Billecart-Salmon : Le Reserve "RED"

Tasting Notes and Serving Recommendations for the Billecart-Salmon Le Réserve "RED" Extra-Brut NM

Tasting

Color

This champagne shows a pale, luminous gold tone with gentle hints of straw yellow. The bead is fine and lively, rising steadily to form a persistent, generous mousse that gives the glass a youthful brightness.

Nose

The nose opens with a clean, airy intensity before revealing a pure and natural fruit character. Notes of pome fruit such as apple and pear mingle with fresh floral touches and a light brioche-like nuance, reflecting the extended aging on lees.

Palate

On the palate, the wine shows a delicate texture paired with real vinosity and aromatic concentration. Flavors of apple, crisp pear and citrus are joined by subtle toasted accents, while the finish stretches long, fresh and tinged with a saline, mineral edge.

Food and wine pairings

This champagne works beautifully as an aperitif and pairs naturally with raw or lightly marinated white fish, seafood, sashimi or delicate carpaccio, where its freshness and minerality highlight the texture of the ingredients. Its creamy mouthfeel and notes of apple, pear and biscuit also allow it to accompany savory tarts and finely textured roasted poultry. Thanks to its dry, Extra-Brut profile, it is best suited to savory dishes rather than very sweet desserts.

Serving and cellaring

The Le Réserve "RED" NM is best enjoyed at a serving temperature of 46–50°F (8–10°C). No official cellaring guidance is available for this cuvée.

Other characteristics

This is a dry Extra-Brut champagne, with a dosage of approximately 3 to 4 grams per liter of residual sugar depending on the release, underscoring a style built around precision and purity rather than sweetness.

A Non-Vintage Champagne from Billecart-Salmon Reflecting the House Style of Mareuil-sur-Aÿ

The Estate

Founded in 1818 in Mareuil-sur-Aÿ, in the Champagne region, Billecart-Salmon remains one of the rare grand champagne houses to stay both family-run and independent. It is currently led by Mathieu Roland-Billecart, representing the seventh generation, alongside Antoine Roland-Billecart, in charge of export. The house is recognized for its pioneering low-temperature vinification, its historic Clos Saint-Hilaire, and an advanced environmental commitment, all contributing to a style defined by freshness and finesse.

The Vineyard

The grapes used for this cuvée come from a network of about 40 crus spread across the Montagne de Reims, the Grande Vallée de la Marne, the Côte des Blancs, the Vallée de la Marne and the Coteaux sud d'Épernay. Vine age: N/A.

Blend

As a non-vintage champagne, Le Réserve "RED" draws on reserve wines from around 15 different vintages, sourced from some of the finest sites in the Champagne region. Reserve wines make up more than half of the final blend, drawing depth and consistency from this extended multi-vintage composition.

Winemaking and aging

The Le Réserve "RED" NM is vinified mainly in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks, following the low-temperature fermentation and cold settling methods long associated with Billecart-Salmon. The wine then rests on its lees in bottle for an average of around 50 months, a notably long maturation for a non-vintage champagne, before being finished at an Extra-Brut dosage.

Grape Varieties

Based on the composition typical of the Le Réserve cuvée, the blend brings together approximately 28% pinot noir, 29% chardonnay and 43% meunier.