Champagne Billecart-Salmon Cuvee Nicolas-Francois Salmon Brut 2012

“This complex Champagne has delicious aromas of waffle cones vanilla beans apricots and pastry with touches of white chocolate and salted caramel. It’s electric on the palate which is creamy yet structured and focused with a fine bead of bubbles and a zesty tangy backbone of acidity. Long and tense finish. 60% pinot noir and 40% chardonnay (all premier and grand cru) 10% of wines are vinified in oak casks. 10 years on lees. 3.8 g/L dosage. Disgorged in the second half of 2024. Drink or hold.”

“The dazzling 2012 ‘Nicolas Francois’ Champagne was stored on the lees for more than ten years. Sourced Grand Cru and Premier Cru vineyards in the Montagne de Reims (Pinot Noir) and the Côte des Blancs vineyards (Chardonnay), this was given 3.8G/L dosage. Amazing on the tongue, showing glorious weight and length, the salty minerality prevails throughout this scintillating drinking experience. Diatomaceous earth and white peach parade with baking spice laced pastry crust and shades of wild mushroom on the palate. Big, round and bold, enjoy this beauty over the next fifteen to twenty years.”

“Billecart-Salmon’s 2012 Nicolas François marks the first release since 2008 and stands as another success. The fundamentals remain unchanged: settling and fermentation at low temperatures a small proportion vinified in oak barrels and partial malolactic fermentation (20% was blocked in 2012). This vintage was characterized by a prolonged flowering period significant rainfall and mildew pressure resulting in a small crop. The harvest of fruit which contributed to this cuvée took place between September 17 and 22. "It was crucial to select only the ripest fruit as maturation varied significantly between plots" explains Billecart’s head winemaker Florent Nys. But what of the wine itself? Disgorged in May 2023 with a dosage of 3.8 grams per liter it exudes aromas of candied lemon honeysuckle and ripe peach mingling with nuances of beeswax and orange zest. On the palate it is full-bodied ample and enveloping boasting a layered concentrated core a chalky structure and mouthwatering acidity despite the warm vintage. It concludes with a persistent saline finish hinting at the savory complexity that has emerged with such notable bottle age. Compared to the 2008 which remains tightly coiled the 2012 is broader-shouldered and more demonstrative.”

“Made from 60% Pinot Noir and the rest Chardonnay the 2012 Champagne Nicolas François has a complex élevage and was tasted as a vin clair. Bottled at the end of June of this year (the magnum in July) it’s highly aromatic on opening at this stage with aromas of honeydew melon ripe peach and fresh flowers. Medium-bodied it is long on the palate with a linear feel but has a ripe rounded exterior and a clean chalky finish with notes of grapefruit pith and fresh lift. At this early stage it feels as though it may be approachable in its youth but we‘ll have to see.”

“The 2012 Brut Cuvée Nicolas François Billecart shows all the natural radiance of the year. There's gorgeous resonance and texture here. Apricot spice tangerine oil and lightly honeyed notes infuse the palate with notable depth and persistence. This rich expansive Champagne has a ton to offer. This release was disgorged nearly two years ago which also adds to its complexity. Dosage is 3.8 grams per liter. Disgorged: May 2023.”