In the spirit of France's gifting of the Statue of Liberty to America to commemorate the centennial of the Declaration of Independence, Billecart-Salmon has created a special, limited-production, vintage Champagne to celebrate the 250th year of American independence-- handsomely packaged with a label depicting Lady Liberty flanked by two American flags. The United States is one of the Billecart-Salmon's oldest and largest export markets and this Anniversary Cuvée is also a tribute to that enduring relationship as well as marking the 200th Anniversary of the founding of the house.
Lofty motivation and expertise are nothing without great grapes; luckily, 2018 turned out to be a superb vintage in Champagne. After a cold winter and a rainy March, the vines began their growing cycle in mid-April. From May onwards, high temperatures set in and held through the growing season until the harvest, which took place smoothly at the end of August. As with his other Champagnes, Winemaker Florent Nys employed long, low-temperature fermentations in steel tanks to best express the Billecart-Salmon house style of finesse, elegance and balance. This 2018 is crafted exclusively from Grand Cru and Premier Cru fruit-- 65% Pinot Noir (Montagne de Reims) and 35% Chardonnay (Côtes de Blancs). Three precent of the blend was aged in oak with the remainder in stainless steel. After bottling in the spring of 2019, it spent 63 months aging sur latte before being disgorged in the fourth quarter of 2024, when it was topped off with an Extra Brut dosage of 4.9 g/L.
Because this Anniversary Cuvée is a recent limited "special market" release, we have not yet seen it reviewed by the major critics. However, Florent Nys' comments are very apt: "The final result is at once serious and a touch baroque, bursting with yellow peach and red berry fruit, sandy shortbread and honeysuckle, before curling around an intensely chalky finish. There is terrific density to the material here and good acidity. This is tremendous now and will keep for years to come." Our wine staff, to a person, all swooned over it. We were taken aback by this 2018's effusive aromas of orchard fruits and white flowers while on the palate it showcased a highly energetic play of citrus, apple and pear fruit flecked with saline minerals, which persisted effortlessly while being free of any sense of heaviness. While hardly inexpensive, this compelling Champagne is a savvy buy that compares very well to Billecart's masterful ($200 plus) "Nicolas-Francois" vintage Brut. Our Champagne Buyer, Todd Johnston, begged for all he could get, so we have an adequate supply for the time being. However, with Memorial Day and the Fourth of July just around the corner, we strongly advise a proactive response to avoid missing out on this one-of-a kind opportunity to toast and celebrate our great nation.
The wine is crafted from 100% Grand Cru and Premier Cru fruit — 65% Pinot Noir (Montagne de Reims) and 35% Chardonnay (Côte des Blancs). Three percent of the cuvée was aged in oak, with the remainder in stainless steel. It spent 63 months aging sur latte and was finished as an Extra Brut with 4.9g/L dosage.
The Pinot Noir shows beautifully on the nose, with hints of red and blue fruits as well as violets. This is a subtle, refined wine that reveals its true class on the palate — a powerful, energetic mid-palate gives way to a chalky, beautifully structured finish that is pure and precise. What I love most is that the wine shows real power with no heaviness whatsoever. The Chardonnay lends that finely chiseled structure.
Lofty motivation and expertise are nothing without great grapes; luckily, 2018 turned out to be a superb vintage in Champagne. After a cold winter and a rainy March, the vines began their growing cycle in mid-April. From May onwards, high temperatures set in and held through the growing season until the harvest, which took place smoothly at the end of August. As with his other Champagnes, Winemaker Florent Nys employed long, low-temperature fermentations in steel tanks to best express the Billecart-Salmon house style of finesse, elegance and balance. This 2018 is crafted exclusively from Grand Cru and Premier Cru fruit-- 65% Pinot Noir (Montagne de Reims) and 35% Chardonnay (Côtes de Blancs). Three precent of the blend was aged in oak with the remainder in stainless steel. After bottling in the spring of 2019, it spent 63 months aging sur latte before being disgorged in the fourth quarter of 2024, when it was topped off with an Extra Brut dosage of 4.9 g/L.
Because this Anniversary Cuvée is a recent limited "special market" release, we have not yet seen it reviewed by the major critics. However, Florent Nys' comments are very apt: "The final result is at once serious and a touch baroque, bursting with yellow peach and red berry fruit, sandy shortbread and honeysuckle, before curling around an intensely chalky finish. There is terrific density to the material here and good acidity. This is tremendous now and will keep for years to come." Our wine staff, to a person, all swooned over it. We were taken aback by this 2018's effusive aromas of orchard fruits and white flowers while on the palate it showcased a highly energetic play of citrus, apple and pear fruit flecked with saline minerals, which persisted effortlessly while being free of any sense of heaviness. While hardly inexpensive, this compelling Champagne is a savvy buy that compares very well to Billecart's masterful ($200 plus) "Nicolas-Francois" vintage Brut. Our Champagne Buyer, Todd Johnston, begged for all he could get, so we have an adequate supply for the time being. However, with Memorial Day and the Fourth of July just around the corner, we strongly advise a proactive response to avoid missing out on this one-of-a kind opportunity to toast and celebrate our great nation.
The wine is crafted from 100% Grand Cru and Premier Cru fruit — 65% Pinot Noir (Montagne de Reims) and 35% Chardonnay (Côte des Blancs). Three percent of the cuvée was aged in oak, with the remainder in stainless steel. It spent 63 months aging sur latte and was finished as an Extra Brut with 4.9g/L dosage.
The Pinot Noir shows beautifully on the nose, with hints of red and blue fruits as well as violets. This is a subtle, refined wine that reveals its true class on the palate — a powerful, energetic mid-palate gives way to a chalky, beautifully structured finish that is pure and precise. What I love most is that the wine shows real power with no heaviness whatsoever. The Chardonnay lends that finely chiseled structure.
