Billecart-Salmon : Cuvée Louis Salmon Blanc de Blancs 2012

The already expressive aromatics of 2012 are reframed by explosive charry, flinty energy and extra fluid freshness on the palate, supercharging the ripe lemon syrup, apricot and sweet spice flavours. Nimble and transparent, with a precise palate unmarked by dosage or by some of the heavier, more concentrated fruit the year can bring. Tasted from magnum: a limited number have been released alongside the main 2012 75cl release. Aged under cork during its second fermentation.

A 100% Chardonnay, sourced from vines planted in the communes of Mesnil-sur-Oger, Chouilly, Cramant, and Oiry, the 2012 Brut Blanc de Blancs Cuvée Louis Salmon evokes aromas of lemon oil, pastry, baked bread, walnuts and chalk. Medium to full-bodied, deep and seamless, it's vinous, almost creamy, with a layered, delicate structure that leads to a delicately citrusy, long and delicate finish. This Champagne is built to age, thanks to the power of the 2012 vintage and the house's signature tension. Disgorged in the second quarter of 2023 with 3.9 grams per liter dosage, it was matured 75% in stainless steel and 25% in barrels.

Fresh and appealing, with a refined, lively mousse and good cut to the focused flavors of poached apricot and lemon pound cake that show accents of pickled ginger, vanilla and pastry cream. Long and harmonious, with a well-spiced finish. Disgorged winter-spring 2023 (My Origin 121234). Drink now through 2035.

Produced from top parcels of Chardonnay in the Côte des Blancs, this fine Champagne is impressive. It is rich and mature, the almond aroma and croissant flavor balanced by still bright citrus and minerality. It is a great wine, just right, ready to drink.

Incredible aromas of brioche, bread dough and pie crust with superb, electrifying fruit, from peaches to fresh apples. It’s driven, mouthwatering and with fantastic structure, yet it’s so balanced and creamy. Very fine and silky bubbles. It’s better and better as it warms slightly in the glass. 3.9g/L dosage. Drink or hold.

The 2012 Brut Blancs de Blancs Louis Salmon is a broad-shouldered, ample wine. A rich, heady Champagne, the 2012 has begun to open beautifully. It is far more expressive today than it was a year ago. Even so, this remains a very young Champagne, one that needs time to lose some of its considerable baby fat. Baked apple tart, dried flowers, mint and dried citrus peel are among the many nuances that emerge with time. Tropical notes frame the substantial finish. Dosage is 3.9 grams per liter. Disgorged: January 2023.

The 2012 Champagne Louis Salmon Blanc De Blancs is entirely from Côte de Blancs Grand Cru villages and saw 25% oak vinification, with most of the malo blocked to retain freshness. Initially, it opens to citrus-driven aromas of lime, but as it opens in the glass, it deepens to reveal notes of white peach, fresh bread, and a touch of toasted spice, with its portion of oak just highlighting the edges of the wine. The palate offers intensity without austerity, with a good, profound, layered feel, and it has a pillowy and elegant mousse, a coating texture of citrus oil, and a long finish. It’s already hard to resist but will improve with time. It’s a wonderful wine for Billecart-Salmon in this vintage. Bravo. Drink 2026-2046. It saw 3.9 grams per liter dosage and 4.4 grams in the final wine.

This Louis Salmon blanc de blancs 2012 is a truly great bottle—deep, mouthwatering, full-bodied and racy. It now ranks among the finest vintages ever produced, in the pantheon of this cuvée that pays tribute to the great Chardonnay terroirs of Chouilly, Cramant and Mesnil sur Ogier.