Champangne Billecart -Salmon was recently awarded Tyson Stelzers highest 10 out of 10 rating in the new Champagne Guide 2014 – 15. This places Champagne Billecart-Salmon in esteemed company with the very top echelon of Champagne houses. Only four houses were awarded the 10/10 rating, one of which was Champagne Billecart-Salmon.

Billecart uses its own cultured yeasts (from natural yeasts of nearby villages) and its ferments are colder than most – a crucial element in retaining freshness and delicacy. (Cellar Master Francois) Domi showed us one hundred, forty hectolitre tanks individually temperature controlled to ferment at a chilling thirteen degrees. At such a low temperature, it takes until late November for the primary fermentation to complete. Old barrels are used for the fermentation of all grand cru fruit (he sources used Burgundy barrels that have seen six or seven fermentations) and barrel stirring is conducted weekly, according to taste. All parcels for the non-vintage blends go through malolactic fermentation, but for the vintage wines this depends upon the vintage. Dosage levels are low, 8g/L of sweetness in the non-vintage wines and just 4g/L in the vintages. This places the vintage wines firmly in Extra Brut; (extra dry) territory. Any more sweetness might start to play havoc with such delicate styles.

Billecarts non-vintage wines are aged for three-and-a-half to four years and its Millisime collection for a minimum of eight to ten years