Billecart Salmon

The history of Billecart-Salmon goes back to 1818, when Nicolas François Billecart and Elisabeth Salmon founded Maison Billecart-Salmon in the village of Mareuil-sur-Aÿ. By now, the 7th generation is at the helm of this beautiful family home. Through every generation, the motto has always remained the same: 'give priority to quality, strive for excellence'. And this can still be tasted in their prestigious champagnes.

The champagne house owns 30 hectares of vineyards. In the vineyards, the perfect grape varieties for champagne are planted: pinot noir, chardonnay and pinot meunier. The first two are planted in premier and grand cru vineyards around the city of Épernay. The pinot meunier vines also grow around Épernay, as well as in the municipality of Leuvrigny. The winery also buys grapes from winegrowers, with good and lasting business relationships.

Age-old traditions play an important role in the wine cellar. The traditional working method is combined with modern techniques. The juice is slowly fermented for 3 to 4 weeks. After the still wine is obtained, the wines are assembled. The wines then undergo an average of 36 months sur lie maturation. This long maturation ensures that the bubbles integrate well with the wine, creating a soft mousse. The champagnes are divided into vintage and non-vintage champagnes. Billecart-Salmon's top non-vintage champagnes are Brut Sous Bois and Brut Reserve. For the vintage champagne, this is the Cuvée Nicolas François Billecart.

In 1999, the champagne house took first place at the 'Champagne of the Millennium' award. It was their Nicolas-François 1959 cuvée that triumphed. The best vintages of Billecart-Salmon are: 1959, 1990, 1995, 1996, 1999, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008 and 2009.