The 2015 Salon is exquisite. Bright and focused, the 2015 captures a gorgeous stylsitic middle ground between the riper and cooler years. The flavor profile leans towards the more citrus, floral and mineral-driven end of the spectrum typical of cooler years, and yet the wine is also wonderfully open-knit and accessible, with no hard edges and the textural balance that is more common in warmer years. It's a duality that works extremely well. There is a savory undertone typical of the year, but it is a strand in the fabric rather than a dominant characteristic. I left a bottle open for more than a week, during which I observed virtually no oxidation. The 2015 might not be as overtly impressive as some recent years, rather it is a Champagne of cool sophistication and total polish. Unusually, the 2015 is being released ahead of the 2014.

No water stress and not the green note that's found in some other 2015 champagnes. Picked 8 September. 2013 was the last October harvest. The much more tightly wound 2014 will be launched after the 2015. Disgorged in late 2024. Dosage 6 g/l. Deep gold. Tiny bead. Rich crème pâtissière nose. My sample is – just – not too warm (Rebecca Palmer of Corney & Barrow, poor thing, turned up with two bottles from the hot tube) – and was perfect for tasting rather than drinking. Quite open and ripe. Coppery richness. You can taste the warm season after a mild, humid winter. Much more accessible than most just-released Salons; atypical. Hint of lemon syrup. Long. (JR)