Billecart-Salmon "Cuvee Nicolas Francois" Vintage Brut 2012 (Champagne, France) - [JS 97] [OB 97] [VM 95] [JD 95] [DM 95] [WS 93]

Billecart-Salmon "Cuvee Nicolas Francois" Vintage Brut 2012
(Champagne, France) - [JS 97] [OB 97] [VM 95] [JD 95] [DM 95] [WS 93]


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JS97 OB97 VM95 JD95 DM95 WS93
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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: 3.8g/L

Tasting Notes:

Appearance: A beautiful golden-yellow hue adorned with bright, patinated gold reflections. The glittering, crystalline appearance is complemented by a rise of finely chiselled bubbles.

Aroma: The intensity and richness of the fruit are complemented by a mineral complexity and enchanting aromas of maturity. Fine, intense notes of orchard fruits, combined with the characteristics of stone fruits and nuts (slightly roasted sliced almonds, Lorraine mirabelles and juicy clementine flesh), all accentuated by the lingering perfume of woodland flowers (acacia and hawthorn).

Palate: The balance of a tension, eveloped by the wine’s fullness (honeyed biscuits and lemon pulp), and symbolised by noble and pastry flavours (pear clafoutis, Bourbon vanilla, and lime leaf). A texture with a strong personality, with its limestone imprint and an incredible intensity, curbed by its fully integrated low dosage. The elegant finish evolves into notes of cigar boxes and sweet spices (cinnamon and white pepper).

Tasting: Exceptional vintage with a flavourful, long finish, offering a unique and generous gustatory experience. This cuvée conveys the finesse of Billecart-Salmon’s signature champagne styles with significant ageing potential. Served at cellar temperature (12°C), the cuvée will bring out the round flavours of sole in lemon butter or a milk-fed veal chop with chanterelle mushrooms.

Ratings & Reviews

97 Points – James Suckling:
“This complex Champagne has delicious aromas of waffle cones, vanilla beans, apricots and pastry with touches of white chocolate and salted caramel. It’s electric on the palate, which is creamy yet structured and focused, with a fine bead of bubbles and a zesty, tangy backbone of acidity. Long and tense finish. 60% pinot noir and 40% chardonnay (all premier and grand cru), 10% of wines are vinified in oak casks. 10 years on lees. 3.8 g/L dosage. Disgorged in the second half of 2024. Drink or hold.” (Mar 2025)

97 Points - Owen Bargreen:
"The dazzling 2012 ‘Nicolas Francois’ Champagne was stored on the lees for more than ten years. Sourced Grand Cru and Premier Cru vineyards in the Montagne de Reims (Pinot Noir) and the Côte des Blancs vineyards (Chardonnay), this was given 3.8G/L dosage. Amazing on the tongue, showing glorious weight and length, the salty minerality prevails throughout this scintillating drinking experience. Diatomaceous earth and white peach parade with baking spice laced pastry crust and shades of wild mushroom on the palate. Big, round and bold, enjoy this beauty over the next fifteen to twenty years." (Jul 2025)

95 Points - Vinous Media:
"The 2012 Brut Cuvée Nicolas François Billecart shows all the natural radiance of the year. There's gorgeous resonance and texture here. Apricot, spice, tangerine oil and lightly honeyed notes infuse the palate with notable depth and persistence. This rich, expansive Champage has a ton to offer. This release was disgorged nearly two years ago, which also adds to its complexity. Dosage is 3.8 grams per liter. Disgorged: May 2023." - Antonio Galloni (Apr 2025)

95 Points - Jeb Dunnuck:
"A blend of 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay, the 2012 Champagne Nicolas François was aged in mostly stainless steel, with 10% in oak barrels, and was disgorged after a lengthy period on lees in March 2024. Rich and toasty, it’s brothy and lush with notes of baked apricot, preserved citrus, black cherry, and ample spice. Fleshy and full-bodied, it is ample in concentration, with a frothy mousse and a lasting, structured finish. Disgorged in April 2023 with 3.8 grams per liter dosage. Drink 2025-2040." - Audrey Frick (Dec 2025)

95 Points - Decanter Magazine:
"After the taut 2008 – a wine that leant heavily on the austerity of the year – the 2012 Nicolas François maintains an admirably frank and fat-free take on this intensely ripe, bright and concentrated vintage, further intensified by the recent move to lower dosage at the house. With its aromas of raspberry, pear and candied orange, the maturity of the year is certainly evident, although the wine carries a real squeeze of dried lemon-like maturing Chardonnay, feeling tight and racy right through to the close. Already showing some nutty maturity and brown pastry richness, it's a cuvée which has proven itself to age with aplomb over the last two decades. With a slightly finer natural balance and harmony than the 2008, the 2012 looks well set." - Tom Hewson (Jan 2025)

93 Points - Wine Spectator:
"Sleek and harmonious, with chiseled acidity and a satinlike mousse supporting a fine weave of poached apricot and cherry fruit, pickled ginger, pastry and macadamia nut flavors. Long and mouthwatering, with a clean sweep of salty minerality driving the finish. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Disgorged Spring-Summer 2023. Drink now through 2037." - Alison Napjus (Sep 2025)