When it comes to gifts under $100, it is hard to do better than the Champagnes from Launois in Mesnil. These wines have an accessibility that makes them the hit of every party; they are a gift that is always appreciated. The value for money will be your secret!
Read MoreEstablished 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.
Read MoreEarlier this week, the K&L Champagne team kicked off our annual staff summit with a dinner hosted by Billecart-Salmon. It has become a welcome tradition to start off our yearly survey of all the grande marque producers with a sushi dinner at my place featuring the wines of this great house. Christian Esser, who just returned from a visit to Billecart, and Eric Lecours presented the wines and treated Scott Beckerley, Michael Benoit, Philip Roufail, Will Langhi, Cinnamon and me to a great spread from Kanpai sushi in Palo Alto.
Read MoreI have the great fortune of belonging to a Champagne tasting group that meets quarterly. Since August 2019, we have been having our get-togethers. Everyone in this group is an absolute Champagne fiend. Luckily, we have never had to suffer through an even slightly mediocre tasting. Yes, a couple of bottles have been corked here and there, but, amazingly it’s only been very, very, few—especially considering that we taste 15-plus bottles per meeting. This last one, a week ago, was another stunner.
Read MoreOn the morning of May 12, 2023, our San Francisco staff had the extreme pleasure of attending a seminar and tasting with Mathieu Roland Billecart of Champagne Billecart-Salmon. We learned about the history of Billecart-Salmon, including its founding in 1818 occasioned by the marriage between Nicolas François Billecart and Elisabeth Salmon. Billecart fans will likely be familiar with these names as they appear on the current 2008 Billecart-Salmon "Cuvée Nicolas François Billecart" NFB Brut Champagne and on bottles of the famous Cuvée Elisabeth Brut Rosé that we regularly have in stock.
Read MoreChampagne Billecart-Salmon is on fire with great releases this year. All the wine lovers reading this article know them as one of the true greats in the world of Grande Marque Champagne, but this year Mathieu Roland-Billecart and his chef de cave Florent Nys have taken this house to another level. Last month, we had the release of the mind blowing 2010 Billecart-Salmon Brut Rosé Champagne, and now, the incredibly long-aged 2008 Billecart-Salmon "Cuvee Nicolas François Billecart" NFB Brut Champagne is finally out. I had a chance to taste a pre-release bottle of this with Clément Calleja from Billecart at the beginning of the month, and what a wine it is…
Read MoreIt is only rarely in my career that I have encountered a Champagne as entrancing as the just-released 2010 Billecart-Salmon Rosé.
Read MoreLast night, Clément Calleja of Champagne Billecart-Salmon kicked off our annual staff Champagne Summit with a big bang. He hosted a comprehensive tasting of their line paired with sushi from Kanpai at Cinnamon’s and my home in Menlo Park. The wines were unforgettable.
Read MoreFor those looking for a sharp buy in beautiful bubbly, Champagne Buyer Gary Westby celebrates the dynamic releases from fan-favorite value producer Egrot. Alex Schroeder then discusses the brilliant biodynamic releases from Solemme. Scott Beckerley revisits an old friend with the perennial excellence of Aspasie. And Giovanni Bueno takes a look at the luxury of Laurent-Perrier. All of these stories just scratch the surface of the remarkable range of top-flight Champagne that you'll find at K&L. From everyday bubbles to cellar-worthy icons, we have you covered.
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