Celebrating their 200th anniversary in 2018, Champagne Billecart-Salmon have repackaged their entire range with their bottles now boasting a more modern larger logo and different colours for each cuvée.
Now in the hands of the sixth generation of the family, they have also released three new Champagnes, reducing the focus on premier cru in favour of grand cru, from Ambonnay, Verzy, Verzenay and Côte des Blancs:
Their Blanc de Blancs has been renamed Cuvée Louis in honour of Louis Salmon, the brother of Elisabeth Salmon, who founded the house in 1818 with her husband Nicolas François Billecart.
The new Cuvée Louis Blanc de Blancs 2006 includes Chardonnays from grand cru sites in the Côte des Blancs: Cramant, Chouilly, Avize and Mesnil-sur-Oger and hints of coconut and crème pâtissière with a clean citrus flavour, making it ideal for food matching.
The new Cuvée Nicolas François Billecart 2006 is a grand cru blend of 60% Pinot Noir from Montagne de Reims and 40% Chardonnay from the Côte des Blancs. Around 10% of the Pinot Noir has also been barrel-fermented, lending complexity to the palate.
The third new cuvée is the Champagne Billecart-Salmon Vintage 2007, a 75% Pinot Noir blend (75%) using grapes from Mareuil-sur-Aÿ, Aÿ and the Montagne de Reims, plus Chardonnay from the Côte des Blancs with an extra brut sugar dosage of 4g/l. It boasts fresh raspberry tart aromas and a super-crisp palate.