The IWM Original and House Champagne for the Past 20 Years – It’s the Historic Bubbles of Billecart-Salmon! Special Pricing on the Signature Brut Reserve and Brut Rose.
With the thermostat crossing the 60 degree mark, we are in celebration mode and that begins with bubbles. You have heard us preach it before, who was the first producer that Italian Wine Merchants carried outside of Italy? It was none other than the boutique Champagne House of Billecart-Salmon. Two decades ago, Billecart-Salmon’s back vintages with labels showing the signature Robert Chadderdon lined our cellars. As Sergio would say, if Italians were going to open up a bottle that came from outside their own backyards, it’s going to be Champagne — and twenty years ago, his choice was vintage Billecart.
Well, it is another Christmas Miracle as today is an exciting day for all of Italian Wine Merchants’ Champagne enthusiasts and collectors. We are proud to share the latest allocation and arrival of our first wine from outside of Italy and our number one selling Champagne – the Billecart-Salmon Brut Rosé, just in time for the Holidays. We are sharing this prized allocation with some of the best pricing in the country for the next 48 hours only! Billecart-Salmon’s signature wine is not merely our top-selling wine in the category, but it’s also arguably the most sought-after Rosé Champagne in the country (next to the more luxury and vintage-driven Cristal Rosé). We couldn’t be happier to offer this Champagne treasure for winter celebrations at $79.99! We are including it with the standout Billecart-Salmon Brut Reserve. This is the perfect house Champagne, an elegant grand marque, delivered with rare pedigree and value at less than $55. With the recent Champagne shortage, it has become one of the more difficult and overachieving values in Brut Reserve to secure.
The historic Billecart-Salmon Champagne house was founded in 1818, and more than two hundred years later, it remains one of the few family-owned grande marque producers, though IWM prefers to say “boutique house” or “super grower.” We are now pleased to make these Billecart-Salmon selections, the house Champagnes of IWM, available for the next 48 hours with some very special pricing. 

JUST ARRIVED: Signatures of the Boutique House of Billecart-Salmon and IWM. (ORDER HERE)

Billecart-Salmon’s reasonably priced non-vintage blanc and rosé Champagnes are just a start to understanding this historic boutique house. Respected Champagne critic Richard Juhlin named the 1959 and 1961 Cuvée Nicolas François Billecart bottlings as the top two selections of the top 150 Champagnes of the 20th century. Billecart-Salmon’s recent 2002 release, coming from arguably the greatest Champagne vintage of the 21st century, joins this acclaimed ranking, and today we’re able to offer this stunning wine. For the IWM team and me, the 2002 Billecart-Salmon Cuvée Nicolas François may be a wine of the century to watch. However, what remains constant across all Billecart-Salmon Champagnes, and separates these wines from others, is their understated elegance, finesse and longevity.
Additional Notes and Highlights:
A historic estate, Billecart-Salmon is responsible for pioneering the “cold settling” process prior to fermentation that maintains the signature understated elegance, freshness, class, and longevity of their wines. Billecart-Salmon’s wines hold a special place in the hearts of Champagne enthusiasts and are surprisingly difficult to obtain, and allocations remain limited to select restaurants and merchants. In fact, the importer for the Champagne over the past two decades was known to ask wine buyers and directors what other wines they bought and carried before selling a prized bottle from Billecart-Salmon, just to make sure you were worthy of his fine wines. Getting an allocation of “Billy Bubbles” was a badge of honor, and to this day, this trophy is prized by sommeliers and merchants alike.

NV Billecart-Salmon Champagne Brut 6+ Bottle price:  $54.99 per btl
Christopher Deas, Italian Wine Merchants: “While so many are quick to jump to the signature Rose, let alone the jaw-dropping the flagship Cuvee Elisabeth and François, there is one stop to take before going there and that is the Brut Reserve. Many of us are looking for that house Champagne that offers some pedigree and value and can make the simple evening meal experience extraordinary. For myself, and the IWM, the historic Billecart Brut Reserve delivers that. It has been the IWM House champagne for two decades for the simple reason – balance and elegance. It is not too lean or dry or big and over the top. A blend of 40% Pinot Meunier (sourced in the Vallée de la Marne and the Coteaux Sud d'Epernay), 30% Chardonnay (from different villages along the Marne) and 30% Pinot Noir (from the Montagne de Reims and the Grande Vallée de la Marne) the wine offers body and precision. Expect to find classic notes of green apples, pear, a touch of brioche and toast, citrus and minerality. This is an approachable and age-worthy Grand Marque built on elegance. A true value and crowd-pleaser at under $55.”

NV Billecart-Salmon Rosé Champagne Brut -  6+ Bottle price:  $79.99 per btl
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: "Pale yet intense pink in color the Billecart-Salmon NV Brut Rosé is pure, fresh and intense on the nose, with lovely raspberry aromas, refreshing citrus zest flavors and great definition. On the palate this is a pure, light and vinous rosé with great finesse and a long, well-structured and even juicy finish. This iconic rosé blends 40% Chardonnay with 30% Pinot Meunier from the Vallée de la Marne and the southern slopes of Epernay and 30% Pinot Noir (with a small part added as red wine) from the Montagne de Reims and the Grande Vallée de la Marne. Fabulous.”

This is an email ONLY offer! If you would like to take advantage of this offer (that is only available until 11:59pm, Saturday, February 19, 2022), we are asking that you email your orders back to chris.deas@italianwinemerchants.com, connect with your portfolio manager or mention receipt of this offer if calling the store. All orders are subject to confirmation. IWM is not responsible for typographical errors. 

All my best,
Chris