2013 Salon Banc de Blancs Les Mesnil
I had a client last week asking me if I could get some Salon. I said I can get it for you, I’ve just been somewhat reluctant to offer it asI would need to sell it for $1400/b. Well, I asked a few of my suppliers and to my surprise was able to snag some at far below what I had paid the last several times - in fact we are able to sell it at a price well below what I sold the 2012.
The wine needs little introduction as this is not only one of the finest Champagnes, it's arguably one of the best wines produced in the world! The 100% chardonnay has only been released 44 times since being introduced in 1921. Its aged on its lees for almost 10 years prior to its release. A vintage like 2013 showcases the wines freshness and verve as the chalky soils in which it is grown are on full display. I got a chance to taste the wine at Le Paulee here in Los Angeles last year. It's something special! Packed in individual wood boxes.
The 2013 Salon is a huge wine. Dense and explosive, the 2013 possesses almost shocking textural richness for a young Salon. If offers a perfect example of the vintage in the Côtes des Blancs, a year in which ripeness and acids were both elevated. Lemon confit, marzipan, white flowers, mint and white pepper explode onto the palate. Bright saline notes pull it all back together on the finish. Dosage is 4.5 grams per liter.
- Vinous Media, 99
In the context of the vintage, the expressive and structurally open personality of Salon’s 2013 Brut Blanc de Blancs Le Mesnil took me by surprise. Expecting a taut, incisive version, considering the cool, late-ripening growing season, it shares more similarities with the 2012 rendition than differences. Disgorged in early 2023 with a dosage of 5.5 grams per liter, it soars from the glass with scents of iodine, orange zest and warm bread mingling with hints of tropical fruit. Far from linear, it is a flamboyant and elegantly glossy rendition that’s undeniably fleshier than the racy-fresh and chiseled 2007 at a similar stage of development. Laden with ripe yet vibrant acidity, complemented by a pinpoint mousse and concluding with a precise, vividly chalky finish, it is dangerously approachable even now. However, given its rarity and eye-watering market price, it would be rather hedonistic to pop the corks before it celebrates its 20th birthday. Since 1921, this marks only the 44th edition of Salon.
- Wine Advocate, 95+
