Billecart Salmon Grande Cuvee 1998
Since its first release in 1982, the Billecart-Slamon Grande Cuvee has revealed all its character to a following of informed wine lovers. This great wine, produced from the finest sites of selected grands crus, comes into its own after spending 10 years in our traditional cellars. This cuvee deserves its title of “Grand Cru” thanks to the meticulous blend of grapes, exclusively from the Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grands crus.
The Grande Cuvee first delights the eye with the harmony of its pale gold colour and the supreme finesse of its mousse. It then surprises the wine lover with its complex and highly expressive nose, a mix of ripe fruit and toasty flavours.
The flavour is fine and distinguished, gradually allowing all the power and vivacity of this great wine to enrich the palate.
Serving:
Power and finesse make the Grande Cuvee a perfectly balanced wine. As a partner to life’s most special occasions, the wonderful cuvee will accompany the best dishes in the world and will reveal all its complexity when tasted at the end of the evening.
Background Information:
Billecart-Salmon, a medium-size Champagne House in Mareuil-sur-Ay, was founded in 1818 by the original owners Nicolas Francois Billecart and Elisabeth Salmon who combined their names on marriage to create the brand. It is one of the few remaining Champagne houses to remain family owned.
Most of Billecart-Salmon's fruit comes from a small vineyard holding, though this is supplemented with grapes bought in from the Marne Valley and the Montagne de Reims. Meticulous production techniques, from the use of their own cultured yeast to its long, slow, cool fermentation, ensure that the family has 100% control of production.
Billecart-Salmon is renowned for the quality of its delicate Rose, whilst the Brut Reserve (a blend of three vintages) is a beautifully harmonious and balanced wine. All have the ability to age very well.
The Cuvee Nicolas-Francois Billecart 1959 won the title in the Champagne of the Millennium 1999, out of 150 of the finest 20th Century champagnes. A magnum of the winning champagne later sold for £3,300.
