Billecart-Salmon Cuvee Nicolas Francois

In the heart of Champagne, situated in the charming village of Mareuil-sur-Ay, is a Champagne house that has been family-owned for 200 years.

It all began in 1818 when Nicolas Francois Billecart and Elisabeth Salmon founded a Champagne House that was above all conscious of the excellence of its wines.

Since then, every member of the Billecart family has been committed to perpetuate the family tradition through standing by the immutable oath: Give priority to quality, strive for excellence'. Proof of this eternal demand: the family garden at the BILLECART-SALMON estate.

This garden was redesigned in 1926 in a French style under the guidance of Charles Roland-Billecart. The idea of his project was to create a garden at the heart of the village, enclosed by walls surrounded by lime trees primed in to a canopy, with boxwood embroidery, lawns and flowerbeds.

The garden was kept in this style until 1999, when a storm destroyed the remaining old trees, leaving only one chestnut tree soon to be 200 years old. Francois Roland-Billecart, therefore decided to enlarge his grandfather's garden by adjoining the part of it that had stayed out of sight. He entrusted this project to his sister Veronique Roland-Billecart.

From the foundation of the House of BILLECART-SALMON in 1818 until now, each generation has invested in the preservation of this garden. Furthermore the family has thrown itself in to modernising the art of their wine making descended from nearly two centuries of experience.

With a background of the best champenois tradition, the House of BILLECART-SALMON sways between excellence and demand, keen to convey their love of champagne whilst cultivating a certain amount of mystery.

Pinot Noir, Chardonnay

This exceptional cuvee was created in 1964 as a tribute to the House's founder. It results from the blending of grands crus from the classified Cote des Blancs vineyards (Chardonnay) and the Montagne de Reims (Pinot Noir). Its vinification, partially in traditional oak casks, underpins the generous character of this fine, elegant and rich wine.

• 83% Grands Crus and 17% Premiers Crus:
• 60% Pinot Noir from the Premiers and Grands crus of the Montagne de Reims and the Grande Vallée de la Marne ( Aÿ, Verzenay et Mareuil-sur-Aÿ.)
• 40% Chardonnay from the Côte des Blancs (Mesnil, Chouilly, Cramant)
• Dosage: 2.9 g/l
• 17% vinified in oak barrels
• Partial malolactic fermentation
• Ageing potential: more than 150 months
• Available formats: bottle and magnum
• Ageing on lees: 10 years

A lovely colour of sparkling yellow gold veiled in soft golden reflections. This very luminous and intense visual perception gives to the effervescence a rising of fine-cut bubbles. All the richness and subtlety of an aromatic curve enhances the maturity of the delicious fruit. Fine notes of praline from lightly roasted dried fruit (almonds, dried dates and grilled chestnuts), refined by the floral and sensory elegance of a touch of infusion (Lime-tree, Verbena). The balance of a tension controlled by the blossoming of the wine (caramelised stonefruit, light tobacco) and embodied by the line of noble biscuity flavours. A truly unique and personal character showing real vinosity.