Salon and Delamotte dinner at Dogwood Cafe

It was raining like cats and dogs. It took almost two hours to drive 45 miles but it was well worth it at the end. When I finally got there I was greeted by some old faces and some new. I recently found out that Danny Hass now imports Salon to the states. Danny kindly poured me a glass of the NV brut and I was ready to drink some nice champagnes. Jean Paptiste, the export director kindly informed us of the historical and viticulture background.

• NV Delamotte Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut 91 Points

  France, Champagne

  Apparently this is the first time this champagne gets imported to the states. According to Jean-Baptiste , the export director, the youngest wine is from 2004 and spent more than five years in the bottle. Very precise, light, mineral expression with some white flowers, lime, limestone. Fine mousse, very clean light palate, limestone and bright acidity. If you like clean, mineral driven, airy champagne, you will enjoy this. Not a lot of strong unique characters though.

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• NV Delamotte Champagne Brut 90 Points

  France, Champagne

  More yellow fruit, rounder and richer than the NV BdB naturally not as precise. Honey, wet rock, lanolin, lemon and a hint of yeast. Medium body champagne with nice complexity. Very good value.

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• NV Delamotte Champagne Brut Rosé 92 Points

  France, Champagne

  Very pretty, lighter style of Rose. Fine mousse that evaporates. Light strawberry note, a hint of copper, caramel. This would be the perfect getting laid kinda champagne. Airy and delicious without making things too complicated.

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• 2002 Delamotte Champagne Blanc de Blancs Millésimé 93 Points

  France, Champagne

  This is sweeter and rounder than the NV BdB but still maintains the freshness. Pear, white peach, white flowers, honey, a hint of light caramel, flint and limestone. The nose is generous, sweet, ripe and mineral. The palate is in line with the nose with ripe fruit, excellent concentration and bright acidity. This is very ripe yet fresh but very little brioche, more Salon than Krug if that makes sense.

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• 1997 Salon Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut 94 Points

  France, Champagne

  This champagne reminded me of Chevalier Montrachet, delicate, luxurious fruit, inner energy and precision. It is drinking beautifully now and don’t see it shutting down. White fruits and flowers, wet limestone, pear and perfume. Very fine mousse, medium body and bright acidity. Not a wine to impress but coy and beguiling. If the 99 is a baritone this is a lyric tenor.

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• 1999 Salon Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut 96 Points

  France, Champagne

  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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The champagnes from Salon and Delamotte consistently displayed strong presence of minerality, intoxicating perfume and freshness. It was a fun evening! My thanks go to Danny, Jean-Baptiste and Paul Cudone.