2004 Salon le Mesnil

This is the first time that I encountered the 2004 Salon, this in magnum format. What a gem! It has a typically steely and almost terse nose before it opens with thrilling scents of dew dappled green apples and citrus lemon mixed with crushed limestone. The palate is crystalline, brilliantly defined and poised with an underlying bitterness that maintains tension. There's real nerve to this Salon that fans out on the finish, deciding to keep everything very linear and strict, which just makes you love it more. This is a long-term proposition. Tasted at dinner at Moon Bay in Hong Kong.

We started with a 2004 Salon. I have to admit that this bottle does not bowl me over. Steely and aloof, I find the aromatics “distant”. The palate is taut and malic, with just a hint of orange zest coming through with a sapid finish. Fine length, but I could not engage with this champagne, leaving me a bit cold. Too young? Quite possibly, though, I have enjoyed other vintages of Salon more than this.

The 2004 Blanc de Blancs Le Mesnil Brut is another rather structured, tensile wine from a generally rather open vintage. Wafting from the glass are scents of citrus rind, crisp green apple, preserved citrus, fresh bread and smoke. Medium to full-bodied, tangy and chiseled, with fine depth at the core and a long, chalky finish, it's complemented by a pillowy pinpoint mousse. Unlike many wines from 2004, this Salon (tasted from a bottle disgorged in January 2019) still has potential to improve with further bottle age.