Billecart Salmon Cuvee Elisabeth Brut Rosé 2008
(Champagne, France) - [JS 98] [DM 98] [WA 97+] [VM 97+]

About this Champagne:
Created in 1988 as a tribute to the House’s co-founder Elisabeth Salmon, this cuvée distinguishes itself through its sparkle and refined purity of grandeur and unique character. This great, rare and sought after wine, subtly offers the signature of our top Pinot Noir and Chardonnay terroirs. The presence of an ancestral savoir-faire is recognized through the art of assemblage and rigorous selection from an exceptional harvest.

• Appearance: A salmon pink tint and sparkling luminous visual presence is underscored by a gracious and persistent effervescent veil. A very seductive visual ensemble, with a soft shimmering reflection, rising to an accomplished articulation of a great vintage.
• Aroma: It is a refreshing sensorial expression of crisp red berries, citrus peel and stone fruits. With the exquisite sensation of a rich and complex aromatic generosity (fresh figs, white peach, almond macaroons). Ripe olfactive notes respectfully soften the distinctive perfume of wild strawberries and scented spring roses.
• Palate: A powerful yet delicate impact owing to the noble and harmonious maturing of flavors (nectarine, cardamom). An ample and pure character in the mouth unveiling the soft spices of tangy mandarin and the persistent flavors of cedar and exotic wood.
• Serving: This great wine, with its extreme finesse, is a sign of the delicate personality of its textures and flavors. An aromatic charm with a rare mineral dimension, marries well with beautiful creamy poultry, in particular poulet de Bresse, langoustines royales and crunchy hibiscus macaroons. Serve at 11-12°.

Ratings & Reviews

98 Points - Decanter Magazine:
"A superb vintage of this renowned prestige cuvée, this is made from a base of 55% Pinot Noir and 45% Chardonnay, to which is added 9% of red wine. Despite ageing on its lees for 10 years, it remains almost shockingly youthful, its vividly primary flavours of red cherry, strawberry and nectarine wrapped up in a taut, tense frame. It’s silky in texture and intricately complex on the long, elegantly harmonious finish, underlined by a saline chalkiness, and it demonstrates all the requisite completeness and character for long ageing, promising a slow and dignified evolution to come. Drinking Window 2021 - 2050." —Peter Liem (3/13/2021)

97+ Points - Vinous Media:
"The 2008 Brut Rosé Cuvée Elisabeth Salmon explodes from the glass with a mesmerizing array of aromas, flavors and textures. Blood orange, cinnamon, mint and dried flowers. The 2008 is incredibly young, but it is also incredibly tempting. Patience will be rewarded. In the meantime, readers might enjoy adding a few bottles of the stellar 2007 to their cellars, as the nervy, taut 2008 needs time. The 2008 is 55% Pinot Noir (from Aÿ, Verzy, Verzenay and Mareuil) and 45% Chardonnay (from Chouilly, Avize and Cramant), with 9% still wine from Mareuil. It is the first vintage that includes a portion of wines (17%) done in barrel and the first vintage in which the magnums were aged on the cork rather than on crown seal. Dosage is 7 grams per liter." (AG) (Mar 2021)

97+ Points - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: