Champagne Billecart-Salmon Sous Bois Brut NV (Magnum 1.5L)

More than 200 years of innovation, quality, and working with some of the best fruit anywhere in Champagne. This is a family-run empire that has survived and thrived for seven generations, over two centuries, in the heart of Mareuil-sur-Aÿ. They own 100 hectares of their own grapes, and contract out with some of the greatest growers for another 300 hectares – all spread across 40 Grand Cru sites throughout the Champagne region. But you folks know all about the Billecart story by now, and there just aren't enough magnums to go around! So I’ll leap boldly into how this beauty is unique, what it tastes like, and then you can rush to try to score a bottle or two before they’re swept away!

The wine is 43% Grand Cru Chardonnay, 29% Pinot Meunier, and 28% Premier and Grand Cru Pinot Noir – fermented and then aged in neutral Burgundy barrels (that’s what “Sous Bois” means… “under wood”) before blending and aging in the bottle on the lees for 60 months, and finished with a light dosage of 5 grams per liter. Sixty-six percent of the wine comes from a 2017 vintage base, while 34% of the final blend stems from the house’s treasured solera reserves dating back to 2006 – adding a depth and nuance that builds upon this already complex and multi-faceted wine.

A light golden yellow pours into the glass, with a delicate and soft mousse that reveals perfumed notes of fresh croissant dough, golden peaches, and peonies. Flavors follow of honey-butter biscuits and salted plums, buttressed by a profound minerality that showcases crunchy chalk and iron ore elements. This is pretty, round, and gloriously sleek – comparisons to ‘60s era Ferrari roadsters come to mind, and it's an image I simply can’t shake or disassociate with each lusty sip. This is stylish and potent, yet charming and soft-spoken. Fantastic stuff, no matter how you slice it or who you share it with. Just don’t miss out!