Billecart-Salmon : Cuvée Louis Salmon Blanc de Blancs 2006

Entirely sourced in top grand cru terroirs of the Côte des Blancs—namely in Avize (les Pierres Vaudon), Chouilly (Mont Aigu), Mesnil-sur-Oger (les Coullemets and Chétillon) and Cramant—the 2006 Millésime Brut Blanc de Blancs Cuvée Louis offers a generous, rich and chalky bouquet of ripe yellow and white-fleshed fruits and vanilla brioche as well as a remarkable purity, precision and freshness. Round and endlessly juicy on the palate, this is a highly elegant, seductive and wonderfully balanced Blanc de Blancs that reveals a concentrated, rich and persistent finish with intense fruit and a chalky texture. Fermented 5% in oak casks and disgorged in April 2018, after 11 years on the lees. This is lot L 306A718 47837; tasted November 2018.

With grapes coming from the Chardonnay heartland of the Côte des Blancs, this wine is the epitome of structured, textured fruit but with the essential addition of age. Still hinting at freshness and still textured, the wine is also rich with white-fruit flavors cut with limes. Drink from 2020.

Formerly called the Prestige Blanc de Blancs, this wine was renamed after the winemaker brother of Elisabeth Salmon for the bicentenary. Both Elisabeth and her husband Nicolas François already have founder's cuvées named in their honour. From 100% grand cru fruit (5% vinified in old oak), this spends 11 years on its lees with partial malolactic fermentation, and has a 6g/l dosage. Mathieu Roland-Billecart describes it as 'Meursault with bubbles', and suggests decanting it into a carafe and enjoying it throughout a meal. It's very rich and full, yet with bright, balancing acidity and chalky minerality. It has gorgeous notes of apricot tart, popcorn, vanilla sugar and nougat, and is long, tight and rich. Drinking beautifully now, but still has many years ahead of it.

A brilliant edition with elegance cast against plenty of fruit and mouth-filling concentration. Aromas of fresh green apples and light pears and apple pastry, as well as hints of lemons and chalky minerals. The palate has plenty of fresh apples and nashi pears. Really crisp and flavorsome. Finishes on point. Drink or hold.

New name. Four grands crus. Lots of it in UK. Dosage 6 g/l. Disgorged April 2018. Greenish gold. High toned. Quite rich palate entry, then tightens up. Racy and lively. Quite firm, this positively reverberates. Polished texture. Richer than the 2007. (JR)

The 2006 Brut Cuvée Louis Salmon is a fabulous Champagne that balances the natural richness of the year with tons of energy. In this very warm vintage the winemaking team opted to block most of the malolactic fermentation (70%) to preserve freshness, an approach that worked beautifully. The weight of the year is present, but it is balanced by the wine's freshness and energy. Time in the glass brings out hints of chamomile, marzipan and lemon confit. At fifteen years of age, the 2006 is still a young Champagne that requires cellaring. In a word: dazzling. (Originally published in May 2021)

Splendid refinement, masterful finesse, a brilliant aromatic palette enhanced by notes of citrus zest: magnificent!

A generous wine with smooth flavors and a pronounced roundness. It conveys the richness of the vintage.