The Most Expensive Champagne Producer Today | Salon Champagne: Everything You Need to Know
In this episode, we'll explore the Champagne producer, Salon.
While there are many top-tier champagnes, Salon is always the most expensive.
While its average price is 1.88 million won, its difficulty in obtaining makes its purchase price much higher.
If there's one champagne that's unanimously recognized by many champagne enthusiasts, it's Salon.
Let's explore how Salon has maintained its position as the premier champagne house for decades.
East of Paris, in Mesnil-sur-Ozé, in the Champagne region, lies the Salon Champagne House.
Its founder, Eugène Aimé Salon, was born in 1867 and traveled between Paris and New York to pursue his business.
As he established himself as a key figure in Parisian society, he began producing wine with his brother-in-law, Marcel Guillaume. Among the four villages, including Craman and Aviz, he chose Le Mesnil-sur-Augé, the terroir with the highest aging potential.
At the time, he was the first in Champagne to produce Champagne solely from Chardonnay grapes, in a single region and vintage.
His vision was to create the ultimate vintage Blanc de Blanc.
The difference between Blanc de Blanc and Noir is that Blanc de Blanc is produced solely from Chardonnay, resulting in citrus fruit aromas and secondary notes like yogurt. It emphasizes fresher acidity, resulting in aromas dominated by lemon and citrus.
Blanc de Noir, on the other hand, is made from red grapes like Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, resulting in a fuller body, deeper color, and a more savory character than Blanc. We don't release blended NVs,
only releasing vintages from good years.
In our 100-year history, we've released only 43 vintages.
After the 2008 Vin, we didn't make any wine for three years,
but we released vintages in 2012 and 2013.
The primary reason for the high price is high demand but low production.
We produce 50,000 to 60,000 bottles a year,
and only 8,000 bottles were produced in magnums for the 2008 vintage.
Because we export to 50 countries,
quantities are inevitably limited,
and in 2012, we imported only 120 bottles from Shinsegae.
Even when a vintage is released, we don't release it immediately,
but rather age it in our cellars for an average of 10 years before releasing it.
That's why our most recent vintage is 2013.
The second reason Salon is so expensive is that it's made from grapes with high aging potential, so it doesn't break easily despite being a full-vintage wine, and you can experience richer aromas and complex flavors.
A minimum of 20 years of aging is recommended, and 25 years is required to reach the perfect tasting point.
Therefore, we recommend the 1999 vintage, which is priced at 1.81 million won, and the 1988 vintage is priced at 4.18 million won.
The 1976 still has fruity aromas and brioche flavors, and aging allows for a variety of tasting notes that you might not have noticed before.
Salon only releases vintage Blanc de Blancs made solely from Chardonnay, without offering blended NV or rosé varieties.
In 1998, it acquired Delamotte.
Delamotte Brut is always recommended as a value-for-money wine,
and the Vintage Blanc de Blanc is especially recommended as a champagne that offers a glimpse of the nuances of Salon.
The 2013 vintage, thanks to warm weather, produced a maximum harvest.
Its high alcohol content and fresh acidity are described as an insolent beauty beyond compare.
According to the tasting notes on the official website, the initial notes are white floral, jasmine, and bergamot.
The palate reveals ripe notes of slightly browned baked apple, coffee, and honey on the finish, followed by the sweetness of salted caramel.
Salon describes its unique creamy texture as mousse. Small bubbles densely envelop the palate, and the warm temperatures of 2013 create a solid structure. The tannins, acidity, and alcohol are well-balanced, and the finish lasts over 10 seconds, making this a near-perfect vintage champagne.
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