Champagne Billecart-Salmon

The wedding of Nicolas-Francois Billecart and Elisabeth Salmon in 1818 marked the birth of Billecart-Salmon. The couple set about building the winery almost immediately, in Mareuil-sur-Ay, just east of Epernay. They were joined from the outset by Elisabeth’s brother Louis Salmon, a passionate oenologist, and his dedication to excellence set a template that has never waivered. Today, stewarded by seventh generation Mathieu Roland-Billecart, the family continues to maintain this commitment and stay faithful to the family motto: ‘Quality first and strive for excellence.’ Today Billecart farms an estate of 100 hectares to exacting standards and sources grapes from a further 300 hectares across 40 Champagne Crus. The majority of the fruit comes from a radius of 20km around Epernay, where one finds the greatest concentration of Grand Cru Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay, in the vineyards of Montagne de Reims, Vallee de la Marne and the Cote des Blancs. In the 1950s, as part of the quest to improve and refine the quality of the wines, the house introduced the technique of cold-settling combined with stainless-steel fermentation at lower temperatures. Vinification in small temperature-controlled tanks allows each vineyard parcel to be fermented separately and preserve each terroir. Cool slow fermentations encourage aromatic delicacy and purity of fruit, the signature of Billecart-Salmon. The wines produced are wines of finesse, elegance and balance. A minimum of three years aging on the lees, in the house's deep cool chalk cellars, and a minimum of ten years for the vintage wines allows these wines to achieve their full potential. This patience is the final step in producing these timeless Champagnes.