One of the leading families of Champagne, this medium sized, high quality domain is one to be admired. Billecart-Salmon champagne has a fresh, clean and elegant style. They champion the use of the Meunier Grape which is often added to other cuvees without fanfare in other houses. The absolutely pristine winemaking facilities of Billecart-Salmon are located in Mareuil-Sur-Ay are overseen by multiple generations of the family as well as Chief winemaker Francois Domi. The house purposely ferments at a lower temperature, lengthening the ferment to weeks and not days as can be standard in Champagne, which helps capture the pristine nature of the fruit. Every step of the winemaking process at the house is artful, right down to the precision of the dosage which is unique for every disgorgement conducted in batches.
96 Points Robert Parker Wine Advocate
The estate’s 1996 Clos Saint-Hilaire emerges from a one hectare plot that was planted with 100% Pinot Noir in 1964. This golden-hued wine flows from the glass with extraordinary elegance. Delicate notes of biscuit, honey, acacia and roasted nuts are woven into a mousse of sublime refinement. Notes of white pepper, honey, pear and minerals appear on a finish that frames the wine with superb harmony. In 1998 the fermentations were extremely slow, and this wine saw no malolactic fermentation. This is an exceptionally fine, seamless Champagne that is a must-have wine for those lucky enough to find it .