Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/5037
A imé Salon, a successful fur trader, pro- duced his first champagne in 1911 from Chardonnay grown on the one hectare of vineyards he purchased in Le Mesnil. He established his house in 1914, and soon Salon became the house wine at Maxim's, the legend- ary Parisian restaurant. Salon was the first blanc de blancs cham- pagne to be sold commercially. It is only produced in the best years, the most recent being 1990, 1995, 1996 and 1997. Salon wines do not go through malolactic fer- mentation. The wines require consider- able aging to reach their peak. Salon's sister winery is Delamotte, the sixth-oldest champagne house, founded in 1760. In the years that Salon is not made, Delamotte gets the valuable Le Mesnil fruit. The house is Chardonnay- themed, although it does produce a Brut and a Rosé that utilize Pinot Noir. Pro- duction is small, and the wines are char- acterized by refinement, elegance and style. Malolactic is used in Delamotte wines. The firm is run by Didier Depond, who also is in charge of Salon; the wines for both are made by Michel Fauconnet. Both houses are owned by Laurent-Perrier. Delamotte NV Brut ($52) Fresh and juicy with lovely elegance, ripe fruit and balance. 90 Delamotte 1999 Blanc de Blancs ($92) Bright and juicy with lovely texture and great acidity; presence of minerals; strong, elegant and pure; superb. 90 Delamotte NV Rosé ($100) Tangy and juicy; racy and pure with elegance and edge; long and lovely. 92 Salon 1997 Blanc de Blancs ($500) Rich, dense and creamy with complex flavors that are still tightly wound but show great promise for the future; lemon, biscuits and almonds; bal- anced, refined, elegant and amazing. 94 Delamotte and Salon are imported by Wilson Daniels. W inston Churchill's favorite champagne house is family-owned as well. The company is run by charming and elegant Christian Pol-Roger (the family's name is hyphenated, the brand name is not) whose wine products reflect his refined personal style. His forebear Maurice Pol-Roger was mayor of Épernay in 1914 and defied the German occupiers with such courage he was named honorary mayor for life. Pol Roger was founded in 1849 and began exporting to England in 1876. The U.K. remains the top export market for these superbly balanced wines. Pol Roger's remarkable cellars are dug out of pure chalk directly below the center of Épernay. Pol Roger NV Brut Réserve "White Foil" ($45) Fresh and juicy with minerals, bright apple, tangy acidity and a delightful mouth feel; elegant and bracing with lots of charm. 91 Pol Roger NV Pure Brut ($57) Edgy and pure with balance and finesse; zero dosage makes it crisp, dry and diamond bright with racy acidity and pinpoint flavors. 92 Pol Roger NV Rich ($57) Smooth, creamy and sweet with bright peachy fruit and tangy acidity; lively, fresh and lovely. 90 Pol Roger 1999 Brut ($75) Lush and sensual with ripe, toasty flavors of apple; juicy and complex with rich- ness and long, dense flavors that are characteristically elegant. 93 Pol Roger 1999 Blanc de Blancs ($120) Fresh and refined with beautiful pure fruit and subtle yeasty nu- ances; elegant and complex with an exquisitely long finish; brilliant. 95 Pol Roger 1998 Brut Sir Winston Churchill ($220) Explosive and pure with racy acidity and bright, ripe and juicy apple and citrus fruit; long, rich and quite love- ly with notes of mineral and spice on a dense, complex and nuanced finish. 94 Pol Roger is imported by Frederick Wildman and Sons. Pol Roger Salon/Delamotte december 2009 / the tasting panel / 81