Salon Le Mesnil Blanc de Blancs Brut Champagne 2015
(Champagne, France) - [VM 97] [JS 96] [WS 95]

About the Wine:
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.  Delamotte is their sister label.

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.

This forty-fifth vintage marks a kind of rebirth, a reminder of first principles. 2015 transports us back to 1905, when the visionary Aimé Salon created his first masterpiece – one that nobody had dared imagine: a Champagne from a single cru, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger; a single grape, Chardonnay; and a single vintage, made only in the most exceptional years. Crafted initially for the pleasure of its brilliant inventor and his close friends, Salon’s singular creation quickly captured the attention of the most discerning connoisseurs of the Roaring Twenties.

The Vintage:
After a mild, wet autumn and an uneventful winter without any harsh frosts, a wet spring encouraged early development in the vines, budburst for Chardonnay beginning from 14th April. From mid-May and for the next 3 months, an extended spell of dry, sunny weather settled across the region. Champagne basked in the light. The Chardonnay vines began flowering energetically on 11th June. By early August, veraison was underway, and soon after, welcome showers and cooler temperatures allowed the vines to complete the ripening cycle in calm, measured fashion. By the time harvest began on 8th September, bright sunshine had returned to Le Mesnil-sur-Oger. The summer of 2015 smashed historical records for both sunshine and drought – climatic conditions that brought the grapes to perfect maturity, promising a vintage of remarkable quality.

Tasting Notes:
From the first moment, Salon 2015 captivates the senses. Its shimmering golden hue glints with green and silver. A graceful stream of fine bubbles releases precise, delicate bouquet: white flowers, hints of linden and honeysuckle, all underpinned by a persistent chalky quality that threads through every aroma. The palate is generous and vibrant, balancing saline freshness with brilliance, a pure expression of its terroir. Intense and finely structured, it delivers a tasting experience where depth and refinement meet, each sip telling a story of place and time.

Grapes: 100% Chardonnay

Food Pairings:
Profoundly complex, Salon 2015 is a wine for the table. To whet the appetite, begin with the exquisite blanc de blancs from sister house Delamotte, then savour Salon 2015 at table, as you would a fine wine. The wine is in its element with foods that share its nobility, such as a succulent Kintoa ham from Basque country pigs, aged mountain parmesan, or No. 1 oysters flashed over binchotan charcoal, all revealing the subtle saline power and smoky iodine of Salon. Going further still, the chalk-driven character of Salon 2015 will magically lift umami-rich dishes. Among the many masterpieces of French gastronomy, we must mention Sébastien Bras’ grilled line-caught sea bass with a hazelnut crust - a standout pairing that shows the remarkable gastronomic potential of Salon 2015.

Ratings & Reviews

97 Points - Vinous Media:
“The 2015 Salon is exquisite. Bright and focused, the 2015 captures a gorgeous stylsitic middle ground between the riper and cooler years. The flavor profile leans towards the more citrus, floral and mineral-driven end of the spectrum typical of cooler years, and yet the wine is also wonderfully open-knit and accessible, with no hard edges and the textural balance that is more common in warmer years. It's a duality that works extremely well. There is a savory undertone typical of the year, but it is a strand in the fabric rather than a dominant characteristic. I left a bottle open for more than a week, during which I observed virtually no oxidation. The 2015 might not be as overtly impressive as some recent years, rather it is a Champagne of cool sophistication and total polish. Unusually, the 2015 is being released ahead of the 2014. (Drink between 2025-2045)” - Antonio Galloni (Apr 2025)

96 Points - James Suckling:
"Fragrant aromas of chamomile, pineapple, beeswax, pie crust and some salted toffee from this generous vintage. Tasty sesame seed flavors on the palate, accompanied by a chalky, saline character. It's creamy and concentrated with very soft bubbles. Engaging and open already, yet with good acidic structure. 100% chardonnay from Le Mesnil-sur-Oger. 6 g/L dosage. Disgorged end of 2024. Delicious already, but can hold." (Jul 2025)

95 Points - Wine Spectator:
"Initially reduced on the nose, this opens with air to reveal rich notes of toasted brioche and smoked hazelnut layered with white peach, baked pineapple and tangerine sorbet flavors, plus a minerally underpinning of oyster shell and chalk. The plush mousse offers a luxe, cashmerelike feel while carrying the rich range of flavors, trimmed nicely by chiseled, lemony acidity. Drink now through 2040. 150 cases imported.” - Alison Napjus (Dec 2025)