Billecart-SalmonMareuil-sur-Ay, Grande Vallée
Producer profile
PL The "historic" family-owned house producing champagne of "great finesse and poise" since 1818. Billecart's signature "long and cool fermentation preserves a lot of fruit aroma". Seek out the "particularly compelling" Blanc de Blancs NV made from grand cru grapes from Avize, Cramant, Chouilly, and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger. The vintage Blanc de Blancs from the same terroirs but made with "exceptionally ripe grapes" offers "more richness and complexity". Cuvée Elisabeth Salmon is "one of the most refined and elegant rosés in Champagne." One of Billecart's most sought-after wines is from Clos Saint-Hilaire, a parcel of pinot noir in Mareuil. It is "powerful and assertive, demonstrating both the opulence of ripe pinot noir and the broad richness derived from clay soils. Made entirely in oak barrels, it stands out for its intensity of expression, feeling almost pugnaciously unbridled next to the polished sleekness of the house's prestige cuvée, Cuvée Nicolas François Billecart. Where the Nicolas François is a classical portrait of a sophisticated blend, the Clos Saint-Hilaire is a demanding, unmitigated expression of site." TyS 10/10 "the most elegant of all Champagne houses" with "transcendental standards". "The mark of Billecart is made not by the heavy footfall of concentration, power and presence, but rather by the fairy touch of delicacy and crystal-clear fidelity." The house philosophy is "integrity of the fruit, freshness and acidity". It's a "medium-sized house" with 20 hectares of estate vineyards and "more than 300 hectares of purchased fruit managed by 185 growers". Grapes are chilled prior to pressing and the juice is cold-settled twice, followed by cold and slow fermentation that takes longer than usual because of the lower temperature. Increasing use of oak after its introduction in 1995 for Clos Sainte-Hilaire: "old barrels, having seen six or seven vintages in Burgundy, are used for fermentation of all grand cru fruit." Select recently disgorged NV cuvées because they are "fragile". Use large glasses for young vintages and give them time: "Billecart's vintage wines can be coiled up tight in their youth and appreciate plenty of time to open up in large glasses". ToS 93 Brut Reserve NV suffered during the house expansion in the recent decade but "the quality of the prestige cuvées has never been affected and they are the real treasures of the range." Middle tier cuvées are Vintage Extra Brut and Blanc de Blancs. House style is "purity and brightness of fruit".
PL The "historic" family-owned house producing champagne of "great finesse and poise" since 1818. Billecart's signature "long and cool fermentation preserves a lot of fruit aroma". Seek out the "particularly compelling" Blanc de Blancs NV made from grand cru grapes from Avize, Cramant, Chouilly, and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger. The vintage Blanc de Blancs from the same terroirs but made with "exceptionally ripe grapes" offers "more richness and complexity". Cuvée Elisabeth Salmon is "one of the most refined and elegant rosés in Champagne." One of Billecart's most sought-after wines is from Clos Saint-Hilaire, a parcel of pinot noir in Mareuil. It is "powerful and assertive, demonstrating both the opulence of ripe pinot noir and the broad richness derived from clay soils. Made entirely in oak barrels, it stands out for its intensity of expression, feeling almost pugnaciously unbridled next to the polished sleekness of the house's prestige cuvée, Cuvée Nicolas François Billecart. Where the Nicolas François is a classical portrait of a sophisticated blend, the Clos Saint-Hilaire is a demanding, unmitigated expression of site." TyS 10/10 "the most elegant of all Champagne houses" with "transcendental standards". "The mark of Billecart is made not by the heavy footfall of concentration, power and presence, but rather by the fairy touch of delicacy and crystal-clear fidelity." The house philosophy is "integrity of the fruit, freshness and acidity". It's a "medium-sized house" with 20 hectares of estate vineyards and "more than 300 hectares of purchased fruit managed by 185 growers". Grapes are chilled prior to pressing and the juice is cold-settled twice, followed by cold and slow fermentation that takes longer than usual because of the lower temperature. Increasing use of oak after its introduction in 1995 for Clos Sainte-Hilaire: "old barrels, having seen six or seven vintages in Burgundy, are used for fermentation of all grand cru fruit." Select recently disgorged NV cuvées because they are "fragile". Use large glasses for young vintages and give them time: "Billecart's vintage wines can be coiled up tight in their youth and appreciate plenty of time to open up in large glasses". ToS 93 Brut Reserve NV suffered during the house expansion in the recent decade but "the quality of the prestige cuvées has never been affected and they are the real treasures of the range." Middle tier cuvées are Vintage Extra Brut and Blanc de Blancs. House style is "purity and brightness of fruit".
Tasting notes
Vintage 2004 Extra Brut. Beautiful bottle with embossed silver lettering on textured black paper. There is a printed code on the back of the neck foil. Compact cork remains tight after opening. Right away a noticeably sweet scent from the mouth of the bottle. Associations with Christmas spices, clove, gingerbread cookie, and graham biscuit. Transitioning to a crusty baguette, then veering off to a surprising dill, fresh humid green outdoors, a chartreuse cocktail, dandelion, and red currant. The taste is vinous, ample, with good acidity, even taut at times, but balanced. Complex, engaging, expanding its dimensions as it warms, this is a thrilling wine. Enjoyed from Zalto Champagne and Burgundy glasses. Purchased at Molly's Spirits in summer 2020 for $86. ⭐⭐⭐
Vintage 2008 Extra Brut. No indication of disgorgement date. QR code on the back label leads nowhere. Fully composite cork. Same sweet aroma as 2004 vintage, bringing associations with liquid caramel and, oddly, with hematogen. Very dry to start, it stays taut and even a touch shrill. Overall, this bottle shows less Maillard post-disgorgement aromas and flavors than 2004 but they are still present. Faint flower nuance among the toasty pastry notes, maybe gardenia or even carnation. Purchased at Molly's Spirits in summer 2020 for $81. ⭐⭐
Cuvée Nicolas François 2006. Disgorged in June 2019. Ebullient and vivid wine of high-toned acidity, bright, lip-smackingly delicious. The chalk is softer and very well expressed. Becomes broader and acquires a darkly fragrant depth as it warms. Suddenly the oak comes through and for some reason I think of the playwright impossibly materializing in the dusty velvety corner of the stage. I know it's not you, William Playbill-Billecart, but how amusing the illusion. Photographed in Zalto Burgundy glass. Purchased at Applejack in autumn 2020 for $126. A little pricey, otherwise I'd give 3 stars. ⭐⭐
All photos and tasting notes are by @gaiwanstyle
Producer profiles and wine details are from books by Peter Liem (PL), Tyson Stelzer (TyS), and Tom Stevenson (ToS)
Producer profiles and wine details are from books by Peter Liem (PL), Tyson Stelzer (TyS), and Tom Stevenson (ToS)