Champagne Salon and Champagne Delamotte share a cellar, a village, and a philosophy, but they tell two very different stories. Understanding how they relate to each other is one of the more rewarding rabbit holes in Champagne.
Delamotte: Champagne's Fifth-Oldest House
Founded in 1760, Champagne Delamotte is the fifth oldest Champagne house still in existence, based in Mesnil-sur-Oger in the heart of the Côte des Blancs, the chalky belt of villages responsible for some of Champagne's finest Chardonnay. Delamotte has built its reputation on precision and consistency rather than flash, exactly the qualities that made it the natural custodian for what would become one of Champagne's most celebrated names.
The house's range spans classic styles: Brut NV as the everyday expression of the Delamotte style, Blanc de Blancs NV and the vintage-dated Blanc de Blancs 2018 showing 100% Chardonnay from the Côte des Blancs, and Brut Rosé NV rounding out the range.
Salon: The Original Blanc de Blancs
Champagne Salon has a stranger, more singular story. Founded in 1911 by Eugène-Aimé Salon, a furrier by trade, it began as a personal passion project rather than a commercial venture. Salon bought a one-hectare plot above the church in Mesnil-sur-Oger, plus nineteen smaller parcels in the same village, convinced the terroir offered an unmatched balance of sugar and acidity for 100% Chardonnay Champagne. His first release, from the 1905 vintage, is widely considered the first true Blanc de Blancs Champagne ever made. The wine didn't become fully commercial until the 1921 vintage, and to this day, Salon makes wine only in exceptional years, sourced entirely from Mesnil-sur-Oger, and only as a single vintage cuvée, no Brut NV, no Rosé, nothing else.
'S de Salon' Blanc de Blancs 2013, the house's secondary label, offers a rare and more accessible way into the Salon style without the extreme scarcity of the flagship vintage bottling.
How the Two Houses Connect
In 1988, the Laurent-Perrier group acquired Champagne Salon and united it formally with its neighbour Delamotte, both houses now run by Didier Depond alongside cellar master Michel Fauconnet. The relationship makes sense: both draw on the same Mesnil-sur-Oger terroir, and Delamotte has effectively served as the more accessible, more consistently available expression of the same chalk and the same obsession with Chardonnay precision that made Salon legendary.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Champagne Salon so rare? Salon only produces wine in exceptional vintage years, sometimes skipping a decade between releases, and only from its Mesnil-sur-Oger holdings. This deliberate scarcity, combined with its status as the original Blanc de Blancs, drives its collector reputation.
What is Blanc de Blancs? Blanc de Blancs means 'white from whites', Champagne made entirely from white grapes, almost always 100% Chardonnay, as opposed to blends that include Pinot Noir or Pinot Meunier.
Where can I buy Salon and Delamotte in Kuala Lumpur? Browse the full Champagne Salon and Champagne Delamotte collections at The Vintage Wine Club.
For orders, tastings, or personalised recommendations, contact The Vintage Wine Club Malaysia at admin@thevintageclub.my, WhatsApp +6012 2801623, or visit us at Publika, Solaris Dutamas, Kuala Lumpur.