Billecart-Salmon - Brut Champagne Nicolas Francois 2008 (750ml)

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Producer	Billecart-Salmon
Country	France
Region	Champagne
Varietal	Sparkling Blend
Vintage	2008
Sku	9944

 

A beautiful golden yellow, glinting with bright sparkles. The glittering, crystalline appearance is set off by an eruption of finely chiselled bubbles. It combines all the richness of an aromatic curve, both complex and refreshing. Fine intense notes of orchard fruits, combined with the characters of nuts and stone fruit (lightly roasted flaked almonds, frangipani, candied mandarin peel) and accentuated by the radiance of a floral persistence (acacia flower and rose petal). The balance of a tension achieved by the fullness of the wine (fresh yellow raspberry, fresh quince, honey biscuits and lemon caviar) symbolised by the conduct of noble flavours (fresh fig, liquorice and pigeon heart tomato). A texture with a strong personality, with its limestone imprint and an incredible intensity, curbed by its fully integrated low dosage. The finish with a rare complexity develops towards notes of toasted bread and bergamot. This impressive vintage with great depth, tense and mineral, characterised by an elegant vinosity, offers you all the distinction of a well-aged champagne. Served at cellar temperature (11°C to 12°C), this cuvée will bring out the flavours of an excellent sole in lemon butter or a delicious milk-fed veal chop with chanterelle mushrooms.

Lovely precision and drive to this with aromas of lemon curd, brioche, praline, apricots, pomelos, mandarin zest and salted caramel. It’s held together by a sharp, citrusy backbone of acidity, balanced with a fine, silky mousse. Both structure and softness here. Citrus fruit brightness on a beautifully elegant and seamless finish. 60% pinot noir and 40% chardonnay. 150 months on lees. 2.9g/L dosage. Drink or hold.

The 2008 Brut Cuvée Nicolas François was disgorged during the third quarter of 2022 with less than three grams per liter. It has a delicate, pure, clean bouquet with aromas of orchard fruits, spring flowers, honey and licorice, with hints of brioche and pastry with aeration. Medium to full-bodied, chiseled and crystalline, with racy acids and a chalky texture, the palate is tense and the finish is long, penetrating and salty. It exhibits perfect Billecart style, yet tension is present, a sign of the vintage. It is a blend of 60% Pinot Noir (sourced from Aÿ, Mareuil and Verzenay) and 40% Chardonnay from Mesnil, Chouilly and Cramant, and it matured 83% in tanks and 17% in old oak barrels.

A vibrant Champagne, with vivid acidity enmeshed with the lacy mousse, creating a fine frame for flavors of black currant and apricot fruit, preserved lemon, toast and ground coffee. Reveals minerally hints of oyster shell and brine that linger on the finish. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.