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A Champagne free of dosage has to rely on the quality of its fruit. Fortunately, when the producer is Billecart-Salmon, that's not much of a problem. This flinty golden-yellow bubbly is dry as the proverbial bone, but it's fresh, glowing with white peaches, and incandescent with tiny bubbles. Delicious with blini, or however you like your caviar.
- Country: France
- Region: Champagne
- Subregion/Classification: Vallee de la Marne
- Commune/Village: Mareuil sur Ay
While Italian Wine Merchants does not promote wines outside of Italy at its on-premise events, we do make one notable exception—Billecart-Salmon. One of the few remaining Champagne houses still owned by its original family, Billecart-Salmon was established in 1818 by Nicolas François Billecart and his wife, Elisabeth (whose maiden name was Salmon). Situated in Mareuil-sur-Aÿ, this seventh-generation house is renowned for its elegant, complex, and finely wrought Champagnes.
Most of the fruit for the Billecart-Salmon bottlings hails from estate vineyards (comprising 30 hectares), while the rest is sourced from 140 hectares comprising 35 individual crus—which are situated within a 20-kilometer radius of Epernay, where Champagne’s greatest vineyards are concentrated. The estate produces several cuvées: NV Brut Réserve, NV Brut Rosé, NV Brut Blanc de Blancs, NV Demi-Sec, Vintage Cuvée Nicolas François Billecart, Vintage Cuvée Elisabeth Salmon, and Vintage Grande Cuvée.
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