors, matched with intense saline, mineral and lemon rind flavors. I love the cocounut and yellow apple flavors as well. Long finish. This is still a very young wine, and I'm sure it will develop for many years. Still, it was a great wine to have on New Year's Eve. Thanks, Tim!
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12/31/2011 - wrrntl wrote:
Quite young but after some time open very nice. Oak aromas make their way through the very apparent nose of chardonnay that leans towards the fullness and notes of coconut I associate with Burgundy, very ripe. Acidity and mineral at the end that shows this wine has stuffing for the long run!
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12/2/2011 - Burgundy Al wrote: 92 Points
Seventh Annual White Truffle Dinner (Chez Weber - Chicago IL): Very lean and precise wine, showing lemon on the nose and palate. Lots of acidity and lots of minerality. Not necessarily very accessible today, but I think this has some good long-term potential. Tasted alongside its 1997 counterpart, which was more forward and pleasurable today, but I think this 1999 might be better in a few years.
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12/2/2011 - KenK wrote: 88 Points
Very dry lean nose showing light mineral elements, bits of lemon, and not much else.
Quite austere with good prickly bubbles, and stoney lime quality. Dark edge to mineral driven finish. Not very pretty right now. Perhaps it willl develop better with some age? Just not grabbing me tonight.
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11/25/2011 - psmith wrote: 93 Points
Friday after Thanksgiving (Palm Beach, FL): Ripe, crisp apple and citrus notes. Clean, with great clarity to the flavors. Note the up-front acidity of the '96, but still quite good.
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11/25/2011 - Burgundy Al wrote:
Friday after Thanksgiving (FAT) (Palm Beach Gardens FL): My first time trying this wine, and it was late in the evening. But it came across far more accessible than the 1996 when released, but more powerful and ageworthy than the 1997. I will have to try this again when I can better appreciate it, rather than as a palate cleanser between flights of DRC RSV and Dugat Charmes-Chambertin.
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10/19/2011 - dcwino wrote: 96 Points
Salon and Delamotte dinner at Dogwood Cafe (Baltimore, Maryland): Tasted side by side with the 97, this is a heavy weight. Ripe yellow fruits, almost tropical, honey, fresh almond, flint, seashell, lanolin perhaps nutmeg. This is an impressive scale champagne with ripe fruit but without losing the freshness. This is a baritone and the 97 a lyric tenor. This lacks the perfect precision of the 96 but it would be interesting to taste it twenty+ years from now.
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7/31/2011 - BrandrB wrote: 95 Points
Wow! Absolutely stunning already – and this is just the very beginning of a long lifespan for this remarkable wine. 100% Clos de Mesnil Chardonnay. Very fine bubbles and a creamy mousse. Light floral/mineral aromas. Crisp palate full of youthful power with apple, yeast, floral, and mineral flavors. Very elegant minerality throughout. Surprising little citrus fruit is evident. Very dry long finish. Powerful – mostly lurking within at this point – but with a feminine delicacy at the same time – terrific balance. Obviously, this wine will benefit from many decades of aging but at a first glance it is simply phenomenal. The epitome of elegance in a bottle.
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3/11/2011 - jimmit Likes this wine: 97 Points
Tasted at the Corney & Barrow UK launch in London - 09 March 2011
Clearly a wine with much cellaring ahead of it but it was outstanding from the off. My first tasting of this wine and I had to double check my experience with my colleague. This champagne is so subtle and with such delicate nuances it stops you right there in your tracks. Initial impression is one of neutrality but this is a champagne that gently coaxes you in operating under a sophisticated vail of stealth. This champagne rewards the drinker with sublime minerality and truly scales the upper echelons of quality. A champagne for the true connoisseur. If the 1999 Salon is made available to you and you have the means, do not hesitate in acquiring.
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