Billecart-Salmon : Vintage 2018

Tasting Notes and Characteristics of the Billecart-Salmon Vintage 2018

The Vintage 2018 reveals a pale gold hue with bright, luminous highlights. The mousse is fine, abundant and lively, forming a steady stream of delicate bubbles that reflects the long aging on lees undergone by this cuvée.

The nose opens on stone fruit and red berry aromas, layered with white and violet floral notes. A chalky backbone supports hints of brioche and shortbread, while subtle citrus and toasted almond add further nuance, echoing the pinot noir from the Montagne de Reims and the chardonnay from the Côte des Blancs that compose the blend.

The attack is creamy and inviting, carried by refined brioche notes, before giving way to an energetic mid-palate marked by chalky sensations, white flowers and poached pear. The finish is long and saline, revealing almond, peach and chalk within a precise, finely drawn structure that combines real power with remarkable lightness.

This Extra Brut cuvée carries a dosage of approximately 4.9 grams per liter of residual sugar, placing it among the driest expressions in the Billecart-Salmon range. It is bottled at 12% alcohol by volume.

Champagne Billecart-Salmon Vintage 2018: Power and Precision from Premier and Grand Cru Vineyards

Founded in 1818 in Mareuil-sur-Aÿ by Nicolas François Billecart and Elisabeth Salmon, the Champagne house Billecart-Salmon remains a family-run estate, now led by Mathieu Roland-Billecart, seventh generation of the founding family, since 2019. Partly owned by the Frey group, the house farms about 100 hectares, entirely certified organic, with 10 hectares in biodynamic conversion. Recognized for its pioneering low-temperature fermentation and extended lees aging, Billecart-Salmon built its reputation on freshness, elegance and precision, notably through its iconic Brut Rosé and prestigious Nicolas François cuvée.

This Champagne is crafted exclusively from Premier and Grand Cru vineyards. The pinot noir comes from the Montagne de Reims, while the chardonnay is sourced from Grand Cru sites in the Côte des Blancs, two areas known for their chalky, limestone-rich soils that bring both structure and tension to the wines of the house.

2018 stands as a particularly hot and dry year in Champagne, with temperatures reaching as high as 42.7°C during the growing season. The dry conditions through harvest resulted in ripe, generous fruit, giving the vintage a notably warm and qualitative character across the region.

For the Vintage 2018, the wine is fermented mainly in stainless steel tanks, with a small portion, around 3%, vinified and aged in oak barrels to add complexity without overshadowing the fruit. The blend then rests on its lees for approximately 63 months, a notably long aging period that contributes to its creamy texture and aromatic depth, before being finished in an Extra Brut dosage.

The blend is composed of 65% pinot noir and 35% chardonnay.