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2012 Salon Le Mesnil and 2014 Delamotte Blanc de Blancs: Complete Chardonnays
Michael Schuster tastes the sister Champagne houses’ latest Vintage releases, and puts them in the context of his previously unpublished notes from a vertical tasting hosted by UK agent Corney & Barrow in 2016
he broadening scope of this piece, beyond the most recent releases, may require a little explanation. The 2012 Salon Cuvée S (Salon) and 2014 Delamotte Blanc de Blancs releases last September speak for themselves. But why include a pair of verticals from nearly seven years ago? Because my laptop was the victim of a serious hack shortly after this 2016 tasting, with my notes and files either disappearing completely or scattered across the computer, I thought these notes lost for good, until late last year my IT expert came across them, quite by accident, with only the full 2004 Salon tasting details gone. In honor of the press launch of the 2004 Salon in April 2016, there was also a retrospective tasting of each house, going back exactly 50 years in the case of Salon, 31 in the case of Delamotte. It was a particularly privileged tasting, an illustration, if it were needed, of pedigree and track record. Even seven years later, both these wines have such long drinking windows, and such “reference” opportunities are so rare, that I thought it still worth recording the two
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performance histories and my drinking predictions at that moment in time— useful references in their own right. Since 1988, both Champagne Delamotte and Champagne Salon have belonged to what became, in the same year, the Laurent-Perrier Group; and for the past 25 years, these two sister houses have been managed by Didier Depond. Salon produces just one wine, the Cuvée S (simply known as “Salon”), and that only in what are considered the finest years. It is pure Chardonnay, exclusively from vineyards in Le Mesnil-sur-Oger on the Côte des Blancs, pure grand cru, from possibly the finest Chardonnay terroir in Champagne. Delamotte produces a range of Champagnes, the Vintage Blanc de Blancs being its flagship wine. This, too, is made entirely from grand cru fruit, but from six villages across the Côte des Blancs. To those—and they are many— who say you cannot make a really complex, complete Champagne from a single grape variety, these two wines are a regular riposte. And in the Schuster household, the best blanc de blancs are our absolute favorite Champagnes.
TASTING
DELAMOTTE Delamotte’s pure Chardonnay Vintage Champagne is typically released after six years or so on the lees. It starts to drink well—dependent, of course, on the nature of the vintage—at between eight and ten years, with at least a further 10 to 15 of still-fresh, mature pleasure after that. Perhaps, as a rule of thumb, think 15 years as a drinking span after release. And beyond two decades, well, it varies, of course. But consider the 31-year-old 1985 below.
The 2014 Champagne vintage A warm, very dry, sunny spring and a perfect early June flowering preceded a cool and very wet summer, a challenge to ripening. September, however, was warm, dry, and blue-skied, allowing the grapes, finally, to ripen completely. The relatively abundant harvest of fully ripe fruit took place in perfect conditions.
2014 Delamotte Blanc de Blancs (Disgorged March 2021; dosage 6.5g/l; 85,000 bottles; September 2022 release price £295 per six bottles ex-tax)
Pale yellow; a discreet, refined nose, delicate, minerally, subtle. Medium-full, with a fresh acidity, though relatively supple for a youngish pure Chardonnay, and an easy, lissome mousse. Long and graceful to taste, restrained and fragrant, , with a fine, scented, gently mouth-coating persistence. Doubtless this will keep, but it is attractively accessible now. It will drink well early but likely last well, if perhaps a bit less than the splendid, more structured 2012. Typically delicious, stylish Delamotte. 2023–38+. | 91+
SALON
Salon is made from the finest juice of the first pressing, fermented in stainless steel, without malolactic fermentation, then spending eight to ten years aging on its lees prior to release, with a dosage of between 5g/l and 7g/l. The 2012 production was the current norm of 60,000 bottles, including a limited number of magnums. Salon starts to taste good at around 10 to 15
years and is perfect, perhaps, from 20 to 30. But of course, it depends on the nature of the year. 2002 is utterly seductive at 20 years and has been almost since its release in 2014, whereas 1996 is barely ready at nearly 30. One has to remember these are all pure Chardonnay, and in cooler, higher-acid vintages (none lately), they will lack just a touch of sweetness and flesh early on. But as the vertical
70 | THE WORLD OF FINE WINE | ISSUE 79 | 2023
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