Billecart-Salmon, Cuvée Nicolas François, Brut 2008

“The 2008 Brut Cuvée Nicolas François was disgorged during the third quarter of 2022 with less than three grams per liter. It has a delicate, pure, clean bouquet with aromas of orchard fruits, spring flowers, honey and licorice, with hints of brioche and pastry with aeration. Medium to full-bodied, chiseled and crystalline, with racy acids and a chalky texture, the palate is tense and the finish is long, penetrating and salty. It exhibits perfect Billecart style, yet tension is present, a sign of the vintage. It is a blend of 60% Pinot Noir (sourced from Aÿ, Mareuil and Verzenay) and 40% Chardonnay from Mesnil, Chouilly and Cramant, and it matured 83% in tanks and 17% in old oak barrels.”-96WA, 2023-2050

In 1818, Nicolas François Billecart and his wife Elisabeth Salmon, a couple in love with the same terroir. At their side was Louis Salmon, Elisabeth’s brother and a passionate oenologist who, from the very beginning, dedicated himself to the development of the wines. In the village of Mareuil-sur-Aÿ, near Epernay, they decided to establish their own Champagne House. Since then, the Billecart family has remained faithful to Mareuil-sur-Aÿ and today, the seventh generation of the family is in charge of the House.

The family has carried on the passion and the myth over the generations. Today, Mathieu Roland-Billecart, the 7th generation of the family, head the House with Antoine, Deputy General Manager in charge of export, with the support of Jean and François Roland-Billecart. Alexandre Bader, managing director, has been working with the Family for more than 25 years. Together, they uphold the House’s values and its philosophy throughout the world.

Denis Blée, director of the vineyard and wines, for the last twenty years responsible for the Clos Saint-Hilaire and the oak Chai. From the pruning to the harvest, he rigorously surveys each parcel of the vineyard and ensures the maturing of the wines in the oak casks. After 33 years working at Billecart-Salmon, François Domi has this year handed over the baton to Florent Nys as Chief Winemaker for Champagne Billecart-Salmon. Florent, who has been working as an apprentice under the watchful eye of François since 2005, is now ready to take over the reins.