Alcohol: 12.5%
Grape(s): 55% Pinot Noir from the Montagne de Reims and the Grande Vallée de la Marne/45% Chardonnay from the Côte des Blancs
Localization: Côte des Blancs, Champagne, France
Tasting Notes: Billecart-Salmon's rare and highly sought after "Elisabeth" Brut Rosé, a blend of the best Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, is made only in exceptional vintages, called millésimes. It was created in 1988 as a tribute to co-founder Elisabeth Salmon. A luminous visual presence with soft shimmering coppery reflections and a deep salmon pink hue. A refreshing and sensual sensory expression of citrus peels and red berry jelly, with the exquisite sensation of a rich and complex aromatic amplitude (Plougastel strawberry, Mara des Bois and vine peach). Beautifully refined and mature olfactory notes, releasing a distinctive perfume of scented soft spices and wild rasberry pulp. Harmonious blossoming of gourmet flavors (tangerine, blood orange and Reinette apple tart). A fullbodied and layered mouthfeel, evolving towards a chalky edge and a lingering finish of citron zest and red and white currants.
Notes: Less than 10% of the Pinot Noir is vinified as a red wine. The grapes for the red wine are come from the “Valofroy” vineyard of old vines, located on the slopes of Mareuil-sur-Aÿ and which benefit from a south facing exposure
98 Points - Decanter: A superb vintage of this renowned prestige cuvée, this is made from a base of 55% Pinot Noir and 45% Chardonnay, to which is added 9% of red wine. Despite ageing on its lees for 10 years, it remains almost shockingly youthful, its vividly primary flavours of red cherry, strawberry and nectarine wrapped up in a taut, tense frame. It’s silky in texture and intricately complex on the long, elegantly harmonious finish, underlined by a saline chalkiness, and it demonstrates all the requisite completeness and character for long ageing, promising a slow and dignified evolution to come.
Food Pairing: This great wine is endowed with great finesse and delicacy, its personality shining through textures and flavors. An aromatic charm coupled with a rare mineral dimension, ideally paired with poulet de Bresse or Breton langoustines royales.
The Domain: Oldest continuously family-owned House, Billecart-Salmon was founded in 1818 by the marriage of Nicolas Francois Billecart and Elisabeth Salmon. For over two hundred years, the House has developed a renowned expertise in crafting fine, elegant and balanced Champagnes.
Billecart-Salmon was first and foremost the result a union between Nicolas François Billecart and Elisabeth Salmon who, in 1818 and just married, founded their own Champagne House in Mareuil-sur-Aÿ, a small village near Epernay. 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. From then on, their heirs have never stopped aiming for excellence in winemaking. Today led by seventh generation Mathieu Roland-Billecart, each family member has endeavored to pursue the family tradition and stay faithful to the same motto: "give priority to quality, strive for excellence."
Billecart-Salmon rigorously cultivates an estate of 100 hectares, sourcing grapes from an area totaling 300 hectares across 40 crus of the Champagne region.
The majority of the grapes used for vinification come from a radius of 20km around Epernay, where the Grand Crus of Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay co-exist, in the vineyards of the Montagne de Reims, the Vallée de la Marne and the Côte des Blancs.
As part of the quest to increase the quality of their champagnes, in the 1950s, the House introduced the technique of cold settling combined with the use of stainless steel tanks for a longer fermentation at a lower temperature. Vinification occurs primarily on small thermoregulated tanks which allows the House to vinify parcels separately, preserving nuances of expression of "terroir". Low temperature fermentation slows down the process, encouraging aromas to delicately develop and allow the purity of the fruit to be fully expressed; absolute signature of the Billecart-Salmon style: finesse, elegance and balance.
Over three years of ageing on lees in the chalk cellars for the non-vintage cuvees and over ten year for the prestige vintage cuvees, the family allows their wines to blossom. Giving the luxury of time to play its role is also behind the grandeur of Billecart-Salmon champagnes.
