多谢Johnny分享SALON 85(美版酒标）及靓照

2011-1-8 第一次尝试“迷你”垂直品饮SALON香槟，我们选择了正当盛年的两大年份1990和1985。因皆为二手购得，故不敢言酒的状态一定完美；但品饮比较结果，确实能反映这两个年份的特质。孰高孰低呢？虽各有千秋，见仁见智，但Johnny和我还是一致认为85年份更为经典！

 

SALON 90：醇香，圆熟，柔媚－－反映出该年份葡萄成熟度非常高（个人认为有过熟之虞），成酒酒精度突出，经陈年酯化后，酒偏柔媚，以SALON而言相当特别，但欠缺SALON经典的结构、力度和持久性。

 

SALON 85：虽年长五岁，腰板却比SALON 90硬朗得多！如果说SALON 90柔媚似环肥，那么SALON 85则是一派大将风度：扎实，稳健，有勇有谋！够劲，够丰富，够持久！

 

下附详细品酒记录:

 

SALON 90

SALON 1990: voluptuous and perfumed

Tasted on Jan. 8, 2011

 

 19:15 Uncorked. First poured. Straw yellow robe without any hint of green. Regularly spaced fine bead.

Initially the bouquet and the taste were so ripe, voluptuous indeed, that it’s all too easy to swallow in big gulps, but I can’t help worry that it would only be going over too soon due to seemingly over-ripeness. Thankfully, with some time in the glass, it gradually found its feet.

 

 19:22 Perfume of walnut, vanilla, peach, cheese and white chocolate, beautifully wrapped in a heady vinous cocoon. The texture was soft and round, amazingly tender and smiling for a Salon thanks to vintage-typical high ripeness, though the heady vinosity, the beautifully ripe acidity and the classic walnut taste were all here. This was pure joy of ripeness, tenderness and finesse. But here I missed the explosiveness, the impact, the astringent backbone that I would expect from a classic Salon -- the taste here was a bit too soft and light for me.

 

 19:36 The most elegant and charming perfume one could imagine: the penetrating walnut scents carrying beautiful 'wings' of white chocolate and vanilla.

 

 19:50 Now the wine finally hit the truly sweet spot!

 The nose was gorgeously fat! Browned butter, stewed peach, vanilla, walnut oil and white chocolate. Seductive!

 The taste was generously full now: a perfectly balanced sour-sweetness with layers of sweet vanilla, peach, hawthorn, walnut and milk chocolate.

 

 20:08 Bouquet of perfumed walnut and concentrated apricot.

 20:12 The aftertaste took on a firm iodine tone – the minerality finally penetrated the cocoon of ripe fruit and mature vinosity.

＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝

 

SALON 85 US label

SALON 1985 (US label): substantial and persistent

US label: S85199US – disgorged in Jan., 1999

Tasted on Jan. 8, 2011

 

This bottle had lost most of its fizz, but none of its life.

 

20:00 Uncorked. Deep yellowish robe with a few fine bubbles lazily surfacing. Some smell of cork which needed to be aired out.

 

20:17 Firm, intense and well structured bouquet composed of seaside note, walnut, apricot and chalk. Excellent weight, concentration and vinosity on the palate.

 

20:32 Charming note of white chocolate joined the aromatic spectrum.

 

20:42 On the palate, underneath the creamy mousse, there was reliable backbone of walnutty core, seasoned by vanilla and white chocolate flavors.

 

20:55 The nose was broad and firm: walnut, cheese, apricot and white chocolate. The taste was rich, dense and round: apricot, peach and walnut.

 

21:17 Bouquet of seaside note, walnut and apricot. The palate exhibited firm acidity and rich taste layers: sweet vanilla, baked apple and walnut.

 

21:32 Wonderful coffee notes joined the bouquet of apricot and walnut, as well as the palate of vanilla, apricot and walnut.

 

21:50 Charming bouquet of walnut and milk coffee. The taste was equally satisfying: sweet vanilla, baked apple and roasted coffee beans.

 

This was very firmly structured and persistent, which again proved the greatness of the classic 85 vintage. The coffee note, which turned up one hour and a half onwards after uncorking, was particularly satisfying.

 

The tasting spanned more than 2 hours yet the wine had not dropped. At the noontime of the very next day, as I sipped the last drops from the empty bottle, it’s all walnut and liquer-like flavor – so is the life of a great Salon!

左为SALON 85, 色略深略暗；右为SALON 90，色更浅更亮