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Billecart SalmonChampagne

€59.45
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TECH SHEET

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Country
FranceFrance
Region
Champagne
Type
Champagne
Producer
Billecart Salmon
Winemaker
Florent Nys
Grapes
Grands Crus Pinot NoirChardonnay
Alcohol
12% vol.
Bottle
750 ml

Wine profile

Sparkling

DosageBrut
Acidity
Body
Alcohol12% vol

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Wine profile · Sparkling

Dosage Brut

Level 2 of 5 — Dry and balanced

What it is

Dosage is the small amount of sugar (the liqueur d'expédition) added to a sparkling wine at the very end. It decides whether the wine is bone-dry or sweet.

Where you feel it

On the tip of the tongue and on the finish: the balance between sugar and acidity.

How we set this level

For this wine, the level comes from: the wine's label (for example "Brut" or "Off-dry").

It comes from the category on the label, set in EU law in grams of sugar per litre: Brut Nature under 3 g/L, Extra Brut 0–6, Brut under 12, Extra Dry 12–17, Sec 17–32, Demi-Sec 32–50 and Doux over 50.

The 1–5 scale follows the WSET tasting grid. We start from the producer's technical sheet and Vinogrande's tasting notes, plus measured data where it exists, such as the alcohol on the label. Only when that is missing do we use the typical profile of the style, region or grapes, and we say so.

The 1–5 scale

  1. 1Brut Nature / Extra Brut
  2. 2Brut This wine
  3. 3Extra Dry / Sec
  4. 4Demi-Sec
  5. 5Doux

In practice, for this wine

The most versatile: from aperitif right through the meal.

Wine profile · Sparkling

Acidity

Level 5 of 5 — Crisp and racy – like freshly squeezed lemon

Above typical (4.5) · Typical: average of 138 sparkling wines at Vinogrande

What it is

Acidity is the wine's freshness: it gives energy, makes your mouth water and helps the wine age. Too little and it tastes flat; too much and it feels sharp.

Where you feel it

On the sides of your tongue, and in how much your mouth waters after you swallow. The more you salivate, the higher the acidity.

How we set this level

For this wine, the level comes from: Vinogrande's tasting notes and wine description.

Labs measure total acidity (grams of tartaric acid per litre; most wines sit between 4.5 and 8 g/L) and pH (usually 3.0 to 3.8; the lower, the more acidic). Our scale turns that into how it feels in the mouth.

The 1–5 scale follows the WSET tasting grid. We start from the producer's technical sheet and Vinogrande's tasting notes, plus measured data where it exists, such as the alcohol on the label. Only when that is missing do we use the typical profile of the style, region or grapes, and we say so.

The 1–5 scale

  1. 1Low: soft, little freshness
  2. 2Medium−: gentle
  3. 3Medium: fresh and balanced
  4. 4Medium+: lively, mouth-watering
  5. 5High: crisp, racy This wine

In practice, for this wine

Ideal with oysters, shellfish, sushi and fried food; it stands up to sharp, salty dishes. Serve cold, great as an aperitif.

Wine profile · Sparkling

Body

Level 4 of 5 — Full and broad – like single cream

Above typical (2.4) · Typical: average of 138 sparkling wines at Vinogrande

What it is

Body is the weight and texture of the wine in your mouth. It comes mainly from alcohol, extract (everything dissolved apart from water), glycerol and, in sweet wines, sugar.

Where you feel it

Across the whole tongue: how much the wine fills your mouth. Think skimmed milk, whole milk and cream.

How we set this level

For this wine, the level comes from: Vinogrande's tasting notes and wine description.

There is no single number for body. Labs measure dry extract (many wines are between 18 and 30 g/L) and alcohol, which WSET says has the biggest effect on body. Our scale rates the weight in the mouth.

The 1–5 scale follows the WSET tasting grid. We start from the producer's technical sheet and Vinogrande's tasting notes, plus measured data where it exists, such as the alcohol on the label. Only when that is missing do we use the typical profile of the style, region or grapes, and we say so.

The 1–5 scale

  1. 1Light: fluid and delicate
  2. 2Medium−: light-ish
  3. 3Medium: rounded
  4. 4Medium+: broad This wine
  5. 5Full: dense and rich

In practice, for this wine

Wants dishes with structure: red meat, roasts, mushrooms, aged cheese.

Wine profile · Sparkling

Alcohol 12% vol

Level 2 of 5 — Moderate – a gentle warmth

Below typical (2.5) · Typical: average of 135 sparkling wines at Vinogrande

What it is

Alcohol is made when yeast ferments the grape's sugar. It brings warmth, adds to the body and carries the aromas.

Where you feel it

As warmth in your throat and chest when you swallow, and a slight burn on the nose when it is high.

How we set this level

For this wine, the level comes from: the alcohol stated on the label — On the label: 12% vol.

It is the one axis that is always measured: it comes from the % vol on the label. Still and sparkling wines: under 11% = 1, up to 12.4% = 2, up to 13.4% = 3, up to 14.4% = 4, 14.5% or more = 5. Fortified wines (Port, Madeira…) have their own scale: under 16.5% = 2, up to 18.4% = 3, up to 19.9% = 4, 20% or more = 5.

The 1–5 scale follows the WSET tasting grid. We start from the producer's technical sheet and Vinogrande's tasting notes, plus measured data where it exists, such as the alcohol on the label. Only when that is missing do we use the typical profile of the style, region or grapes, and we say so.

The 1–5 scale

  1. 1Low: under 11% vol
  2. 2Medium−: 11–12.4% vol This wine
  3. 3Medium: 12.5–13.4% vol
  4. 4Medium+: 13.5–14.4% vol
  5. 5High: 14.5% vol or more

In practice, for this wine

Light at the table: fish, small plates, summer food.

Critics & awards

Serve & enjoy

Temperature 8–10 °CFridge 3 h · or ice bucket with water 20 min
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Description

The Wine Advocate
RP 91

Reviewed by: Kristaps Karklins

Based on the 2020 vintage (the youngest vintage serves as the "base" of the bottling, even if it isn't the majority of the blend) and incorporating 71% reserve wines — half stored as individual vintages and half as a perpetual reserve started in 2006 — Billecart-Salmon's latest NV Le Réserve is showing very well.

It shows aromas of green pear, honeysuckle, brioche and white peach. Disgorged in early 2024 with a dosage of three grams per litre, this reformulated cuvée recently underwent a significant reduction in dosage. The sweetness so often found on the finish of Grande Marque NV Champagnes is no longer there.

ColourMedium- to full-bodied, vibrant and charming, with a textural attack and lively acidity, it culminates in a long, precise finish. This reinvented cuvée replaces the Brut Réserve and, besides the lower dosage, features a stricter fruit selection, 20 extra months of ageing sur lattes (now 50 months in total) and a larger share of the perpetual reserve.

What to serve with this wine

Dishes calculated from this wine’s profile, grapes and region.