Billecart-Salmon Tasting Dinner at La Belle Vie

La Belle Vie, Mpls
Tasted Monday, October 20, 2014 by rocknroller with 325 views

Introduction

This tasting dinner featured a multicourse pairing of wines from Billecart-Salmon. The wines very extremely elegant, balanced and fresh and the food as always was very well executed.

Flight 1 (7 Notes)

  • NV Billecart-Salmon Champagne Brut Réserve 92 Points

    France, Champagne

    Light gold color. Drank 2 glasses over 45 minutes. This was quite good, very elegant and fine, lemon chiffon nose, pear, mineral nose and becoming floral over time. The palate is elegant, pear, lemon chiffon, a little earthiness and a very lovely minerality on the finish. This was really nicely balanced and suave. The minerality was so appealing, very distinct but not at all harsh or overly chalky.

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  • NV Billecart-Salmon Champagne Extra Brut 91 Points

    France, Champagne

    Pale gold color. Drank 1 glass over 30 minutes plus. The nose has a really bready/doughy character, fresh, earthy, citrus and mineral. The palate is zero dosage, very dry, crisp and light, very minerally, citrus with a touch of pastry cream and a medium plus finish. 91+pts.

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  • NV Billecart-Salmon Champagne Grand Cru Brut Blanc de Blancs 92 Points

    France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru

    This was my clear favorite of the first trio of N/V's. I liked the earthy character, the nose is effusive, toasted almonds, saline, pear, complex. The palate really pops, a touch of smoke, floral, elegant, exquisite minerality, pear, creamy texture, lots of verve, a very fine bead. This was just so light, bright , and focused. It didn't hurt at all that the pairing with a mussel tart with meyer lemon, chive, and brown butter sabayon was spectacular. 92+ to 93pts.

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  • NV Billecart-Salmon Champagne Extra Brut 92 Points

    France, Champagne

    With no Nicolas Francois in 2004 this is where a good bit of the fruit went. And a nice cuvee it is. 70% PN and 30% Chard. There's more body here, good intensity, lemon, apple, full body, some yeast, dry, and a mineral backbone. 92+pts.

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  • 1999 Billecart-Salmon Champagne Cuvée Nicolas François Billecart 94 Points

    France, Champagne

    Medium gold color. Great nose with distinct earth, sous bois, lemon and lovely yeastiness. The palate has the wow factor, energetic, elegant, lemon, orange zest, full, nutty, smoked almonds, minerals and a long finish. This was drinking very well. 93+ to 94pts.

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  • 2000 Billecart-Salmon Champagne Cuvée Nicolas François Billecart 94 Points

    France, Champagne

    Medium gold color. Drank 1 glass; tasted side by side with the 1999. The 2000 (60%PN and 40% Chard) has tremendous power and depth, even more earthy than the '99, with that smoky, nutty character, full body, yeast, citrus, lemon, and a long finish. This was clearly younger and there's a sense this can develop further yet.

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  • NV Billecart-Salmon Champagne Brut Rosé 90 Points

    France, Champagne

    Very pale salmon color. Drank 1 glass over 30 minutes. Cherries and cream, strawberry, minerals on the nose. The palate has cherry chiffon, strawberry cream, citrus, and a somewhat chalky mineral finish. This is light, clean and well balanced. It probably suffered by comparison coming after 3 stellar vintage B-S champagnes.

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