Champagnes Salon & Delamotte 1959-2007

Salon remains one of Champagne’s most mystical and elusive wines. Since 1905, the house has declared just thirty-nine vintages. This vertical tasting of Salon and sister property Delamotte provided a great opportunity to revisit a number of reference point vintages and also taste the latest releases.

What started off as a simple tasting turned into something much more elaborate than I could have ever imagined when I first made my appointment at Salon. Salon/Delamotte President Didier Depond dug deep into the cellars and opened a stunning range of older wines for a small group of tasters. The Salon vintages went all the way back to 1959. We also tasted a number of older Delamottes back to the 1970. 

When Salon does not declare a vintage, the wines go to Delamotte, Salon’s sister property and neighbor. Because of that, the Delamotte Champagnes are often mentioned as an after thought. That is a shame, because the Delamotte Champagnes deserve to be appreciated on their own terms, a point that is made eloquently in tasting top-flight vintages such as 2004 and 1996 that were declared at both houses.

Stylistically, the two wines are quite different. Delamotte’s vintage Blanc de Blancs, a blend of fruit from Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, Oger, Avize and Cramant, is made in a relatively open-knit style. Unlike Salon, Delamotte sees full malolactic fermentation, which softens the edges and gives it the creaminess to drink well with minimal cellaring. Delamotte’s late-released Collection Champagnes, spend more time on their lees and generally see a bit less dosage than the original release. I have been fortunate to taste quite a few of the Collection wines over the last few years. At their best, they are truly special. 

Salon is a much more reticent Champagne. All of the fruit is sourced exclusively from Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, starting with a parcel that is right behind the main house. The natural focus and drive of Mesnil is accentuated by the blocked-malo style. As a result, Salon requires extended time on its lees, which also makes it one of the last tête de cuvées to be released. Production hovers around 60,000 bottles per vintage, give or take, which is miniscule by the standards of Champagne

The entrance to the cellar at Salon

Champagne Delamotte: Blanc de Blancs 2007-1970

This flight of Delamotte Champagnes shows how the best vintages can drink well young, but also age. Some of the older Collection wines in this flight are truly remarkable.