On Thursday afternoon I went to a Champagne Salon tasting at Opus Restaurant in Toronto. The very generous Adrian Williamson from Tastevin Selections invited me. Tastevin is the Ontario importer for Salon and its sister house Delamotte, almong other labels.

Both Salon and Delamotte fall under ownership of the Groupe Laurent-Perrier, well known for their own labels that include Brut L-P, Cuvee Rose Brut, Cuvee Grand Siecle.

Salon only makes one kind of Champagne, their Le Mesnil which is a Blanc de Blancs; 100% Chardonnay from their one hectare parcel le Mesnil-sur-Oger as well 20 smaller parcels near Mesnil-sur-Oger chosen by founder Aime Salon at the beginning of the century. The only produce wine during vintage years, the first being 1911. Over the past 82 years, only 32 vintages have been released. The current release is the 1995 vintage, while the '96 and '97 will be released at a later date.

Delamotte offers multiple labels in their portfolio. They are the NV Brut, NV Brut Blanc de Blancs, NV Rose, and Brut Blanc de Blancs Vintage. The Brut is a 50/30/20 (approximate) blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier from five hectares of gravely soil in le Mesnil sur Oger, in addition to a select group of suppliers in the region.

At the tasting, I had the opportunity to meet Mr. Didier Depond, President of Salon and Delamotte. A very friendly person, he was more than happy to share his thoughts on the various wines he brought with him from France. There were only about fifteen people in attendance, so there was plenty of time to chat. Towards the end of the tasting, he gave me his card, and told me to be sure to call him next year if I decide to make a side trip to France from my Italy trip. He said that he would be more than happy to arrange for a cellar tour and private tasting if I was in the area.

The wine poured on Thursday was as follows:

NV Delamotte Brut

1997 Delamotte Blanc de Blancs

1995 Salon

1990 Salon

1988 Salon

1982 Salon

I must say that this lineup included some of the best Champagne that I have ever tasted. Later on in the tasting, they brought out some canapes to go with the champers. One batch was smoked salmon topped with caviar, the other was lobster topped with caviar. The smoked salmon canapes with caviar was absolutely unreal with the '82 Salon. Wow.

Needless to say I had an absolutely fabulous afternoon (who wouldn't after six glasses of Champagne? ), and you couldn't wipe the grin off my face if you tried! Is there a better way to spend a sunny Thursday afternoon?

[edited to add links to TNs]

Nice tasting. I've had all the Salon's you list except for the 1995 which I have not yet seen as being available. I'm kind of suprised you didn't get the 1985 as part of the tasting. At a tasting I went to we had the 1982, 1985, 1988, and 1990. The 1982 was my favorite, nice and crisp, clean with good flavors. The 1985 is a different beast than the others (perhaps why it was not poured). Very carmelly with lots of toasted flavors.

Actually skwid, I'm disappointed that the '85 was not poured. I own a bottle and was looking forward to seeing its evolution without having to crack my bottle. Oh well, at least I got to taste a few other really great wines. I know Mr. Depond was on his way to New York the next day to do a similar tasting. Did anybody attend?

Great tasting. I've only had the '95 Salon which was very, very good. Champagne tastings with the proper appetizers are a great way to spend some time.

Thanks for the TN's and notes Futronic.
Looks like a wonderful tasting. It's quite amazing how well the 82's are standing up. The Veuve 82 also showed very well a few months ago when I was fortunate to enough to go to that tasting.

Have you tried any other 82 Champagnes?

Jeremy,

No, I'm not that lucky of a guy to have tasted other '82s. Maybe if I get really, really lucky I might get to taste another soon. Not likely though!

You and me both I think.