Billecart Salmon "Cuvee Nicolas Francois" Vintage Brut 2008 [1.5L Magnum] (Champagne, France) - [WE 97] [JS 97] [WA 96] [VM 96] [DM 95]

Billecart Salmon "Cuvee Nicolas Francois" Vintage Brut 2008 [1.5L Magnum]
(Champagne, France) - [WE 97] [JS 97] [WA 96] [VM 96] [DM 95]


$650.00 $499.97 Save $150.03
/
WE97 JS97 WA96 VM96 DM95
Size
Only 9 items in stock!

 

About the Domaine:
In 1818, Nicolas François Billecart and his wife Elisabeth Salmon founded the house of Billecart-Salmon in Mareuil-sur-Aÿ, which now stands as the oldest continuously family-owned and operated house in Champagne. The estate is currently managed by the family’s seventh generation, brothers François and Antoine Roland-Billecart, while the cellars lie in the hands of Florent Nys.

After 33 years, François Domi has handed over the baton of Chief Winemaker to Florent, who has been working as an apprentice under the watchful eye of François since 2005, is now ready to take over the reins.

Notes from the Winery:
This champagne is composed of:
  • 60% Pinot Noir from the Premiers and Grands Crus from the Montagne de Reims and the Grande Vallée de la Marne
  • 40% Chardonnay from the Côte des Blancs.
This exceptional cuvée was created in 1964 as a tribute to the House’s founder and respects the original blend of 1837. The blend remains the same every vintage with 20% of the wine fermented in barriques and 10 years of aging on lees.

Dosage: 6g/L

Ratings & Reviews

97 Points - James Suckling
"Lovely precision and drive to this with aromas of lemon curd, brioche, praline, apricots, pomelos, mandarin zest and salted caramel. It’s held together by a sharp, citrusy backbone of acidity, balanced with a fine, silky mousse. Both structure and softness here. Citrus fruit brightness on a beautifully elegant and seamless finish. 60% pinot noir and 40% chardonnay. 150 months on lees. 2.9g/L dosage. Drink or hold." (Apr 2023)

97 Points - Wine Enthusiast:
A blend of fruit from mainly Grand Cru vineyards, this beautiful Champagne is now fully mature. With toasty characters, touches of fresher fruit and taut acidity, the wine has a little spice from wood fermentation. It is a great Champagne ready to drink.


96 Points - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
"The 2008 Brut Cuvée Nicolas François was disgorged during the third quarter of 2022 with less than three grams per liter. It has a delicate, pure, clean bouquet with aromas of orchard fruits, spring flowers, honey and licorice, with hints of brioche and pastry with aeration. Medium to full-bodied, chiseled and crystalline, with racy acids and a chalky texture, the palate is tense and the finish is long, penetrating and salty. It exhibits perfect Billecart style, yet tension is present, a sign of the vintage. It is a blend of 60% Pinot Noir (sourced from Aÿ, Mareuil and Verzenay) and 40% Chardonnay from Mesnil, Chouilly and Cramant, and it matured 83% in tanks and 17% in old oak barrels."
- Yohan Castaing (Apr 2023)

96 Points - Vinous Media
"The 2008 Brut Cuvée Nicolas François Billecart is an electric, nervy Champagne that very much reflects the style of the year. Crushed rocks, mint, spice, dried herbs, hazelnut, lemon peel and marzipan are all beautifully laced together. The 2008 is just entering its first plateau of maturity, making it a fine choice for drinking now and over the next two decades, possibly more. The blend id 60% Pinot Noir (from Mareuil-sur-Aÿ, Ambonnay, Bouzy, Verzy and Verzenay) and 40% Chardonnay (from Mesnil, Chouilly and Cramant). It's a terrific effort, although I must add that a recent visit made it pretty clear that even better things lie ahead. Dosage is 4 grams per liter. - Antonio Galloni (3/2023)

95 Points - Decanter Magazine
"On release this is reserved, taut and subtle, with sourdough, confit lemon and gentle blackberry Pinot fruit presented with daring dryness (just 2.9g/L residual sugar) and intensity. The texture surrounding the firm acidity is cool, clean and lightly creamy, the mousse beautifully delicate. Somewhat inscrutable and firm at the moment, this structured and lean Cuvée Nicolas François stands to gain considerable expressiveness with time under cork. Made from 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay from 83% grand cru vineyards. 17% oak-vinified with 150 months on lees, disgorged in summer 2022." (May 2023)