1997 Salon Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut, France, Wine Review

My favorite Champagne, but it has gotten so pricey, that opportunities to have any a few and far between. 100% Chardonnay. Deep golden in color. The nose is tight but shows lots of minerality/chalk along with a touch of salinity. With more air, it opens to express some lemon curd notes. On the palate, this is very open. Lemons, minerals, slight lemon curd notes. A nice backbone of acidity. Crisp. An incredibly long finish. This is delicious and in a very good place right now. Not really showing any old age, but mature. This can be drunk any time over the next ten to fifteen years. It will go with virtually any food.

Grade:

Score:

Vintage:

1997

Current Price:

$740.00USD

2004 Salon Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut Les Mesnil, France, Wine Review

Vintage:

2004

Score:

Grade:

A+

Current Price:

$1200.00USD

This is my favorite Champagne. Sadly, it has gotten so expensive, I don't know how often, if at all, I will get to drink it. One hundred percent Chardonnay. Deeper gold in color with a great mousse of tiny bubbles. The nose is slightly oxidized (a friend called it caramelized) with yeast, brioche, lemon/citrus, and green apple. Full bodied. Great balance. On the palate, this is so smooth. Good acidity but this vintage is more "blowsy". Complex and deep. Flavors of preserved lemons, slight chalk and minerality. Long, long finish. This is probably a bit past peak, but still fantas

2004 Salon Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut, France, Wine Review

Vintage:

2004

Score:

Grade:

A+

Current Price:

$460.00USD

Salon is my favorite Champagne. Unfortunately, it's price makes it a very rare treat indeed. Having tasted this wine on release, it didn't seem worth the price, but with some bottle age, this wine was spectacular. It is, of course, 100% Chardonnay. Silver gold in color with ton of very tiny bubbles. The nose has slight toast, a slight amount of oxidation, plenty of green apples and just a slight ginger note. Wonderful minerality. On the palate, this has great acidity. It is a very lively wine that dances across the palate. Crisp apples, minerals and slight lime/lemon notes. A long

2008 Taittinger Champagne Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut, France, Wine Review

Vintage:

2008

Score:

Grade:

A+

Probably my favorite vintage of this wine and with the escalating prices, who knows if I will get to try another one. Light golden in color, clear with a nice mousse of lots of tiny bubbles. The nose is clean with toast, slight lemons, and minerality. It is tight to start but opens quickly. Full bodied. Crisp acidity. On the palate, there is some lemon, lemon peel, and minerality. Deep and complex. Concentrated. Long finish. This is still showing very young, but delicious. It should have no problem going another twenty years if well stored. It will work wonderfully on its own, a

2008 Taittinger Champagne Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut, France, Wine Review

Vintage:

2008

Score:

Grade:

A+

Current Price:

$190.00USD

First time trying this vintage and it is awesome if still young. I hate to call it elegant as that is not correct, but it is the kind of wine that fans of the "less is more" philosophy of wine will love. Light silvery/gold in color, clear and bright with a lot of tiny bubbles. The nose is great with green apples, minerality, slight lanolin and chalk. But it is not big, just intense. The palate is similar. At first taste, it seemed to be missing something, but it has an energy and persistence that keeps building. Intensity without volume. The green apple and minerality carry thru to

2006 Taittinger Champagne Brut Blanc de Blancs Comtes de Champagne, France, Wine Review

Vintage:

2006

Score:

Grade:

Current Price:

$118.00USD

Of course, 100% Chardonnay. Another great showing from this bottle. Really firing on all levels with just a bit of air. Light green/gold in color, clear and bright. A lot of very small bubbles. On the nose, this has smoke and lemons. With air, a bit of chalkiness comes out. On the palate, this has a nice bite of acidity. It is, however, full bodied and round with no sharp edges. The lemons carry thru along with a bit of yeast. This is starting to show some age on it although it easily has another ten and probably twenty years at peak. It will go with almost any food. One of the

1997 Salon Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut, France, Wine Review

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