2012 Champagne Salon “Le Mesnil”, Champagne, France 1.5 L MAG

ABOUT THIS WINE

Initially mild-mannered, winter 2012 unleashed its full force in February, with freezing temperatures of minus 10, even minus 20C. Then March came in like a lamb. Tender buds were beginning to emerge, only for April to bring heavy rains with clear, and therefore glacial, nights.
A cold snap during flowering did not help matters, without even so much as a ray of sunshine in the offing. The vines looked pitiful. And then more rain, right up until July. Too much rain. The vines did not take it kindly.
August arrived at last, the hottest month in the calendar, but the first few days were rather too hot: a heatwave! The vines really had been through it all: too wet, then too dry, a paucity of grapes; what would the harvest bring? It began in Le Mesnil on 17th September.
Mother Nature likes to play tricks. Over in the vats, a miracle was taking place, a grand vin was emerging, with the hint of a smile – ‘gotcha!’ The vintage had everything all along: sugars, fine acidity, magnificent potential… the only thing left to do now, was wait. And see the vignerons smile once more.

ABOUT THIS PRODUCER

The first vintage of Champagne Salon was 1905. It was the creation of Eugène-Aimé Salon, a unique character with unwavering ambition. In love with champagne and captivated by the terroir of Le Mesnil, Eugène-Aimé Salon created a champagne after his own heart: an unparalleled Blanc de Blancs. Initially he created this for his personal pleasure only – it was not until the 1920s that he was to share his creation with the rest of the world.

Champagne Salon comes from a single hectare plot called « the Salon garden » and nineteen other small plots in Le Mesnil-sur-Oger selected by Eugène-Aimé Salon at the beginning of the 20th century. The wines are aged in our cellars for an average of ten years, after which they finally start to reveal their complexity and finesse.