- Home/
- Wine Directory/
- France/
- Champagne/
- 2008 Salon, Le Mesnil Grand Cru
$SALN
2008 Salon, Le Mesnil Grand Cru
Bottle size (ML)
Current price
$5,765
Start Your Wine Collection with 2008 Salon, Le Mesnil Grand Cru
Begin your portfolio with a prestigious wine that has a history of growth.- Enjoy fully managed, secure storage facilities with insurance coverage.
- Get expert advice on when to hold and when to sell.
Vinovest 100Part of our index that tracks the 100 most investment-worthy wines in the world
11.6% of All Producers of Fine Wine
Top VintageBehold! One of the finest vintages of this wine ever made.
61.1% of Vinovest Wines
Top 5A top 5 wine in the region
17.0% of All Fine Wine
100-Point WineHello, perfection. This wine earned a 100-point rating from critics.
6.9% of All Fine WineCritics Scores
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Disgorged in January 2019 with six grams per liter dosage, Salon's 2008 Brut Blanc de Blancs Le Mesnil is a striking wine, unwinding in the glass with scents of citrus oil, fresh bread, crisp green apple, white flowers, smoke and oyster shell. Full-bodied, layered and incisive, it's deep and concentrated, with a tightly coiled core of fruit that's underpinned by a racy spine of acidity. Seamless and unerringly precise, it concludes with a long and penetratingly mineral finish. Immense though its potential for aging is, its intensity and balance make it pleasurable as well as persuasive, even today. Given the eye-watering price of this magnum-only release, I was determined to hold the wine to the highest possible standards, but it surpasses even the prodigious 1996 and surely ranks as the finest Salon since at least the 1970s. In short, this is a Blanc de Blancs that admits no argument.
Vinous
The 2008 Salon is simply extraordinary. Sadly, there will only be 8,000 magnums for the world, as President Didier Depond took the unusual and dramatic decision to bottle the entire 2008 harvest in magnum only, which is a huge decrease over the typical production (when Salon is made) of closer to 60,000 bottles. In the glass, the 2008 is simply extraordinary. Soft and silky, with breathtaking finesse, the 2008 dazzles with a stunning interplay of bright Chardonnay fruit, soaring perfume and crystalline precision. A kaleidoscope of aromas, flavors and textures captivates all the senses. The 2008 remains young and austere, but like so many wines in this great vintage, Salon has an extra dimension of textural depth that keeps it from being austere. It is quite simply one of the most magnificent Champagnes I have ever tasted. The 8,000 magnums will be sold in a special wooden case with 2 bottles each of 2007, 2006 and 2002. Dosage is 6 grams per liter. Disgorged: January, 2019. Drink Dates: 2020 - 2058
Region Summary
Champagne is the original gold standard. For centuries, this famous fizz has been synonymous with opulence, celebration, and romance. Combine that preeminent status with surging demand, and Champagne offers a surefire way to add sparkle to any portfolio.
Why We're Investing
Champagne is the most famous and lauded producer of sparkling wine in the world. While other wine regions have imitated this bubbly beverage, none have duplicated its success. Its trademark on the word has only reinforced the region’s reputation as ground zero for authentic Champagne. Unlike most prized wine regions, Champagne experiences cool temperatures that can slow ripening and leave grapes more acidic and less sugary. While the conditions contribute to Champagne’s unique style, frost poses a perennial problem. A single cold front can devastate an entire harvest. As a result, great Champagne vintages are exceedingly rare (e.g., 2004, 2008, 2012). The solution: a reserve stock system. The region’s governing body requires that Champagne producers store 20 of their wine during bountiful years to meet demand during lean ones. This uniquely Champagne safety net provides a hedge against poor vintages and allows houses to manage supply and prices. That way, buyers see less volatility in price performance than in other regions. Stability isn’t the only reason we’re investing. Champagne has been the best-performing wine region over the last five years. It also ranks second best since 2003, behind only Burgundy. That’s not all. According to the Liv-ex Champagne 50, an index that tracks top Champagnes, the region has appreciated every year since the index’s inception, save for 2015. While glitzy brands like Dom Pérignon, Krug, and Louis Roederer dominate the headlines, Champagne’s hallowed grounds are also home to the humble yet equally compelling grower Champagne. This name typically refers to Champagne made and bottled by the same person. By contrast, most Champagne houses use a blend of grapes from dozens or even hundreds of regional growers. Only produced in small batches, these eclectic wines have made stars out of Jacques Selosse, Ulysse Collin, and Cédric Bouchard and have brought more demand to the region. Here’s the most important part. While the most expensive Burgundies will cost you a small fortune (re: tens of thousands of dollars), Champagne has relatively affordable entry prices, on par with those from Napa Valley and Bordeaux. With this blend of performance and accessibility, it’s easy to see why Champagne is the toast of the fine wine industry.
What's the Latest
If there is a limit to the global demand for Champagne, we have yet to reach it. Clever marketing and shifting consumer tastes have fueled continued growth despite headwinds, including rising inflation and a sluggish global economy. In 2021, Champagne exported a record 179.6 million bottles. That figure marked a 37.31 increase from the previous year, and a 15.1 increase from 2019, before the Covid-19 pandemic. The surge in demand has cascaded into the secondary market. A decade ago, Champagne accounted for only 2 of trade share by volume. Today, it is the third most traded region at 8.4, trailing only Bordeaux (38.8) and Burgundy (21.4). Buyers are also becoming more adventurous. More than 570 different Champagnes were traded on the secondary market, a sevenfold increase in the past ten years. The strongest demand has come for large format bottles, which are rarer than the 750 mL format and a uniquely Champagne offering. According to Liv-ex, big bottles have risen from 5.9 to 18.0 of Champagne’s trade share over the last three years.
Looking Forward
The white-hot performance makes Champagne a coveted region amongst any wine enthusiast. With the prestigious brands, relative value, and global demand, there’s reason to think this trend is here to stay. Even though trade is concentrated among a few well-known houses, the region has more than enough depth to appease all degrees of connoisseurs. The numerous strengths should buoy Champagne even in choppy economic waters. That’s in part because of Champagne’s reputation as a luxury good and connections with French luxury holding companies like LVMH and EPI. Luxury goods tend to fare better than other sectors during downturns thanks to steady demand from high-net-worth clients. The extra layer of recession resistance will serve Champagne collectors well no matter what the future has in store.