Journey to Champagne 2012 - Part 4

Following our fabulous tasting at Philipponnat (see Journey to Champagne 2012 - Part 3), we took a short trip down the road to the family owned Champagne House of Billecart-Salmon, also located in the Premier Cru territory of Mareuil-sur-Ay in the Vallée de la Marne, just south of Reims.

A few years ago I really got into all things Billecart. Like most Billecart fans, it was love at first taste when I savoured their prized non-vintage rosé (see my review here). It offers a concentrated palate of rich, creamy and berry driven flavours with lingering hints of minerality and a long dry finish.  It's simply delicious.  What fascinated me about Billecart then (and still does now) is how clean, pristine, bright and angular the flavours are in their cuvées. 

Ever since those early days of falling for their non-vintage rosé, I have wanted to understand Billecart's philosophy and method and why it separates them from many others.

A little about Billecart-Salmon's style
Some people think that champagne should not be 'clean' as the ones produced by Billecart-Salmon. By 'clean' I refer to the meticulous production processes involving double debourbage (where the must is allowed to settle to the bottom of the wine before racking) and cool fermentation (which is modelled on similar techniques used in beer making). This process keeps the champagne very primary (fruit driven) and reductive (free of interference from oxygen). Further aiding the 'clean' characteristics of their champagnes is the fact they look for a strong acid structure - rather than sugar - to preserve freshness. In contrast, some champagne sippers prefer champagne which is less primary, fatter and rounder and has more (what I like to call) 'funk'; in other words, some less refined characteristics which can produce some very interesting aromas, flavours and textures.

Irrespective of your preference, it's hard to deny the extreme care the House takes to ensure consistency and high quality production standards year after year.

A Lesson In Ageing - Billecart-Salmon Elisabeth Salmon Brut Rosé 2002

Imagine the most glorious sunset at the beach. The sky is crystal clear and beaming with the brightest of bright colours - pink, purple, and orange. The sun, like a sphere of fire, marginally sits above the horizon. The reflection on the ocean is so luminous that it's piercing to look at - in fact, it's so intense that you can't see much of the ocean. You look away.

It was this kind of sensational yet blinding sunset that saw in the start of my 2012 New Year's Eve at Henley Beach along Adelaide's magnificent coastline. It was one of those events in nature that stays with you - the kind that somehow stamps itself on your memory. And for me, its imprint will remain forever after tasting, not long after, Billecart-Salmon's Elisabeth Salmon Brut Rosé 2002 - one of my special purchases from our recent trip to Champagne.

I decided it would be a wonderful choice - a decent drop worthy of heralding in a new year but also one that carried some sentimentality from our our recent travels. 

Retailing in Australia for almost $300, Elisabeth Salmon is also pretty expensive. Putting all of this into consideration, my expectations were relatively high, especially after reading Tyson Stelzer's review of the 2000 vintage where he suggested it had gone beyond its best and to instead wait for the 2002 release.

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 Secret To Success Is Constancy To Purpose - Billecart-Salmon Brut Reserve NV

When champagne is served in first class on Air France, you know it must be pretty good – after all, the country’s synonymous relationship with champagne must reflect well on the airline’s best product.  Billecart-Salmon’s Brut Reserve Non-Vintage (NV) is one such champagne that only a select few well-to-do, lucky passengers have the privilege of sitting back and relaxing with when they fly with the national carrier.

But thankfully for the majority of us, you don’t need to have the fat cheque books of the super-rich to enjoy this lovely cuvée. At around $90 a bottle, this high quality champagne represents excellent value and is the best starting point for commencing a life-long long love affair with the surreal and sublime productions of Billecart-Salmon.

Whilst rosé may be the famous style that defines this medium size champagne house, their Brut Reserve NV demonstrates the core principles of the house and framework inherent in each cuvée.

This Is the House That Rosé Built - Billecart Salmon Rosé NV

If you can see beyond the glitz and the glamour of the world’s largest champagne producers you will find the most exciting, delicious and splendid champagne of them all in small to medium size champagne houses, cooperatives and grower producers.  

Billecart-Salmon (pronounced bill-car sal-mohn) is one-such champagne house. 

Located in Premier Cru territory of Mareuil-sur-Ay (in the Vallée de la Marne, just south of Reims) Billecart prides itself on 'two centuries of vinification steeped in tradition'. And certainly, reading Tyson Stelzer's 'The Champagne Guide 2012' (can't recommend this highly enough for learners like me) indicates the family are pretty down-to-earth and genuine about this; saying that 'vinification is the key and the rest is bulls**t'. How refreshing!

It is this attitude that leads a hands-on approach to every aspect of production - from the vineyard to the cellar door - since 1818 when the Billecart and Salmon families came together. For their efforts, they are universally recognised as being one of the leaders in their field - producing fine and expressive champagnes and pioneering the way using some of the most advanced production facilities in the region.