The 2004 Salon Blanc de Blancs Le Mesnil is a Champagne blend from the renowned Champagne region in France. This white wine, produced by Salon, features an alcohol content of 12.0% and is sealed with a cork. The 2004 vintage is noted for its structured, tensile nature, making it a standout in an otherwise open vintage year.
Wine Spectator awarded this wine a score of 94, highlighting its elegance and ripe aromas. Reviewer A.N. described it as "featuring up-front, ripe aromas and flavors of dried apricot, crystallized honey, and candied kumquat." The review emphasized a creamy palate that transitions to subtler notes of raw almond, fleur de sel, and star anise, concluding with a "lovely, satiny finish." The wine is recommended for consumption through 2026.
Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate gave the 2004 Blanc de Blancs Le Mesnil Brut an impressive score of 96. William Kelley praised its structure and potential for further aging. He noted that the wine "wafts from the glass with scents of citrus rind, crisp green apple, preserved citrus, fresh bread, and smoke." Kelley described it as medium to full-bodied with a tangy and chiseled profile, featuring a "long, chalky finish" complemented by a "pillowy pinpoint mousse." Kelley mentioned that this wine, tasted from a bottle disgorged in January 2019, still has potential to improve with further bottle age.
James Suckling gave this wine an outstanding review with a score of 98. He remarked on its "immense complexity with stunning purity," noting its immediate impact on the nose with "fresh-baked pastry and brioche, chalky minerals, fresh white mushroom, cucumber, lemon curd, and striking lemon and lime citrus fruits." According to Suckling, the palate offers an almost smoky mineral thread and toasty autolytic flavors that expand through the mid-palate, eventually opening to grapefruit, ripe white peach flavors, lemon sorbet, and lightly grilled hazelnuts. He concluded that this wine is "an impressively layered Blanc de Blancs" and a "classically styled vintage," recommending it for drinking now and for the next 10+ years.
Overall, the 2004 Salon Blanc de Blancs Le Mesnil is a highly praised wine, recognized for its complexity, elegance, and potential for further aging.
