This is the first from a 6-pack and I’d say it has entered properly into its drinking window and while it has many years ahead of it, there is no shame in popping one now. There will be scads of tasting notes on this so I won’t bore you with the flavor profile, just to say that this bubbly is all about precision and balance. Not a hair out of place. I feel lucky to have this in the cellar.
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blind The weakest champagne I've ever had. No length and deepness. 2006 will be not my vintage. Normally you have concentration this time feels thin and too short. 92-93
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TOP SHELF WINE WEEKEND: If a Sade smoooooth operator kind of vibe is what you long for in your Champagne, then bust out this charming bewitcher and let the good times roll. This highwire act gets a ton of points for its death-defying balance, with seemingly no way to ever conceive taking a misstep in its execution. It’s not a powerhouse, nor one of those spider monkeys that springs on to the palate with spritely strength. Instead, the 2006 Salon impresses for its poise and captivating flavor distribution; a class act all the way through. Deeply pitched lemon, almond skin, bruised pear, and a subtle salinity that casually sauntered through the delivery, the profile of the Salon was much downier and yeastier than the 2008 Egly, 2013 Cristal, and Selosse Substance served beside it.
This behaved similarly to a 2006 Krug I recently had a couple of weeks ago, though the Salon is slightly less oxidative and rich by comparison. 2006 seems to be a year worth drinking in the nearer term, as this Salon certainly presents as ready and willing to please any partygoer looking to sample its wares (which of course is every partygoer). I personally long for a bit more cut on the back end of my Champagne, but there is absolutely no questioning the sheer superior quality of this top shelf specimen. I count myself lucky to have been able to get in on a pour.
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Memorial Day Weekend, Day 1: Inglourious Basterds: Nose of clear, clean herbal and stone notes, round and ripe yellow fruits with a nice juiciness and citrusy crispness. There is also gentle and subtle honey here as well.
Flavors of clean and pulverized prickly stone with an awesome effervescence. Pure but subtle fresh white fruits, and hints of yeast.
First time enjoying this and this definitely showed up well.
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Wild and Crazy Memorial Weekend - Saturday (Chris' Castle aka Melissa's Manor): OK...let me start by saying this was a stupid, crazy tasting, which started out with a Champagne flight that was mind-blowing! I mean 4 ultra premium Champagnes where a stunning 2013 Cristal took 4th place....yes, even typing that blows my mind!
So what were the 4 Champagnes you ask? Well, if you're reading this, then you know 2006 Salon was one of them! The other two were a 2008 Egly-Ouriet and a NV Jacques Selosse Substance (disgorged in 2011)! I know, I know....just drop the mike now! Let me start by saying I wouldn't fault anyone for picking any of these as their WOTN or at least COTN!
However, for me and my palate, the Salon was a hair better than the rest. It combines lively fruit and great acidity, with the elegance and unbelievable mousse mouthfeel, and elements of citrus, stone fruit, pear melon with the salinity of oysters and sea breeze. For me, this is a complete Champagne and the only thing stopping me from going to 99 or 100, is the dream there may be even something better out there! I don't know what, but then again, I thought it couldn't get better than 2008 Cristal! 98+ and a real treat if you have an opportunity to taste!
As a side note, this paired beautifully with Beluga Caviar (of course, what Champagne wouldn't?!)
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Memorial Madness at Case de Chris y Melissa - Day 1 of 2: Golden yellow. Lovely mid palate that had some weight on it, but not in a bad way. Long finish. Beautiful nose. First Salon and it did not disappoint. If the Egly and Selosse were not present, this would have been a standout wine. Will seek this out. Thank you for letting us taste this Jason (IRBDW)!
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Atlanta Amoureuses & Monty Dinner: PnP. Wide open and drinking beautifully with precision and depth. Drink these while you're waiting on the 96 and 02.
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Open that bottle - Dan chooses 1994 Harlan (My house): Drank about 1/3rd of the bottle over 1.5 hours. We all agreed this was the creamiest mouthfeel we'd ever experienced from a champagne. Mousse-y was the term used. There was a volcano of tiny beads in my glass. The nose was incredibly expressive with white flowers, chalk, apple, mushroom. The palate was not as expressive, containing citrus and a bit of yeast.
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Open THAT Bottle - Special Edition (Joe's Bistro): My first Salon! My expectations were very high, and this wine did not disappoint me! The richest, creamiest mouthfeel (think light, fluffy mousse) I have ever experienced with Champagne. Tiny beads erupting from within made this quite a unique experience!
Nose showed some lemon peel, sea shell, animal musk (weird, but accurate) and baked brioche. Palate was steely, with lots of very creamy mousse and straw, coupled with poached pear and hints of baking spice.
For me, this was all about the mouthfeel...don't misunderstand me, nose and palate offered everything one would expect from a Grand Cru Champagne, but the mouthfeel really separated this Champagne for other top end Champagnes I have tasted. 98+ and a new benchmark for me! (Previous benchmark was 2008 Cristal)
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This champagne is just in a league of its own. Pear and peach reduction, herbed almond buttered toast, apple butter, white chocolate creme brulee. Just a huge nose and huge palate. Opulent nose and palate. Small to medium bubbles, this wine has just about everything. Packs a huge wallop, is so round and delicious, and is really a baby right now. Could stand to age for another 10 years easily. It's not everyday you get to have a Salon 06 Le Mesnil, but when you do, it's good to do it alongside an 06.Dom and Vintage Krug as this one was enjoyed alongside.
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This showed more potential than pleasure today. Lots of concentrated fruit with an energetic, powerful bead. Certainly a lot to admire about its stature but not as approachable as the other vintages today.
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Sunday Salon (Chicago, IL): Certainly the least interesting of the Salon vintages we tasted today. A bit of a whiff -- muted on both the nose and palate, sadly. This is distinctly mushroomy and shows a lack of acidity relative to the other wines in the lineup. A bit flabby (again, context) without the brightness and vivacity on the palate that all the other wines had. This is nevertheless a very nice bottle of champagne but doesn't play anywhere close to what should reasonably be expected of something at this price point. A consensus disappointment.
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The CFO's Birthday: Late disgorgement bottling. Zippy acid, ripe, and precise. Needs much more time. Preferred the broad scale of the Pierre Peters Heritage over this.
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Nose is lemon citrus with green apple fruit. Wonderful toast has shown up here. More of a complete picture now with toast and orchard fruit above the intense citrus and chalky character. Finish is still a laser beam of intensity but this has opened up very nicely and is fully pleasant to drink now. Ripe green apple.
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Consumed over 2 hours. So structured and layered with nuance of stone, white mushroom, clay, chalk. It stands alone to other champagnes in terms of flavor profile, nuance and mouth feel. Still a baby but with time shows intense structure and mineralogy undertones
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Not a full review. Bubbly, effervescent. Crisp nose Light in taste Needs more time to age Clean and short finish Very drinkable and should get better over time
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Amazingly precise and fresh - but still a pup. After an hour or so there were hints of mushroom/truffle on top of the citrus but will take another decade to really evolve. A rare beast to really enjoy at any phase of itself of its long life. #privileged
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Powerful wine, tight and firm, showing mainly savory and mineral tones, oyster shell, creme fraiche. no development, but its not shut down due to youth either. If you like champagne in the glowry of freshness of precision, this is great now.
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Yet another decent but unexciting Salon in the vertical. It’s fresh and even a bit flowery but quite slight for all that. Perhaps with time it will fill out, but judging from the older vintages on display that is far from a sure thing. Easy to skip at these prices.
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An experience entirely unlike @SDR describes. 15th anniversary wine. Crystalline purity mixed with vibrant energy and soft richness. Needs air as this is still quite young tasting, but utterly transfixing. Perhaps with 5 or 10 more years this would be, for my palate, a perfect wine, but it's still the tiniest bit rough around the edges. Just an absolutely fantastic BdB.
Yes, this is a nice champagne that I was happy to drink. But I would have been much happier if I didn’t see the label -or the invoice. Ultra-tight cork almost broke extracting it with the wine wrench. Explosive bubbles which started out large and gradually shrunk. It smells like someone is proofing their yeast rather than baking the bread. Okay, it’s young and not unexpected. Full bodied, flavorful. It tastes broad, as if from a solar vintage. Sound acidity. Very good for a just released non-vintage champagne. But SALON? I think not. Where is the green apple, the subtlety, the elegance? I seem to have bad luck with this producer no matter what the vintage.
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Blek strågul. Rake motsetningen av Selosse. Kjølig, presis, nyansert. Ikke så tilgjengelig, veldig tilkneppet stil. Hadde nok trengt mer luft. Hvite blomster. Utrolig subtil i munn. Ikke noe for nybegynnere og knapt oss selv. Hvit og beskjeden frukt, vår og blomstring, frisk, sammensatt. En utrolig ren, bitter sitruspreget finish. God lengde, men antar at den vil bygge noe på seg med lagring.
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Light note of biscuits, toasted nuts intermixed with intense ripe fruits and flower that is highly seductive and there is this coolness giving it a very good freshness and balance. No doubt on the intensity, powerful but still keeping in shape with the excellent bright acidity. Long finish with complex salinity. saline complexity. For great young Champagne likes this, I normally keeping a decent portion in the glass and retaste them again later and this was still growing in strength on the palate, great finish.
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Late July Bday celebration at Maison Dakota. Aired in bottle for 2-3 hours before tasting. Drank in Gabriel Standart. Appearance is clear, pale intensity, lemon colour. Fine perlage. Thin legs. Nose is clean, medium+ intensity, with aromas of delicate white flowers, brioche, chalky stones minerality, citrus lemon/peach cream. Dancing daintily. Developing. On the palate, dry, very high acidity, medium- alcohol (12%), medium body. Medium+ flavour intensity, with flavours of white soapy florals, chalky white stones minerality, citrus limey fruits, deep sweet Meyer lemons, sweet cream mousse. Very long finish. Precise focus and a fine delicate balance. So tight and extremely primary, so damm young. Very good quality. What a waste of money drinking this now! Even air does not do this justice. Can't replicate bottle ageing. Don't touch this for another 15-20 years. Last bit in bottle still alive after 2 days. Not oxidised at all. 11 years lees ageing. Dosage 4g/l.
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Dinner at S.K.Y. (Chicago, IL): This is perhaps a very un-chardonnay-like Salon in that there is a richness in the fruit that I think comes more from pinot than from chardonnay. That said, that richer character is precisely the thing that balances out the acidity here, leading to a balanced large-scaled wine. Plenty of complexity with definite room for evolution, though for my tastes, this is definitely already good to go.
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1st Timers Club. Chewy palate with lots of stoney mineral notes. Real chalky. Feels like some extract. Light floral, long finish. Chewy. Orange vitamin and lots of crackling mineral. Chocolate mint palate, sweet maple aromas. A broad chalky mineral-laden presence focused to a point on the horizon. But it’s the chewy/extract-ishness that really makes this stands out.
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Nose is lemon lime citrus, no yeasty tones yet. Young and a touch screechy but there is great depth underneath waiting to develop. Palate is laser sharp and super tight. Good but basically a waste drinking at this point as it’s just so young. Chalky. Obviously a material stylistic difference but I’ve had heaps of the ‘06 DP and Taittinger CDC and this Salon is an easy decade back in terms of development. Brilliant, but hold. Definitely reminiscent of the ‘96...
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2nd Annual Sommelier Appreciation Dinner (Undisclosed Location): Terrific Salon. Perhaps the most Salon-like tasting new release since the 1999. For example, the 2004 recently just tasted like generic young champagne to me. But the sunny vintage here might have brought out some character more precociously than usual. The texture is finessed, as undulating and velvety as a wine can be while still being fizzy. The otherwise youthful lemony flavors are starting to show some sweet jamminess around the edges. Out of magnum.
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Sommelier Appreciation Dinner 2019 (The Brown Residence): En magnum. Expressive incredibly youthful nose displaying fresh white fruit, pear, white peach, granny smith, saline, cool mountain stream, honey and mineral. Incredible fresh and precise palate, abundant very fine mousse, bright acidity, strong mineral and a long fresh white fruit driven finish with limestone at the end. Consistent with the last bottle from May, 2018. This is rather elegant Salon. I am hoping that this will gain weight and focus with time.
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Concentrated, full-bodied, chalky and intense, with loads of freshness, cut and effervescence, there is power and refinement, elegance and youth all wrapped in one here. I am sure this will be much better with age.
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Open-knit nose of apple, quince, lemon, yeast, and Chablis-like minerality. Full scale flavors far exceed the already impressive nose, with rich, mixed pâtisserie, that, aided by plush bubbles, coat the mouth. The 2006 Salon is excellent but what surprises most is its early accessibility. Still, don't touch, and enjoy a reference Champagne next decade. Drink starting 2022.
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A fireworks display in a glass. Incredibly young, but already an amazing bottle of Champagne with stunning power, focus, balance, and an unbelievably long finish. I need to find some.
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Brother Jeff's visit to DC - Mostly Bordeaux (The Grill Room at the Rosewood DC): Surprisingly elegant nose displaying subtle fresh white fruit, pear, white peach, lemon, rose, rain water and crushed rock. Very elegant, fresh and precise palate, very finely layered white fruit, bright acidity, strong mineral presence and a long seamless fresh white fruit driven finish. I was expecting very focused and tight showing but surprisingly elegant and approachable. I believe I am the only one who prefers over the 96.
Much better than from about a year ago. This has broaden out, yet remains quite precise despite the density. A serious Champagne with loads of stony minerals with wonderful lemon lime zip.
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La Fête de La Paulée in Chicago (Formento's - Chicago IL): Small glass, brief note. Broad array of apple aromas and flavors. Certainly very rich with good+ length and excellent balance. Slightly backward for right now, but not quite as forward as the 2004 this soon after release.
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La Fête de La Paulée: A brooding, dense nose of non-delineated orchard fruit. The palate is concentrated, intense and delicious with big, creamy, ripe orchard fruit that is rich yet lifted and weightless. Long, long finish. Awesome young Champagne.
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I can't really contemplate a more perfect champagne. The only reason I am docking it a point is because it is still SO young. This has many many years ahead of it. That said, it is drinking simply beautifully right now. It is one of the lightest champagnes I've tasted on the palette, full of effervescence that just lights up your mouth. Truly a delight to drink. Makes me very happy. Had it with oysters and caviar -- perfect pairing!
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w Didier - this continues to be quite open for its young age, more than the 2004 on the side which is still less tight than it used to be. Drinking quite well already now. Some saltiness / minerals.
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Legendary producer, only winemaker in champagne with just one grape and one cuvee for a over 100 years. Started as a champagne for family and friends, nothing sold commercially. Vintage champagne from the start and released only in great vintages. The 06 is still in infancy, extremely tight and almost closed. Opened slightly in the glas but this is a champagne that demand patience. Razor sharp acidity, impenetrable structure, a king in the making but has yet to reveal its greatness. Bury in cellar for 10 y
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Soft nose of lemon and yeast with some saltiness. Developed depth in the glass. Fuller on the palate with very good balance. Slightly austere on the finish now. Delicate but solid and savory. Very good, refreshing yet with complexity, but not blowing me away at this stage. Tightly wound so may simply be too young.
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11/22/2023 - Topper wrote: 96 Points
This is the first from a 6-pack and I’d say it has entered properly into its drinking window and while it has many years ahead of it, there is no shame in popping one now. There will be scads of tasting notes on this so I won’t bore you with the flavor profile, just to say that this bubbly is all about precision and balance. Not a hair out of place. I feel lucky to have this in the cellar.
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10/19/2023 - aquacongas wrote: 92 Points
blind
The weakest champagne I've ever had. No length and deepness. 2006 will be not my vintage. Normally you have concentration this time feels thin and too short. 92-93
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6/6/2023 - csimm wrote: 96 Points
TOP SHELF WINE WEEKEND: If a Sade smoooooth operator kind of vibe is what you long for in your Champagne, then bust out this charming bewitcher and let the good times roll. This highwire act gets a ton of points for its death-defying balance, with seemingly no way to ever conceive taking a misstep in its execution. It’s not a powerhouse, nor one of those spider monkeys that springs on to the palate with spritely strength. Instead, the 2006 Salon impresses for its poise and captivating flavor distribution; a class act all the way through. Deeply pitched lemon, almond skin, bruised pear, and a subtle salinity that casually sauntered through the delivery, the profile of the Salon was much downier and yeastier than the 2008 Egly, 2013 Cristal, and Selosse Substance served beside it.
This behaved similarly to a 2006 Krug I recently had a couple of weeks ago, though the Salon is slightly less oxidative and rich by comparison. 2006 seems to be a year worth drinking in the nearer term, as this Salon certainly presents as ready and willing to please any partygoer looking to sample its wares (which of course is every partygoer). I personally long for a bit more cut on the back end of my Champagne, but there is absolutely no questioning the sheer superior quality of this top shelf specimen. I count myself lucky to have been able to get in on a pour.
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5/27/2023 - WineBurrowingWombat Likes this wine: 97 Points
Memorial Day Weekend, Day 1: Inglourious Basterds: Nose of clear, clean herbal and stone notes, round and ripe yellow fruits with a nice juiciness and citrusy crispness. There is also gentle and subtle honey here as well.
Flavors of clean and pulverized prickly stone with an awesome effervescence. Pure but subtle fresh white fruits, and hints of yeast.
First time enjoying this and this definitely showed up well.
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5/27/2023 - I'd Rather Be Drinking Wine Likes this wine: 98 Points
Wild and Crazy Memorial Weekend - Saturday (Chris' Castle aka Melissa's Manor): OK...let me start by saying this was a stupid, crazy tasting, which started out with a Champagne flight that was mind-blowing! I mean 4 ultra premium Champagnes where a stunning 2013 Cristal took 4th place....yes, even typing that blows my mind!
So what were the 4 Champagnes you ask? Well, if you're reading this, then you know 2006 Salon was one of them! The other two were a 2008 Egly-Ouriet and a NV Jacques Selosse Substance (disgorged in 2011)! I know, I know....just drop the mike now! Let me start by saying I wouldn't fault anyone for picking any of these as their WOTN or at least COTN!
However, for me and my palate, the Salon was a hair better than the rest. It combines lively fruit and great acidity, with the elegance and unbelievable mousse mouthfeel, and elements of citrus, stone fruit, pear melon with the salinity of oysters and sea breeze. For me, this is a complete Champagne and the only thing stopping me from going to 99 or 100, is the dream there may be even something better out there! I don't know what, but then again, I thought it couldn't get better than 2008 Cristal! 98+ and a real treat if you have an opportunity to taste!
As a side note, this paired beautifully with Beluga Caviar (of course, what Champagne wouldn't?!)
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5/27/2023 - bsumoba Likes this wine: 97 Points
Memorial Madness at Case de Chris y Melissa - Day 1 of 2: Golden yellow. Lovely mid palate that had some weight on it, but not in a bad way. Long finish. Beautiful nose. First Salon and it did not disappoint. If the Egly and Selosse were not present, this would have been a standout wine. Will seek this out. Thank you for letting us taste this Jason (IRBDW)!
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4/22/2023 - shifter Likes this wine: 95 Points
Atlanta Amoureuses & Monty Dinner: PnP. Wide open and drinking beautifully with precision and depth. Drink these while you're waiting on the 96 and 02.
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4/16/2023 - galewskj wrote: 95 Points
Open that bottle - Dan chooses 1994 Harlan (My house): Drank about 1/3rd of the bottle over 1.5 hours. We all agreed this was the creamiest mouthfeel we'd ever experienced from a champagne. Mousse-y was the term used. There was a volcano of tiny beads in my glass. The nose was incredibly expressive with white flowers, chalk, apple, mushroom. The palate was not as expressive, containing citrus and a bit of yeast.
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4/13/2023 - I'd Rather Be Drinking Wine Likes this wine: 98 Points
Open THAT Bottle - Special Edition (Joe's Bistro): My first Salon! My expectations were very high, and this wine did not disappoint me! The richest, creamiest mouthfeel (think light, fluffy mousse) I have ever experienced with Champagne. Tiny beads erupting from within made this quite a unique experience!
Nose showed some lemon peel, sea shell, animal musk (weird, but accurate) and baked brioche. Palate was steely, with lots of very creamy mousse and straw, coupled with poached pear and hints of baking spice.
For me, this was all about the mouthfeel...don't misunderstand me, nose and palate offered everything one would expect from a Grand Cru Champagne, but the mouthfeel really separated this Champagne for other top end Champagnes I have tasted. 98+ and a new benchmark for me! (Previous benchmark was 2008 Cristal)
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2/17/2023 - vetty wrote: 94 Points
drinking with 12 salon. This bottle has more acidity and bubble, and it's more powerful.
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2/11/2023 - steinersing wrote: 96 Points
Laser sharp - a little closed still but precision is great.
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11/30/2022 - mflesh wrote: 95 Points
This champagne is just in a league of its own. Pear and peach reduction, herbed almond buttered toast, apple butter, white chocolate creme brulee. Just a huge nose and huge palate. Opulent nose and palate. Small to medium bubbles, this wine has just about everything. Packs a huge wallop, is so round and delicious, and is really a baby right now. Could stand to age for another 10 years easily. It's not everyday you get to have a Salon 06 Le Mesnil, but when you do, it's good to do it alongside an 06.Dom and Vintage Krug as this one was enjoyed alongside.
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10/16/2022 - Nanda wrote:
This showed more potential than pleasure today. Lots of concentrated fruit with an energetic, powerful bead. Certainly a lot to admire about its stature but not as approachable as the other vintages today.
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10/16/2022 - acyso wrote: 93 Points
Sunday Salon (Chicago, IL): Certainly the least interesting of the Salon vintages we tasted today. A bit of a whiff -- muted on both the nose and palate, sadly. This is distinctly mushroomy and shows a lack of acidity relative to the other wines in the lineup. A bit flabby (again, context) without the brightness and vivacity on the palate that all the other wines had. This is nevertheless a very nice bottle of champagne but doesn't play anywhere close to what should reasonably be expected of something at this price point. A consensus disappointment.
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8/20/2022 - Satoshi Nakamoto Likes this wine: 92 Points
The CFO's Birthday: Late disgorgement bottling. Zippy acid, ripe, and precise. Needs much more time. Preferred the broad scale of the Pierre Peters Heritage over this.
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7/24/2022 - The Vines That Bind wrote: 95 Points
Nose is lemon citrus with green apple fruit. Wonderful toast has shown up here. More of a complete picture now with toast and orchard fruit above the intense citrus and chalky character. Finish is still a laser beam of intensity but this has opened up very nicely and is fully pleasant to drink now. Ripe green apple.
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7/22/2022 - T.E.D. wrote: 95 Points
Consumed over 2 hours. So structured and layered with nuance of stone, white mushroom, clay, chalk. It stands alone to other champagnes in terms of flavor profile, nuance and mouth feel. Still a baby but with time shows intense structure and mineralogy undertones
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6/25/2022 - Burgundy Al wrote: 95 Points
Musique & Vin Festival BYO Dinner with Musicians (1243 Bourgogne Society - Beaune): Small glass. Bright and supple orchard fruit with very good concentration. Dancing textures are simply attention-grabbing towards very long, exciting finish.
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6/17/2022 - sbjm Likes this wine: 91 Points
Not a full review.
Bubbly, effervescent. Crisp nose
Light in taste
Needs more time to age
Clean and short finish
Very drinkable and should get better over time
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3/18/2022 - steinersing wrote: 96 Points
The nose has a royal elegance and this continues so show with a beautifully constrained focus. Still early days but attraktive now.
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3/18/2022 - merlotsmile wrote:
Vertical
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3/13/2022 - Fuel55 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Amazingly precise and fresh - but still a pup. After an hour or so there were hints of mushroom/truffle on top of the citrus but will take another decade to really evolve. A rare beast to really enjoy at any phase of itself of its long life. #privileged
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12/31/2021 - vintage_whine wrote:
Powerful wine, tight and firm, showing mainly savory and mineral tones, oyster shell, creme fraiche. no development, but its not shut down due to youth either. If you like champagne in the glowry of freshness of precision, this is great now.
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12/10/2021 - Alex G. Likes this wine:
Holiday Burgundy Lunch: Good but quite young. To be fair this was lost in the shuffle after a long day of drinking superb Burgundy.
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12/4/2021 - steinersing wrote: 96 Points
Excellent freshness and a little maturity to add some complexity.
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11/20/2021 - hprphf wrote: 94 Points
JK's 50th Birthday: Magnum. Vibrant, lighter than other vintages, very good to drink today. Perfect to finish the night. 94
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11/3/2021 - fcxj wrote: 92 Points
Fresh and vibrant.
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8/27/2021 - sdr Likes this wine: 91 Points
Yet another decent but unexciting Salon in the vertical. It’s fresh and even a bit flowery but quite slight for all that. Perhaps with time it will fill out, but judging from the older vintages on display that is far from a sure thing. Easy to skip at these prices.
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7/8/2021 - Aravind Asok wrote:
An experience entirely unlike @SDR describes. 15th anniversary wine. Crystalline purity mixed with vibrant energy and soft richness. Needs air as this is still quite young tasting, but utterly transfixing. Perhaps with 5 or 10 more years this would be, for my palate, a perfect wine, but it's still the tiniest bit rough around the edges. Just an absolutely fantastic BdB.
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6/10/2021 - Wine_Poobah Likes this wine: 97 Points
Exceptional! Yeasty lemon and lime with tons of minerality. The acidity is piercing — this needs so much more time in the cellar. Massive potential.
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4/18/2021 - sdr Likes this wine: 91 Points
Yes, this is a nice champagne that I was happy to drink. But I would have been much happier if I didn’t see the label -or the invoice. Ultra-tight cork almost broke extracting it with the wine wrench. Explosive bubbles which started out large and gradually shrunk. It smells like someone is proofing their yeast rather than baking the bread. Okay, it’s young and not unexpected. Full bodied, flavorful. It tastes broad, as if from a solar vintage. Sound acidity. Very good for a just released non-vintage champagne. But SALON? I think not. Where is the green apple, the subtlety, the elegance? I seem to have bad luck with this producer no matter what the vintage.
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4/17/2021 - Sean Tay wrote: 92 Points
Medium nose intensity with lemon, apple, bread. High acidity. Still youthful. Nose is rather closed.
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4/12/2021 - vetty wrote: 91 Points
light clear and energetic
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1/22/2021 - steinersing wrote: 96 Points
attractive and pure.
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8/13/2020 - LB88 wrote: 94 Points
Excellent
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7/10/2020 - Raizes Likes this wine: 93 Points
青柠、白梨,微微的辛香料和白垩矿物气息,香气的年轻感延续到入口的感觉中,饱满、细腻,气泡充满活力,质地光滑。目前显而易见地处在幼年阶段,丰富性有待陈年演化。93+
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5/30/2020 - vinkeger wrote: 94 Points
Blek strågul. Rake motsetningen av Selosse. Kjølig, presis, nyansert. Ikke så tilgjengelig, veldig tilkneppet stil. Hadde nok trengt mer luft. Hvite blomster. Utrolig subtil i munn. Ikke noe for nybegynnere og knapt oss selv. Hvit og beskjeden frukt, vår og blomstring, frisk, sammensatt. En utrolig ren, bitter sitruspreget finish. God lengde, men antar at den vil bygge noe på seg med lagring.
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12/11/2019 - steinersing wrote: 96 Points
Continues to be open for a young Salon. Quite broad and extrovert. Early drinker.
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12/5/2019 - ubercuvee wrote:
Almost everyone preferred the 2006 Comtes to this, both on opening and after 2 hours of air.
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12/4/2019 - Yassine23 Likes this wine:
Very young, took over three hours to open up. Slight herbal streak. Great with fish and chips
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10/24/2019 - beatles wrote: 95 Points
This is already coming around with creamy fruit, roundness and balance - still too young with tight acidity galore, but can be approached.
#AOC
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9/8/2019 - Sleepy Dave wrote:
Light note of biscuits, toasted nuts intermixed with intense ripe fruits and flower that is highly seductive and there is this coolness giving it a very good freshness and balance.
No doubt on the intensity, powerful but still keeping in shape with the excellent bright acidity. Long finish with complex salinity. saline complexity. For great young Champagne likes this, I normally keeping a decent portion in the glass and retaste them again later and this was still growing in strength on the palate, great finish.
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7/26/2019 - Derek Darth Taster wrote: 93 Points
Late July Bday celebration at Maison Dakota. Aired in bottle for 2-3 hours before tasting. Drank in Gabriel Standart.
Appearance is clear, pale intensity, lemon colour. Fine perlage. Thin legs.
Nose is clean, medium+ intensity, with aromas of delicate white flowers, brioche, chalky stones minerality, citrus lemon/peach cream. Dancing daintily. Developing.
On the palate, dry, very high acidity, medium- alcohol (12%), medium body. Medium+ flavour intensity, with flavours of white soapy florals, chalky white stones minerality, citrus limey fruits, deep sweet Meyer lemons, sweet cream mousse. Very long finish. Precise focus and a fine delicate balance. So tight and extremely primary, so damm young.
Very good quality. What a waste of money drinking this now! Even air does not do this justice. Can't replicate bottle ageing.
Don't touch this for another 15-20 years. Last bit in bottle still alive after 2 days. Not oxidised at all.
11 years lees ageing. Dosage 4g/l.
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6/5/2019 - acyso wrote: 95 Points
Dinner at S.K.Y. (Chicago, IL): This is perhaps a very un-chardonnay-like Salon in that there is a richness in the fruit that I think comes more from pinot than from chardonnay. That said, that richer character is precisely the thing that balances out the acidity here, leading to a balanced large-scaled wine. Plenty of complexity with definite room for evolution, though for my tastes, this is definitely already good to go.
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3/6/2019 - nzinkgraf wrote:
1st Timers Club.
Chewy palate with lots of stoney mineral notes. Real chalky. Feels like some extract. Light floral, long finish. Chewy. Orange vitamin and lots of crackling mineral. Chocolate mint palate, sweet maple aromas. A broad chalky mineral-laden presence focused to a point on the horizon. But it’s the chewy/extract-ishness that really makes this stands out.
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3/2/2019 - The Vines That Bind wrote: 94 Points
Nose is lemon lime citrus, no yeasty tones yet. Young and a touch screechy but there is great depth underneath waiting to develop. Palate is laser sharp and super tight. Good but basically a waste drinking at this point as it’s just so young. Chalky. Obviously a material stylistic difference but I’ve had heaps of the ‘06 DP and Taittinger CDC and this Salon is an easy decade back in terms of development. Brilliant, but hold. Definitely reminiscent of the ‘96...
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2/3/2019 - Keith Levenberg Likes this wine: 96 Points
2nd Annual Sommelier Appreciation Dinner (Undisclosed Location): Terrific Salon. Perhaps the most Salon-like tasting new release since the 1999. For example, the 2004 recently just tasted like generic young champagne to me. But the sunny vintage here might have brought out some character more precociously than usual. The texture is finessed, as undulating and velvety as a wine can be while still being fizzy. The otherwise youthful lemony flavors are starting to show some sweet jamminess around the edges. Out of magnum.
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2/3/2019 - dcwino wrote: 96 Points
Sommelier Appreciation Dinner 2019 (The Brown Residence): En magnum. Expressive incredibly youthful nose displaying fresh white fruit, pear, white peach, granny smith, saline, cool mountain stream, honey and mineral. Incredible fresh and precise palate, abundant very fine mousse, bright acidity, strong mineral and a long fresh white fruit driven finish with limestone at the end. Consistent with the last bottle from May, 2018. This is rather elegant Salon. I am hoping that this will gain weight and focus with time.
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10/1/2018 - Jeff Leve wrote: 97 Points
Concentrated, full-bodied, chalky and intense, with loads of freshness, cut and effervescence, there is power and refinement, elegance and youth all wrapped in one here. I am sure this will be much better with age.
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8/27/2018 - rlove wrote: 95 Points
Open-knit nose of apple, quince, lemon, yeast, and Chablis-like minerality. Full scale flavors far exceed the already impressive nose, with rich, mixed pâtisserie, that, aided by plush bubbles, coat the mouth. The 2006 Salon is excellent but what surprises most is its early accessibility. Still, don't touch, and enjoy a reference Champagne next decade. Drink starting 2022.
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7/24/2018 - Raizes Likes this wine: 93 Points
白梨、香瓜、槐花,标准的矿物气息。拥有极好的集中度,精细高挑的酸度和细腻绵延的气泡,香气的浓郁并没有令结构变得粗放,温润如雨,轻柔如诗。93-94
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6/30/2018 - Burgundy Al wrote: 95 Points
Musique & Vin Festival BYO Dinner with Musicians (1243 Bourgogne Society - Beaune): Bright orchard fruit everywhere with a lemon chaser. So long and elegant.
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6/18/2018 - salil wrote: 96 Points
A fireworks display in a glass. Incredibly young, but already an amazing bottle of Champagne with stunning power, focus, balance, and an unbelievably long finish. I need to find some.
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5/23/2018 - dcwino wrote: 97 Points
Brother Jeff's visit to DC - Mostly Bordeaux (The Grill Room at the Rosewood DC): Surprisingly elegant nose displaying subtle fresh white fruit, pear, white peach, lemon, rose, rain water and crushed rock. Very elegant, fresh and precise palate, very finely layered white fruit, bright acidity, strong mineral presence and a long seamless fresh white fruit driven finish. I was expecting very focused and tight showing but surprisingly elegant and approachable. I believe I am the only one who prefers over the 96.
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5/4/2018 - KenK Likes this wine: 95 Points
Much better than from about a year ago. This has broaden out, yet remains quite precise despite the density. A serious Champagne with loads of stony minerals with wonderful lemon lime zip.
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5/4/2018 - Burgundy Al wrote: 94 Points
La Fête de La Paulée in Chicago (Formento's - Chicago IL): Small glass, brief note. Broad array of apple aromas and flavors. Certainly very rich with good+ length and excellent balance. Slightly backward for right now, but not quite as forward as the 2004 this soon after release.
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5/4/2018 - Nanda wrote: 95 Points
La Fête de La Paulée: A brooding, dense nose of non-delineated orchard fruit. The palate is concentrated, intense and delicious with big, creamy, ripe orchard fruit that is rich yet lifted and weightless. Long, long finish. Awesome young Champagne.
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4/20/2018 - tcarter Likes this wine: 99 Points
I can't really contemplate a more perfect champagne. The only reason I am docking it a point is because it is still SO young. This has many many years ahead of it. That said, it is drinking simply beautifully right now. It is one of the lightest champagnes I've tasted on the palette, full of effervescence that just lights up your mouth. Truly a delight to drink. Makes me very happy. Had it with oysters and caviar -- perfect pairing!
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1/26/2018 - steinersing wrote: 96 Points
w Didier - this continues to be quite open for its young age, more than the 2004 on the side which is still less tight than it used to be. Drinking quite well already now. Some saltiness / minerals.
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1/5/2018 - fcxj wrote: 92 Points
Intense and ripe.
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11/14/2017 - fcxj wrote: 92 Points
Quite citrus, crisp.
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9/1/2017 - Markus IWC wrote: 91 Points
Legendary producer, only winemaker in champagne with just one grape and one cuvee for a over 100 years. Started as a champagne for family and friends, nothing sold commercially. Vintage champagne from the start and released only in great vintages. The 06 is still in infancy, extremely tight and almost closed. Opened slightly in the glas but this is a champagne that demand patience. Razor sharp acidity, impenetrable structure, a king in the making but has yet to reveal its greatness. Bury in cellar for 10 y
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7/10/2017 - steinersing wrote: 95 Points
Extrovert and open, quite broad for a Salon. Very fine. Wonder why you shoukd keep this vintage - seems exellent t drink now.
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4/4/2017 - wineordeath Likes this wine: 94 Points
Soft nose of lemon and yeast with some saltiness. Developed depth in the glass. Fuller on the palate with very good balance. Slightly austere on the finish now. Delicate but solid and savory. Very good, refreshing yet with complexity, but not blowing me away at this stage. Tightly wound so may simply be too young.
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