Billecart-Salmon Brut Sous Bois

  • 95 Australian Wine
    Companion
  • 94 James
    Suckling
  • 94 Jeb
    Dunnuck
  • 93 Wine
    Spectator
  • 93 Wine
    Enthusiast
  • 93 Wine &
    Spirits
  • 93 Wilfred
    Wong
  • 91 Robert
    Parker
4.2 Very Good (40)
109 99
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Billecart-Salmon Brut Sous Bois  Front Bottle Shot
Billecart-Salmon Brut Sous Bois  Front Bottle Shot Billecart-Salmon Brut Sous Bois  Front Label Billecart-Salmon Brut Sous Bois Brut Sous Bois Overview Product Video

Product Details


Varietal

Region

Producer

Size
750ML

ABV
12%

Features
Green Wine

Your Rating

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Somm Note

Winemaker Notes

A radiant yellow crystalline appearance with golden glints brought to life by a luminous bead of persistent fine bubbles. There is an olfactory impact due to the richness of harmonious expressions (dry fruits, fresh citrus, and white fruits) coupled with finely buttered seductive notes. A defined aromatic undertone which expresses the mature complexity linked to the vinification in oak barrels.

The caressing and refreshing texture enhances the creamy sensation, dominated by a beautiful bracing vivacity. A burst of flavours (notes of grilled brioche, toffee) thanks to the distinguished power and maturity which is a mark of the great wines of Champagne.

Professional Ratings

  • 95
    The complex bouquet reflects the primary fermentation in oak casks; the palate no less so thanks to the quality of the premier and grand cru reserves, also matured in oak. But it’s all a question of degree; there’s a core of citrussy acidity underwriting the freshness and length of the wine.
  • 94

    Attractive nose of brioche, walnuts, salted almonds and baked apples. Some nutmeg. Lovely richness of flavor yet so bright, medium-bodied, with a salty freshness and very fine bubbles. Excellent length. 2016 base vintage with 26% reserve wines going back to 2006.

  • 94
    The NV Champagne Sous Bois Brut pours a medium yellow to deeper straw hue, and the nose is warming and more generous with notes of toast, red fruit of ripe raspberry, spice, and espresso. The palate is rounded, with rich texture though dry, offering notes of orange peel and currant. It has a silky texture and a fairly long finish, with ripe concentration.
  • 93
    Fragrant, with hints of graphite, cherry blossoms and spices, revealing a firm frame of vivid acidity that's tightly meshed with flavors of blackberry tart, lemon granita and salted Marcona almond. Shows a raw silk–textured mousse that carries a chalky note on the finish. Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay.
  • 93
    Fermented in wood, as its name suggests, this Champagne does have a toasty character that has transmuted into maturity with spice.
  • 93
    This is equal parts chardonnay from the Côte des Blancs, pinot noir from Aÿ and Mareuil-sur-Aÿ, and pinot meunier from the Marne Valley, all fermented and aged in oak casks, without undergoing malolactic conversion. Onethird of the blend is reserve wines, married over the course of six years on the lees in bottle. The latest release buzzes with limestone freshness and the pale herbal richness of chamomile flowers. A stylish blend with earthiness that powers through it.
  • 93
    COMMENTARY: The Champagne Billecart-Salmon Brut Sou Bois is bright, active, and complex. TASTING NOTES: This wine exhibits aromas and flavors of tart citrus and a hint of creaminess. Enjoy it with grilled abalone steaks in a white wine and mushroom sauce. (Tasted: May 11, 2023, San Francisco, CA)
  • 91
    Billecart-Salmon’s NV Brut Sous Bois emerges from the glass with aromas of orchard fruit, pear, peach, nuts and spring flowers. It's medium to full-bodied, clean and pure, with tangy acids and pastry notes on the finish.
Billecart-Salmon

Billecart-Salmon

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Billecart-Salmon, France
Billecart-Salmon Winery Video

Oldest continuously family-owned House, Billecart-Salmon was founded in 1818 by the marriage of Nicolas Francois Billecart and Elisabeth Salmon. For over two hundred years, the House has developed a renowned expertise in crafting fine, elegant and balanced Champagnes.

Billecart-Salmon was first and foremost the result a union between Nicolas François Billecart and Elisabeth Salmon who, in 1818 and just married, founded their own Champagne House in Mareuil-sur-Aÿ, a small village near Epernay. At their side was Louis Salmon, Elisabeth’s brother and a passionate oenologist who, from the very beginning, dedicated himself to the development of the wines. From then on, their heirs have never stopped aiming for excellence in winemaking. Today led by seventh generation Mathieu Roland-Billecart, each family member has endeavored to pursue the family tradition and stay faithful to the same motto: "give priority to quality, strive for excellence."

Billecart-Salmon rigorously cultivates an estate of 100 hectares, sourcing grapes from an area totaling 300 hectares across 40 crus of the Champagne region.

The majority of the grapes used for vinification come from a radius of 20km around Epernay, where the Grand Crus of Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay co-exist, in the vineyards of the Montagne de Reims, the Vallée de la Marne and the Côte des Blancs. 

As part of the quest to increase the quality of their champagnes, in the 1950s, the House introduced the technique of cold settling combined with the use of stainless steel tanks for a longer fermentation at a lower temperature. Vinification occurs primarily on small thermoregulated tanks which allows the House to vinify parcels separately, preserving nuances of expression of "terroir". Low temperature fermentation slows down the process, encouraging aromas to delicately develop and allow the purity of the fruit to be fully expressed; absolute signature of the Billecart-Salmon style: finesse, elegance and balance.

Over three years of ageing on lees in the chalk cellars for the non-vintage cuvees and over ten year for the prestige vintage cuvees, the family allows their wines to blossom. Giving the luxury of time to play its role is also behind the grandeur of Billecart-Salmon champagnes.

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A term typically reserved for Champagne and Sparkling Wines, non-vintage or simply “NV” on a label indicates a blend of finished wines from different vintages (years of harvest). To make non-vintage Champagne, typically the current year’s harvest (in other words, the current vintage) forms the base of the blend. Finished wines from previous years, called “vins de reserve” are blended in at approximately 10-50% of the total volume in order to achieve the flavor, complexity, body and acidity for the desired house style. A tiny proportion of Champagnes are made from a single vintage.

There are also some very large production still wines that may not claim one particular vintage. This would be at the discretion of the winemaker’s goals for character of the final wine.

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Associated with luxury, celebration, and romance, the region, Champagne, is home to the world’s most prized sparkling wine. In order to bear the label, ‘Champagne’, a sparkling wine must originate from this northeastern region of France—called Champagne—and adhere to strict quality standards. Made up of the three towns Reims, Épernay, and Aÿ, it was here that the traditional method of sparkling wine production was both invented and perfected, birthing a winemaking technique as well as a flavor profile that is now emulated worldwide.

Well-drained, limestone and chalky soil defines much of the region, which lend a mineral component to its wines. Champagne’s cold, continental climate promotes ample acidity in its grapes but weather differences from year to year can create significant variation between vintages. While vintage Champagnes are produced in exceptional years, non-vintage cuvées are produced annually from a blend of several years in order to produce Champagnes that maintain a consistent house style.

With nearly negligible exceptions, . These can be blended together or bottled as individual varietal Champagnes, depending on the final style of wine desired. Chardonnay, the only white variety, contributes freshness, elegance, lively acidity and notes of citrus, orchard fruit and white flowers. Pinot Noir and its relative Pinot Meunier, provide the backbone to many blends, adding structure, body and supple red fruit flavors. Wines with a large proportion of Pinot Meunier will be ready to drink earlier, while Pinot Noir contributes to longevity. Whether it is white or rosé, most Champagne is made from a blend of red and white grapes—and uniquely, rosé is often produce by blending together red and white wine. A Champagne made exclusively from Chardonnay will be labeled as ‘blanc de blancs,’ while ones comprised of only red grapes are called ‘blanc de noirs.’

CHMBLT14010NV_0 Item# 120271

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