Billecart-Salmon’s Stunning Champagnes Are Perfect for the Holidays
Established in 1818 with the marriage of Nicolas François Billecart and Elisabeth Salmon, Champagne Billecart-Salmon is perched at the pinnacle of Champagne’s Grand Marques. Located along the Marne River in the renowned village of Marieul-sur-Aÿ, it is still family-owned and operated 205 years later. Seventh-generation vigneron Mathieu Roland-Billecart is now at the helm alongside sixth-generation mentors Antoine Roland-Billecart, Deputy General Manager, and Jean and François Roland-Billecart. They are supported by Alexandre Bader, Managing Director, and Denis Blee, Director of the Vineyards and Wine. After 33 years as Billecart-Salmon's Chief Winemaker, François Domi has recently turned the reins over to his apprentice Florent Nys.
Along with its superb portfolio of fine Champagnes, Billecart-Salmon is credited with two important winemaking innovations. In 1958, Charles Roland-Billecart introduced “cold settling” to the assemblage, which is chilling the grape must so that solids fall to the bottom to reduce the chances of off characteristics and to prevent spontaneous yeast fermentation. Then, long cold fermentations in tanks are used to preserve freshness. These methods are hallmarks of Billecart-Salmon's Champagnes, and the improved quality and finesse earned the house’s 1959 vintage the title, “Champagne of the Millenium,” as judged by Champagne experts when tasted alongside 149 other candidates in 1999. Billecart’s 1961 vintage came in second place. Not too shabby!
K&L carries an expansive list of must-have Billecart-Salmon Champagnes. The top offerings are the 2005 Billecart-Salmon "Le Clos Saint-Hilaire" Brut Champagne $549.99, a single-vineyard all-Pinot Noir barrel-fermented masterpiece aged for 20 years before release; the lauded 2008 Billecart-Salmon "Cuvée Nicolas François Billecart" NFB Brut Champagne $229.99, 60% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay aged for 13 years; the 2009 Billecart-Salmon "Cuvée Louis" Brut Blanc de Blancs Champagne $219.99, 100% Grand Cru Chardonnay aged for 12 years; and the remarkable 2010 Billecart-Salmon Brut Rosé Champagne $119.99, 55% Grand Cru Chardonnay, 45% Pinot Noir, the house’s first ever straight vintage rose.
Next, is the “baby brother to the Clos Saint-Hilaire,” the barrel-fermented Billecart-Salmon "Sous Bois" Brut Champagne $94.99, equal parts Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Meunier; the 2013 Billecart-Salmon Vintage Champagne $99.99, 62% Pinot Noir, 24% Chardonnay, and 14% Meunier; and the 2016 Billecart-Salmon Vintage Champagne $99.99. Rounding out their portfolio are the Billecart-Salmon "Brut Réserve" Champagne $59.99, 40% Meunier, 30% Chardonnay, 30% Pinot Noir; the Billecart-Salmon Brut Nature Champagne $64.99 40% Meunier, 30% Chardonnay, 30% Pinot Noir with zero dosage and aged for four years; and the Billecart-Salmon Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Brut Champagne $94.99, 100% Grand Cru Chardonnay from the Côtes des Blancs.
However, Billecart’s true global fame lies with its flagship cuvée, the Billecart-Salmon Brut Rosé Champagne $84.99. Created in 1970 by Jean Roland-Billecart, the blended Billecart-Salmon Brut Rosé is now an international icon. Along with fellow Grand Marques Laurent-Perrier and Bollinger, Billecart-Salmon established rosé Champagne as a serious, sought-after wine and is rated one of the top non-vintage rosé Champagnes year after year. To say it was a game changer is an understatement. The Billecart-Salmon Brut Rosé Champagne’s current iteration is 40% Chardonnay, 30% Pinot Noir, and 30% Meunier. It's vinified in stainless steel tanks and aged on the lees for three years, the minimum requirement for vintage Champagne. It gets its beautiful pale pink hue from Pinot Noir vinified as red wine and added to the blend, a technique called methode assemblage. On the nose, it bursts with floral aromas, red berries, and citrus zest. On the palate, wild strawberries, raspberry, and cream. We just slashed the price of this classic to $84.99! At this price, the Brut Rosé is the perfect introduction to this famed Champagne house’s extraordinary wines and is perfect for your holiday gatherings!
- Philip Roufail, K&L Champagne Specialist