2013 Champagne Salon, Brut Blanc de Blancs, Le Mesnil, France

A rare, terroir-driven Blanc de Blancs of precision and power—Salon 2013 captures the authority of Le Mesnil with the restraint and longevity that define the house.

Only the 44th vintage released in more than 120 years, Champagne Salon 2013 is a singular expression of Blanc de Blancs Champagne. Produced exclusively from Le Mesnil-sur-Oger and aged for a decade prior to release, it reflects Salon’s uncompromising commitment to precision, longevity, and terroir. Structured yet refined, this is a Champagne built not for immediacy, but for decades of evolution.

In the glass, the wine shows a luminous pale gold hue with subtle green reflections. Aromas of white blossom, linden, jasmine, and bergamot unfold over a core of chalk-driven minerality. The palate is expansive yet tightly composed, with notes of baked apple, toasted hazelnut, and salted butter caramel. Fine, persistent bubbles carry through to a long, saline finish that speaks clearly of Le Mesnil and the Salon style.

The 2013 vintage was shaped by a cold winter, a prolonged and rainy spring, and a slow, late-growing season that pushed harvest into October. Careful parcel-by-parcel attention and strict selection resulted in low yields but exceptional quality, producing Chardonnays with excellent balance between ripeness and acidity and clear long-term aging potential.

Serve lightly chilled at 55–59°F (13–15°C). Salon 2013 is best enjoyed at the table, where its mineral tension and depth pair beautifully with oysters and shellfish, seafood terrines, sweetbreads, or foie gras.

99 points, Vinous
"The 2013 is the most powerful, dense young Salon I have ever tasted. Champagne of mind-bending complexity, the 2013 possesses tremendous mid-palate intensity and power from the very first taste. Lemon confit, dried flowers, mint and a touch of brioche appear first, followed by light tropical accents that add an exotic flair. Imagine the sizzling energy of the 2008 and the persistence of 2004, with more mid-palate richness and riper fruit. Two-thousand thirteen was a cool, late ripening year. Harvest started at the beginning of October under sunny, dry days and cool nights, conditions that have not been seen since then. Readers will find a spectacular, modern Salon endowed with tremendous depth and very little of the youthful austerity that once defined Champagnes from cooler years here. The 5.5 grams per liter of dosage is perfectly judged. In a word: Magnificent. ” - By Antonio Galloni on March 2023"

99 points, Vinous
"The 2013 Salon is a huge wine. Dense and explosive, the 2013 possesses almost shocking textural richness for a young Salon. If offers a perfect example of the vintage in the Côtes des Blancs, a year in which ripeness and acids were both elevated. Lemon confit, marzipan, white flowers, mint and white pepper explode onto the palate. Bright saline notes pull it all back together on the finish. Dosage is 4.5 grams per liter."

• France – Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, Côte des Blancs, Champagne • Salon is a unique Champagne: from one single region; from one single cru; from one single grape variety; and from one single vintage, with no blending whatsoever. Salon was originally the product of one single man, Aimé Salon. Created in 1911 with its first vintage in 1905, Champagne Salon is the creation of Aimé Salon, a champagne connoisseur enchanted then seduced by the terroir of Le Mesnil. Headed by Salon until his death in 1943, the house was then left to his nephew. In 1988, Champagne Laurent-Perrier, a family-owned company, became the majority shareholder of Champagne Salon. Today, the house of Salon, along with its ancient neighbor and sister, Champagne Delamotte (the 5th oldest Champagne house, founded in 1760) are directed by one man, Didier Depond. At each step of the production of Salon, a conscientious effort is made to be the best, the most beautiful and the rarest, thus allowing fervent admirers of Salon to taste a perfectly balanced Champagne, with rich and complex aromas. All the emphasis in the production of this exceptional wine is on the singular.