Everything That A Non-Vintage Blanc de Blancs Should Be - Billecart-Salmon Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs NV

It’s 3am and for the life of me, I cannot sleep. As I tell myself to keep on trying for another hour or so, I can’t stop thinking of a presentation that’s due for work.

I give in, get up, jump-start my laptop and pour a glass of sparkling mineral water. The bubbles remind me of champagne – there’s no escaping it once it’s on the mind. So I pour myself a glass – why not?

Rob and I started a bottle of Billecart-Salmon’s Brut Blanc de Blancs Non-Vintage (NV) the day before as an aperitif before heading off to see the stage production of Yes Prime Minister. With a few glasses left in the bottle, it was a perfect opportunity to indulge - after all, the bottle was already open!

There is something strangely intoxicating about sitting alone in deafening silence enveloped by a haze of darkness with nothing but the muted bubbling of champagne at your side.


The calm and quietness removes distractions, allowing me to think more clearly about what I’m drinking. As I sip, I notice how the flavour profile has changed somewhat. Yesterday I noticed a really good balance of citrus and creaminess. Today, the citrus is more pronounced and the creaminess has subsided slightly. Which do I prefer? Probably the tasting from the day before for the simple fact that it was more balanced and more like what the makers had intended.

Not surprising for Billecart-Salmon (one of my favourite houses if you haven't already noticed from former posts), it sets a good example of what (in my opinion) a Blanc de Blancs should be; not only rich, full-bodied, creamy, toasty and balanced with citrus, it should also display tightly knit concentration which is only made possible from the cooler climate, chalky soils of very specific parcels of land in Champagne.

It is impressive that a non-vintage Blanc de Blancs champagne delivers on all of these fronts. In my journey of tastings, I have sometimes found non-vintages of this style of champagne to be under-developed, showing only one dimension often dominated by citrus. But Billecart's thoughtful 'vine to the table' approach ensures this wine can never be accused of being simplistic.

A key element accounting for its very high quality is the fact that 100% of the chardonnay grapes required to produce this blanc de blancs is totally sourced from five Grand Cru estates in the Côte des Blancs; Avize, Chouilly, Cramant, Mesnil-sur-Oger and Oger. Out of the 17 Grand Cru estates across the Champagne region, six are found in the Côte des Blancs.

Billecart then uses old Burgundy oak barrels to ferment the grapes (this only applies to fruit from Grand Cru estates) whilst enacting partial malolactic fermentation. This aids in producing the rounded, complex and creamy flavours and textures.

Billecart then ages the wine for around 3.5 years (longer than the mandatory 15 months for a non-vintage) before finishing off with a good portion of reserve wine.

I also like the fact that it uses only five percent sugar dosage per litre, lending itself to a dry style. This allows the quality of the fruit and the characteristics of the terroir to really shine through, especially the lovely chalky minerality.

This champagne is a real joy and celebration of all that is good about non-vintage Blanc de Blancs. Billecart-Salmon's consistenly good champagne and the experiences is allows me to have, inspires me to want to learn more about them. They really are champagne stars.

The notes below are based on my initial tasting (before the sleepless night).

Blend - 100% chardonnay grapes sourced from Grand Cru estates only (see further information above).

Glass – The cuvée is pale lemon with a very fine bead. Not overly effervescent but a good mousse upon pouring.

Nose –  There are strong aromas of lemon butter and brioche.

Palate – Immediately cleansing on the palate with soft, rounded notes of lemon butter, the flavours transform into brioche drizzled oh-so lightly with honey. Subtle ‘green’ notes emerge – such as the flavour of crushed grape stems. As I take additional sips, the flavour profile builds upon the previous tasting, creating a rich and lasting experience. The result is pure with a soft chalky-minerality texture. It's perfectly executed and a really delightful experience.

Verdict – 93 / 100.

Further reading - For a good understanding of Blanc de Blancs, I suggest you read Ed McCarthy's article. For further tasting notes from the house itself, try Billecart-Salmon's website.

Where to buy - At the time of blogging, this wasn't a very easy champagne to find. Even some of the major sellers (like Dan Murphy's) didn't have it. Online, try Nicks or Cellarit.