I knew Salon was special, but not why. It turns out that it all started as a hobby by Aime Salon in the 1920s. He made his fortune in the fur trade while only in his early 20s(!) and his brother worked for a champagne producer, so he knew what was what. Dissatisfied with the existing offerings, he decided to make a champagne to his own taste without worrying about sales and profitability. His judgement was so good that friends and family also loved what he did, and acquaintances who’d tried it demanded to buy it, and the rest is history.

Salon holds a unique place in Champagne. There’s no “house blend” non-vintage here; it only produces wines during “vintage” years. That is to say, in good years that yield grapes of exceptional quality. Additionally, all Salon champagnes are aged at least ten years before release. The “current” vintage on the market, for example, is 1996.

Vintages are only decided in the January following the harvest, so wine is always produced. If the winemaker gives the thumbs down, the wine is shifted to sister producer, Delamotte, which, by the way, is no slouch. Marie-Agnes Thomas, Assistante Export, took me on a tour of the Salon property on a bright sunny morning. The tour was nice but the tasting was better. Salon produces between 60,000 and 80,000 bottles per vintage, and they’re really expensive by the time they get to market ten years later.

Marie-Agnes also clarified the problem of a forest at the top of one’s hill. She reiterated that it creates too much humidity, but pointed out that you can still get really good grapes farther down the hill: “mid-slope is best,” she said, “because you still get the angle,” which made perfect sense. How far can a forest’s humidity emanate, after all? Incidentally, land in the best parts of Champagne is the most expensive farmland on earth – about $1.4 million per hectare, so every square metre counts. (If you want to see what a hectare looks like, see the Lanson story: there’s a picture).

Given that Salon produces only one wine, only one of which is on the market at any given time, we also tasted the delightful Delamotte range, which was new to me. It was a very pleasant surprise. And Marie-Agnes was right there with me, expressing her own preferences, frankly.

The Salon-Delamotte Champagnes

Delamotte Brut
Big mousse, lots of bubbles and great light gold colour on this 60% chardonnay champagne. Rich nose with a hint of yeast and fresh fruit that carries through onto the palate. Green apples on the good mid-palate, good acidity and a great finish. 90 points.

Delamotte Blanc de Blanc
Tiny bubbles and a lighter, fresher nose on this 100% Cote de Blancs chardonnay. Very muted fruit, but a hint of citrus. Very light and fresh, with great acidity and a nice hint of sweetness. Lemon citrus notes on the fine finish. Marie-Agnes admitted she preferred the blanc de blanc. 91 points.

Delamotte Brut 1999
As Delamotte vintage wines are kept six years before release, this is the “current” vintage. Slightly darker yellow-gold colour. Rich yet muted nose with more mature aromas and a bit of nuttiness on this 100% chardonnay effort. Very fresh acidity on the palate, which is super smooth and elegant. There’s also a richness with good flavour integration and a hint of lemon on the lengthy finish. 93 points.

Delamotte Rose
Lovely pale salmon-pink colour and very tiny bubbles. Very bold and fruity nose and rich red fruit on the palate. Delicate annd light finish, which lingers. There’s great complexity and all the components are well integrated. 92 points

Old fashioned “pupitres” prepping the good stuff: it’s all turned by hand here and then it just sits there for ages.

Salon 1996
Bright, vibrant yellow-gold colour, lots of bubbles of varying sizes. Very distinctive and powerful nose dominated by aged secondary notes – toffee, wet leaves and nuttiness. "I can recognize a Salon nose instantly," said Marie-Agnes. It was surprisingly fresh on the palate, well structured and balanced, and very “masculine”. The amazingly lengthy finish includes more nuts and the acidity carries through, lifting it all up. 93 points.

Continue to the powdered wigs and nudity (zero added sugar) of Louis de Sacy.