In a poetic article by Darius Sanai about Salon, Egon Muller, and the former battleground-lands between Champagne and the Mosel, the writer reports that Salon’s president Didier Despond thinks the 2008 will be the best Salon vintage ever produced and says it will be released only in magnum in 2021 or 2022.
so only millionaires can drink their hallowed juice.
Exactly what I thought Alan . . .
Damnit, and here I was pumped to buy by the Jero.
Don’t worry, there will be plenty of great Comtes in Magnum to drink at a fraction of the price.
Is somebody performing prostate surgery gratis?
I thought there were Medicare rules against freebies.
actually, what they pay is now is akin to giving it away free.
Me Want! - said in my best deep caveman growling voice 
Good news for you is that according to Alan, they’re practically giving it away. 
Sigh, the growing list of wines I will no longer pay the asking price for. More power to them, but I fear i am out.
At least they are giving us a 4-5 year head start to get in that tax bracket… 
Seriously though, this sees to be a growing trend in wine where a famous wine from a good, yet short vintage gets bottled in magnum only. Think 2012 Comte Armand Clos Epeneaux and 2010 Conterno Barolo Ceretta.
And excessibe ballas.
This is my concern for 2008 Champagne in general. 2008 was our wedding year, and I was hoping to grab a good number of bottles to stash away for future celebrations. Hopefully a few of the major houses keep the status quo - I’d be happy with Taittinger Comtes and DP.
I wonder if there’s the basis for a lawsuit there: “You say we can’t practice gratis, and yet you force us to practice gratis.”
+1 and would be nice if Cristal does not go full crazy on pricing too
OP, thanks for the info.
I take it from the general discussion people are optimistic about 08 Champagnes–anyone care to share thoughts on 08 vs 06? Even better? Similar? Different but equally good? What’s the story?
As a non-expert in champagne, I would be interested in hearing about this too…
wonder what a mag of 08 Salon will be sold for. My guess is $1000. I think my 85 was about $55.
This thread reminds me of the long ago thread, “what wine do you have the most of” and Rob *** shut it down with his 3000 bottles of 96 Salon. Yes, 500 six packs.
3000 Salon: stout.
I do not claim expertise in champagne, but the little I have seen of 2008 so far has been very promising. My current euphoria is driven by recent tastings of 2008 Louis Roederer Brut and Blanc de Blancs, plus an astonishingly good Taittinger Millesime. The Roederers are wonderfully rounded and rich with an exceptionally firm and long acid finish- a fine dark mousse already showing on the Brut with the BdB more restrained. The Taittinger Millesime was quite large-scaled by that wine’s standards, but with wild lusty bread notes that finished in a solid wall of lemon- hard to taste in a way like the 96 Krug was at release (though not quite that extreme.) Not since 1996 have I been this personally excited about a champagne vintage- though I am not yet sure they will be quite as massive or long-lived as that year. Will have to see how the big boys show when they are released.
For reference- I am not a fan of 2006. It is a very attractive and ripe vintage in its way, but I did not find any of them particulary compelling or likely to last 30+ years to where they can develop that lovely cream that comes along in time. I felt that way across the board- including Dom, Cristal and the Taittinger Comtes. To be fair, I prefer a champagne to be very racy when young. So I was not likely to be fond of 2006 even if I did think they would make old bones.