Billecart-Salmon : Cuvée Louis Salmon Blanc de Blancs 2013

Characteristics and tasting advice for Billecart-Salmon Cuvée Louis Salmon Blanc de Blancs 2013

Tasting

Appearance

The wine displays a crystalline pale-gold hue with delicate luminous highlights. The effervescence, very intense and persistent, reveals shimmering golden nuances.

Nose

The bouquet unveils floral elegance accompanied by hints of hazelnut and white-fleshed fruit. The chalky, well-balanced aromatic profile expresses notes of raw butter, crisp pear, and orange blossom. Aeration reveals all the finesse brought by the long aging in the cellar.

Palate

A creamy, finely chiseled texture delivers precise breadth. The refreshing balance marries natural and pastry-like flavors: soft brioche, mirabelle plum tart, fresh pineapple. The wine is powerful and sleek. The very long finish reveals aromas of mandarin pulp, blond tobacco, and white pepper.

Food and wine pairings

This Champagne pairs beautifully with whole Corrèze sweetbreads cooked in a casserole or Brittany abalone with samphire.

Serving and cellaring

Cuvée Louis Salmon Blanc de Blancs 2013 is best enjoyed at a temperature between 50 and 54°F. Drink through approximately 2036.

A Champagne Blanc de Blancs of exceptional mineral purity

The estate

Founded in 1818 by Nicolas-François Billecart and Élisabeth Salmon, Billecart-Salmon remains one of the rare independent, family-owned Champagne houses. Established in Mareuil-sur-Aÿ in the Marne Valley, it cultivates 100 hectares of vineyards, mainly classified as grands and premiers crus. Mathieu Roland-Billecart, the seventh generation, now manages the estate alongside Alexandre Bader.

The vineyard

This bottle pays tribute to Louis, Élisabeth Salmon’s brother, a wine-enthusiast deeply involved in winemaking from the very creation of the estate.

This 2013 vintage Champagne is crafted from illustrious Grand Cru terroirs in the Côte des Blancs: Cramant (44%), which brings minerality; Mesnil-sur-Oger (25%), which imparts structure and length; Chouilly (26%) and Oiry (5%), which offer finesse and elegance.

Winemaking and aging

Cuvée Louis Salmon Blanc de Blancs 2013 is vinified entirely in stainless-steel vats. This Blanc de Blancs Champagne was then aged for 114 months on lees in the cellar, allowing it to develop aromatic complexity and exceptional finesse. Its dosage is 4 g/L.

Grape variety

100% Chardonnay.