Among Champagne's most sought-after icons, the Champagne Salon 2012 stands out as a study in purity, written with a single hand: Chardonnay. This rare Blanc de Blancs, born of one single terroir, one cru and one year, crystallises the exacting standards of a house that only composes when nature reaches the right note. A vintage of character, 2012 delivered a masterful balance between aromatic ripeness and a firm acidic backbone. After long lees ageing, this cuvée offers an effervescence of almost musical finesse and a mineral tension that extends the sensation beyond the last sip. Presented in a wooden case, it is suited both to moments of grace and to the great cellar years, faithful to a lifestyle where every detail aligns to perfection. You will appreciate its upright, luminous style and its airy depth that calls for gastronomic tables, from delicate seafood to the most noble dishes. Salon 2012 is elegance in its purest form, the precision of a single stroke, the memory of chalky soil transfigured into champagne.

Assemblage et vinification

This champagne is a Blanc de Blancs made exclusively from Chardonnay from Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, in the heart of the Côte des Blancs. A single vintage, 2012, it expresses the singularity of a cru where chalk emerges and shapes the freshness. Aged on average 10 to 12 years on the lees, it gains complexity, texture and aromatic depth without ever losing its uprightness. The house practices highly precise vinification, without malolactic fermentation, thus preserving noble acidity and a vibrant energy. The extra-brut dosage highlights the terroir's frankness, enhances the minerality and lets the raw material speak with restraint and grace. Every step, from parcel selection to patient ageing, contributes to a single aim: to reveal the quintessence of Mesnil Chardonnay with crystalline clarity.

Notes de dégustation

• Appearance: Delicate jonquil with green highlights, animated by an effervescence of rare finesse. The brightness of the disc and the liveliness of the bead announce a refined structure, taut with contained energy.
• Nose: A precise, chalky opening evoking wet stone and freshly cut chalk. Notes of white and exotic fruits unfold, followed by dried roses and a delicately spicy touch. The whole breathes purity, with a subtle floral register and a depth that reveals itself with aeration.
• Palate: Lively attack, a straight line and persistent finish. The tart framework unfolds notes of pineapple and lychee, joined by a fine smoky imprint. The texture remains both svelte and ample, set on a chalky minerality that stretches the finish with elegance and precision.

Service temperature and advice

Serve between 10 and 12°C in large tulip glasses to showcase the finesse of the bead and the precision of the bouquet. Open the bottle a few minutes before service to allow the floral nuances and chalky signature to blossom. For cellaring, store in a cool cellar, away from light and vibration, bottle on its side. Salon 2012 has a cellaring potential until 2036, during which the bouquet will gain complexity and reveal new aromatic layers without losing its original tension. At the table, favour a restrained approach, delicate plating and precise cooking to preserve the wine's balance and verticality.

Food pairings

• Aperitifs: Oscietra caviar, blinis with browned butter, crab tartlets with fine herbs.
• Starters: langoustine tartare, carpaccio of scallops, special oysters with iodised nacre.
• Main courses: turbot with lemoned butter, sole meunière, sautéed veal with morels and pearl jus.
• Cheeses: aged Comté, 36-month Parmesan, truffled Brillat-Savarin.
• Desserts: candied citrus in a thin tart, light almond meringue, vanilla entremet with crème crue.

Moments to enjoy

Salon 2012 is the ideal companion:

• To celebrate a unique event where elegance and rarity come to the table.
• During a gastronomic dinner where the precision of the dish meets the purity of Chardonnay.
• As an exceptional gift presented in a wooden case, intended for an informed enthusiast or a collector's cellar.

Characteristics

• Name: Salon 2012, Blanc de Blancs, wooden case
• House: Salon (Groupe Laurent-Perrier)
• Appellation: Champagne AOC
• Type: Blanc de Blancs
• Vintage: 2012
• Grape variety: Chardonnay (100%)
• Terroir: Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, Côte des Blancs
• Ageing: about 10 to 12 years on the lees
• Malolactic fermentation: not carried out
• Dosage: Extra-brut
• Cellaring: until 2036
• Service temperature: 10–12°C