Champagne Billecart-Salmon Brut Reserve N.V.
I recently went to a private Billecart-Salmon Champagne tasting hosted by my favorite wine shop, Stew Leonard’s Wines. Billecart-Salmon Brand Ambassador, Clement Calleja (photo below), was leading the tasting and provided excellent insights into six of the Billecart-Salmon Champagnes we tasted. Over the next several postings, I will comment on all six Champagnes I tried, just in time to provide some insights should you want to stock up before the holidays. Stay tuned for the remaining 5 reviews in coming posts!
Billecart-Salmon is a medium-sized champagne house in Mareuil-sur-Ay, France, near Epernay. Founded in 1818 with the marriage of Nicolas François Billecart and Elisabeth Salmon, it is one of the few to remain family owned. The house is now lead by the seventh Generation. The Family’s independence has helped them to maintain a sense of continuity in the production of their Champagnes. Always seeking perfection, their motto remains the same: “Give priority to quality, strive for excellence”.
Champagne is an elegant wine. When opening Champagne, one should try and not “bruise” the wine by making it “POP” which lets out too much gas prematurely. The following is a link to a wonderful website (Rules for the Modern Girl) that, Blogger Tine, demonstrates the proper way to open a bottle of bubbly. Well done Tine, Thanks! I want to point out that you want your glass chilled, but not have the Champagne too cold so as to hide all of the wonderful flavors the wine has to offer. Pouring the Billecart-Salmon Brut Reserve N.V. Champagne into a chilled glass (chilling the glass a bit with club soda and ice enhances the bubbles), I noticed a nice straw yellow color, fine bubbles and observed a bouquet of fresh fruit, with a waft of citrus scents. The palate shows flavors of ripe dried fruit, with underlying chalky mineral tones, with a noted presence of Pinot Noir. The finish was well balanced and medium+ length, exhibiting a touch of smokiness. I should note that this N.V. is a blended wine that Billecart-Salmon uses 50% of its reserve wine to make. Champagne is a pricier wine, however well worth it when you dive in and truly enjoy a glass or two, I know I will. In the U.S., Champagne is served more around holiday’s or celebrations, but why? Champagne is first and foremost a wine and can be enjoyed at any time. I regularly have a glass of Champagne to enjoy, just celebrating popping the cork! You should too!
Cheers!