A singularity in champagne world; Salon is an authority of top shelf quality in Champagne world. This exceptional wine is the champagne of a single terroir: the Côte des Blancs; a single cru: Le Mesnil-sur-Oger; a single grape variety: Chardonnay; a single year: that of a great vintage; and of one man: Eugène-Aimé Salon.
Le Jardin de Salon
(Image credit: Champagne Salon)
Eugène-Aimé Salon
Eugène-Aimé Salon was born on 7th October 1867 in Pocancy, a village at the foot of the Côte des Blancs in Champagne.
Having little interest in the family farm and even less in the career of primary school teacher also on the cards, Eugène-Aimé Salon opted to try his luck in commerce, moving to Paris. Young and enthusiastic, he managed to secure a position with the furrier Chapal in Montreuil. Initially a boy Friday, he worked hard and stepped up, assuming more and more responsibility, taking charge of the company’s development strategy, leading to its expansion and great success. As the new century dawned, he was one of the key figures of Paris’ glittering society circuit. His success led him to the love of finer things in life.
This was somewhere in the late 19th century, when the idea of making an extraordinary champagne for his personal use. A wish that led to the birth of Salon.
Birth of Salon
His ties to Champagne had remained strong through the years, and he had the perfect advisor in his brother-in-law; Marcel Guillaume, a chef de cave for a small producer. Eugène compared the grapes from vineyards in Cramant, Avize, Oger and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger. He found the grapes from Le Mesnil best suited to produce wines with the exceptional ageing potential.
He chose the Côte des Blancs to be his terroir, the best cru, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger; Eugène entrusted Marcel to buy some land, he purchased a 1 hectare plot in the Grand Cru (Le Jardin de Salon), the main plot and 19 other smaller plots scattered in the area . There was a clear vision for Eugène to make single varietal unblended expression of Champagne, a very alien concept at that point of time in the region of Champagne.
Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, as a Cru is famous for fruit with great balance of acidity and sugar. Mostly known for its bracing acidity and the highest quality of flavor concentration in Côte des Blancs, creating a possibility of long ageing.
The first harvest was in 1905; first millésime of Eugène-Aimé Salon’s special “Cuvée S.” intended for personal consumption; a new term called, ’Blanc de Blancs’ was born. Few years later when his champagne came out of his cellars and were poured; received fantastic feedback.
His close circle of friends encouraged him to take this wonderful champagne to market.
It took him a few more years and the end of a raging World War I, before Eugène-Aimé Salon officially founded Champagne Salon in 1920.
The demand grew high in the market and he was then able to acquire the house near the church above which his vineyards were situated. It is still the current location of Champagne Salon.
Salon became very popular and was featured in the menus of many famous restaurants. It was the house Champagne of the legendary Paris restaurant Maxim. The term ‘Blanc de Blancs’ didn’t become a term for many years: a 1928 menu at Maxim’s in Paris listed the Champagne as ‘Salon & Cie, Mesnil Nature, Cuvée Pure de Raisins Blancs 1921, Vin de Grand Cru (Blanc de Blancs)’; a couple of years later, the Reims Trade Register mentions the champagne as ‘Salon Mesnil Nature ‘Blanc de Blancs’ de cépages nobles de la Montagne Blanche 1929’.
Eugène-Aimé Salon left us in 1943 and the house was ran by his family for some years. 20 years later the house was sold to Champagne Besserat de Bellefon and then bought by Laurent Perrier in 1989. It was nostalgic for President Bernard de Nonancourt, who witnessed the legendary 1928 vintage being taken by the German troops from Champagne Salon; and apparently never forgot finding that great cache of Salon in Hitler’s Eagle's Nest retreat in Berchtesgaden. As a sergeant in the 2nd Armoured Division, De Nonancourt and his mates from the allied forces stormed in Eagles’s Nest. They retrieved the champagne and were the few who tasted from the 200 bottles that were looted in front of his eyes.
Laurent Perrier group acquired Champagne Salon and united it with the sister house Champagne Delamotte, also located in the Côte des Blancs. Today, both champagne houses are run by Didier Depond, alongside Cellar Master Michel Fauconnet.
Didier Depond
(Image credit: thefinestbubble )
In late 1980’s when Didier Depond was a salesperson for Laurent Perrier, he witnessed a condition where Salon saw neglect. Top restaurant Sommeliers wouldn’t Purchase Salon; they would get 12 bottles of Salon free on a purchase of 100 bottles of Besserat de Bellefon. It was the top notch quality that soon made Salon one of the most eminent wine in the world.
In the house’s 120-year history here have been 44 vintages released; an average of around 3 vintages in a decade. The 2013 is the seventh vintage of the 21st century. With a maximum annual production of 60,000 bottles and just ten employees. The original plots identified by Guillaume are still providing the grapes – except for one; Clos Tarin, in Clos de Mesnil, which was bought by Champagne Krug in 1971 for its Krug Clos de Mesnil. The original one-hectare Jardin de Salon remains unchanged.
The first label, the 1905, was designed by Salon himself. It’s deceptively restrained and unadorned but you can clearly see the emerging serifs on the ‘S’. This label borne for more than half a century, until the 1971 vintage, when the new bottle shape was introduced. The label too was totally redesigned, the famous serifs stretched and enhanced.
For a collectors reference it should be noted that vintages 1971 and 1973 were put into both the original and the new bottle shape. As the years progressed the design has become minimal; the deep green background appeared in 1982, while ‘A Salon’ became simply ‘Salon’.
Salon remains the most coveted Champagne in the wine list of any prestigious establishment. A symbol of luxury, class and persistence.
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