Salon - Brut Blanc de Blancs Champagne Le Mesnil 1996 (750ml)
Salon - Brut Blanc de Blancs Champagne Le Mesnil 1996 (750ml)
Couldn't load pickup availability
Critical Acclaim
100 points Decanter
A warm, even hot, spring with no real change during the summer, conditions that allowed the grapes to gorge themselves on sugar while preserving good acidity. Harvest began on 23 September. Hazelnut, spices, flowers form part of the remarkable aromatic complexity of this Champagne that also has also remarkable depth of character. Perhaps the most impressive Salon of the tasting. On the palate, a sensation of flesh and opulence, but also the telltale precision and erect backbone of racy acidity, and an enthralling finish ending on a refreshing note of salinity. A truly great Salon that leaves one speechless. (YC, 01/2020)
100 points Jeb Dunnuck
A stunning wine through and through, the 1996 Champagne Salon is one for the ages. Tasted at 28 years old in August 2024, it felt youthful and pristine. The house's stylistic focus is fully resonant yet has so much life yet to give, retaining a calling card of compact tension and nerve. On opening, it poured a medium straw hue, hardly suggesting its age, and revealed aromatics of crushed seashells, lemon confit, crystalline salted caramel, and poached apples. The palate sets this wine apart, its mousse highly refined yet lively, with buoyant acidity and chalky richness expanding through the extraordinarily long finish. A profound bottle and a profound wine. (AF, 10/2024)
99 points Wine Advocate
This bottle of the 1996 Blanc de Blancs Le Mesnil Brut was drinking superbly and represents the apotheosis of Blanc de Blancs, unfurling over the course of three hours with a stunningly complex bouquet of citrus oil, confit lemon, dried white flowers and oyster shell, with hints of praline and pastry cream becoming more pronounced as the wine opens up in the glass. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, deep and multidimensional, defined by the incisive spine so typical of the vintage that, here, is cloaked in layers of crisp fleshy and chalky extract. The finish is long, penetrating and saline. (WK, 08/2019)
99 points The Wine Independent
Maturing into a medium golden color, the 1996 Salon reveals open-knit, alluring scents of butterscotch, dried apricots, pineapple upside-down cake, and preserved lemons, plus wafts of sea spray and praline. The light to medium-bodied palate delivers Salon’s classic razor-fine backbone of acidity with rich, evolved caramelized tropical fruit layers while the bubbles remain exquisitely tiny and persistent. It gives a very long, mineral-tinged finish. (LPB, 10/2023)
99 points Vinous
The 1996 Salon is just dazzling. It needs a good bit of air to fully open up, but the 1996 Salon is simply a mesmerizing Champagne that sizzles with energy, cut and total precision. A second bottle later in the week was every bit as compelling. When the 1996 Salon is on, it is just about as great as Champagne gets. (03/2019)
98 points James Suckling
Incredible freshness and tightness with fantastic acidity and minerality. Full-bodied, compacted and intense. Flinty! Then light yeast and bread dough. Superb. In suspended animation! (03/2016)
97 points Burghound
While many of the best '96s do remain impressively youthful, this seems to be stuck in a time capsule that brooks no change, at least not willingly! The ultra-elegant nose is clearly still developing and while there are background traces of apple, yeast and floral undertones in evidence, it is the citrus elements that presently dominate. The incredible refinement doesn't stop with the nose however as the detailed and vibrant flavors are firm yet delicate with fine shadings of citrus, yeast and something vaguely akin to minerality that continues onto the pure, harmonious and driving finish that is bone dry but not austere. (10/2015)
Shipping & Delivery Policy
Shipping & Delivery Policy
Our Shipping & Delivery Policy
Yiannis Wine ships orders through FedEx. The shipping fees vary depending on where in the U.S your shipment is going. For any questions or concerns regarding shipment pricing and restrictions please feel free to contact us directly. We are able to ship to all but the following states: Utah, South Dakota, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Mississippi, Kentucky, Delaware, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts. With some of these states, for example Alabama, we are able to ship to an ABC store nearest to you.
It is rare to have a shipment damaged during shipping, however, in the event you do receive a damaged delivery, please let us know. We will need pictures and proof of damage so that we can resolve your claim. Damaged claims will not be accepted without proof. We will replace the wine or issue a credit. The choice is yours!
Deliveries that contain alcohol REQUIRE AN ADULT SIGNATURE. You must be 21 or older to purchase and accept said deliveries.
We cannot ship to PO Boxes, APO/FPO addresses, or internationally.
Shipping fees are not refundable under any circumstances.
There is an additional charge to re-route orders already in transit.
Some items are removed from original packaging, and placed in protective shipping containers to ensure safe delivery.
While most orders are shipped the day they are placed. The demand for limited supplies will occasionally deplete our stock of a paticular product, in this case it will generally take an additional 1 - 2 business days to receive the product and fufill the order.
Although it is rare, if there was a packing error, we would like to resolve it for you! In the event that we shipped an incorrect item, we may ask you to hold on to those items and the exsisting packaging so that we can arrange for a return pick up. If you find that items are missing from your order, we are happy to assist you in reshipping the missing items or processing a credit for the missing item/items. We will provide a return label for incorrect items and credit will be processd upon the return of the item to the warehouse. Reshipment of the correct items will be at no extra charge.
Occasionally a chosen vintage of a wine may sell out or be replaced by a new release after your order is placed. Bottles of wine that are under $20, will not hold up an order and we will simply automatically substitute the wine with the comparable vintage. Please be assured that we will only substitute with a vintage for the same wine. Wine that is valued more than $20 per bottle, we will attempt to contact the customer. After two attempts, the available vintage will be automatically shipped out. (The return policy of $15 return shipping costs, and 15% restocking fee will be enforced.)
Yiannis Wine will not be held liable for damages to orders due to weather conditions during shipping. Potential exposure to extreme heat or cold may damage items during shipping. As we can not be held responsible for products damaged due to weather, we suggest you choose FedEx Express to ship your items and/or add ice packs to your order (during extreme heat) to help prevent damages. We can also place your orders on weather hold until weather conditions improve. Wine is usually fine if it is exposed to some heat (as that is the way wine is made.....Heated so the yeast is activated). If your wine is warm, please place them in a cool, dark room so the wine can "settle."
Most returns will be accepted, but ALL bottles must be returned to get credit. A half bottle or empty bottle of something that did not taste GOOD is fine to return, but the customer will not receive full credit if the bottle is not included.
Sometimes an order is returned to our warehouse after several delivery attempts at the address provided by the customer. We are happy to reship the order however, reshipment fees will apply. Please contact us and we will assist you with the reshipment arrangements.
We are happy to assist with any returns for items purchased that you no longer want or need. Please let us know and we will arrange for the return and issue a credit or refund for your returned items, less the return shipping and handling charges.
We offer some of the most diverse wines in the business, and we are happy to help you choose wines and provide recommendations by our sommeliers if you desire. Everyone has different tastes and Yiannis Wine will not be held responsible for customer choice. While ratings, testimonials, and reviews may influence your decision, the ultimate judgement is yours.
Share
Add Ice Packs to keep your wine cool in transit!
Your premier source
For wines both well-known and eclectic,
We showcase a collection of 10,000+ wines from
some of the world's most prized growing regions!
Looking for something not listed?
Call us at: (757) 498-9463
or
Text us at: (757) 559-0146