More than 200 years of innovation, and 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. I’ve shared all that before, but having visited the winery in November – the data points simply doesn’t do this tremendous estate justice. They seemingly own the town of Mareuil-sur-Aÿ – with rare, famed vineyards, production facilities, caves, and elegant gardens all taking up a series of city blocks smack dab in the middle of the village. The family manors are still inhabited, the magnificent clos has its own dedicated team, every detail of the winery is stunning and immaculate, and the caves seem to go on forever. It’s as impressive as a winery as I’ve ever seen – and this was my favorite cuvée of the entire line-up! Vintage cuvées like this get the choice picks of the top lots, and this supreme Blanc de Blancs bottling is selected and crafted from the very best of the best in the Côte des Blancs – 100% Chardonnay coming 60% from Mesnil-sur-Oger, 23% from Cramant, 11% from Chouilly, and 6% from Oiry.

After the wine is vinified in 25% oak casks and 75% tank, most of the lots go through malolactic fermentation to enhance both mouthfeel and complexity. It is then bottled and cellar-aged on the lees for an impressive 11 years, before disgorgement and very precise and restrained dosage of just 3.9 grams per liter. This cuvée was named in commemoration of founder Elisabeth Salmon’s brother, Louis, who had a great passion for oenology and was heavily involved in winemaking in the earliest days of the House in the 1800s. Grown in a challenging, low-yielding vintage that is now meriting consideration for legendary status, this is a prodigious wine in more ways than one.

This singular wine immediately draws you in with its rich and honeyed nose, brilliant pale gold color, and notes of brioche and buttercream, with a lingering sensation of creamy nougat. The mouth is taut and tart, with a high-toned minerality, and pockets of sour golden plums, alongside Gala apples, and creamy d'Anjou pears. The flavors build and broaden over time with Rainier cherries, and fresh herbal notes of tarragon and chervil, with every unique note and character paired with an overriding signature of fine chalk and cooling granite and limestone minerality. This is balanced, layered, and remarkably complex – all while maintaining the focused precision found in the very best examples of the Côte des Blancs. Youthful and layered, capable of aging for years to come, and at the end of it all… a spectacularly worthy example of the best of the best for Billecart-Salmon. We’ve never failed to sell-out of any Billecart-Salmon offer in Last Bubbles history, and fully expect the handful of cases we scored of this rare creature to disappear in no time at all. Complimentary shipping on two or more bottles – get yours while they last!