Some highly anticipated releases have a way of disappointing after raising expectations to an unrealistic level. Fortunately, that is not the case here. Production was limited to 8,000 magnums, sold only in assorted cases with two bottles each of 2004, 2006, and 2007. The aromas initially showcase ripe apple, lemon peel and chalky minerality touched with a hint of brioche from the decade spent on the lees. Despite the time in the cellar, the wine remains intensely youthful, with a texture that is vibrant and crisp and a substantial, creamy feel that suggests near-perfect balance. This Champagne is among the greatest wines Salon has ever produced and should age gracefully for decades to come. Disgorged January 2019. Dosage: 5g/L.

Disgorged in January 2019 with six grams per liter dosage, Salon's 2008 Brut Blanc de Blancs Le Mesnil is a striking wine, unwinding in the glass with scents of citrus oil, fresh bread, crisp green apple, white flowers, smoke and oyster shell. Full-bodied, layered and incisive, it's deep and concentrated, with a tightly coiled core of fruit that's underpinned by a racy spine of acidity. Seamless and unerringly precise, it concludes with a long and penetratingly mineral finish. Immense though its potential for aging is, its intensity and balance make it pleasurable as well as persuasive, even today. Given the eye-watering price of this magnum-only release, I was determined to hold the wine to the highest possible standards, but it surpasses even the prodigious 1996 and surely ranks as the finest Salon since at least the 1970s. In short, this is a Blanc de Blancs that admits no argument.- WK

Given its tiny production of around 8,000 magnums, the 2008 Salon is not a Champagne most of us will often taste, if at all. On this night, it was once again glorious, with all the classic Salon signatures dialed up to the maximum. It was the perfect palate cleanser. - Antonio Galloni, April 2022