BRUT MILLÉSIME 2008
Balance and Richness
This exceptional cuvée was created in 1964 as a tribute to the House’s founder. It results from the blending of Grands Crus from the classified Côte des Blancs vineyards (Chardonnay) and the Montagne de Reims (Pinot Noir). Its vinification, partially in traditional oak casks, underpins the generous character of this fine, elegant and rich wine.
Tasting notes
Its vinification, partially in traditional oak casks, underpins the generous character of this fine, elegant and rich wine.
APPEARANCE
A beautiful golden yellow, glinting with bright sparkles. The glittering, crystalline appearance is set off by an eruption of finely chiselled bubbles.
PALATE
The balance of a tension achieved by
the fullness of the wine (fresh yellow raspberry, fresh quince, honey biscuits and lemon caviar) symbolised by the conduct of noble flavours (fresh fig, liquorice and pigeon heart tomato). A texture with a strong personality, with its limestone imprint and an incredible intensity, curbed by its fully integrated low dosage. The finish with a rare complexity develops towards notes of toasted bread and bergamot.
AROMA
It combines all the richness of an aromatic curve, both complex and refreshing. Fine intense notes of orchard fruits,
combined with the characters of nuts and stone fruit (lightly roasted flaked almonds, frangipani, candied mandarin peel) and accentuated by the radiance of a floral persistence (acacia flower and rose petal).
TASTING
This impressive vintage with great depth, tense and mineral, characterised by an elegant vinosity, offers you all the distinction of a well-aged champagne. Served at cellar temperature (11°C to 12°C), this cuvée will bring out the flavours of an excellent sole in lemon butter or a delicious milk-fed veal chop with chanterelle mushrooms.
From Florent NYS, Billecart-Salmon’ chief winemaker.
In Perfect Harmony with Mauro Colagreco
Chef at the three-Michelin-star Mirazur restaurant in Menton
“ I first encountered the house of Billecart when I arrived in France, over 20 years ago now. One of the first champagnes I tasted was the Brut Rosé, I was utterly captivated by its delicacy and finesse. Since then I have been lucky enough to work in some of the finest French gastronomic houses, where I have always found Billecart-Salmon on their wine lists. Billecart was immediately one of my favourite champagnes! Nicolas François 2008 is a truly exceptional wine. This characterful wine reveals a beautiful roundness which evolves towards a citrus tension characteristic of Chardonnay. This wine lends itself to many pairings. I can immediately imagine a beurre monté with Menton lemon accompanied by a fish such as John Dory. A lovely resonance between the zesty notes and the acidity of citrus fruits. On the sweet side, I'm thinking of our citrus desserts, the “Naranjo en Flore” with almond, orange and saffron. We find spicy notes in this vintage. The ideal place to taste this wine? It's obviously my restaurant Le Mirazur in Menton! ”
Embark on a journey to encounter two exceptional instincts: the 3 Michelin-starred chef Mauro Colagreco introduced Maison Billecart-Salmon to his world by becoming the official godfather of Nicolas François 2008. An ideal alliance between two remarkable savoir-faire, advocating a shared respect for nature and their respective terroirs.
Beet tartare with cosmos flowers
John Dory fish and tamarillo
Naranjo en flor
Guide notes
"Vinous, powerful and with a full spectrum of fruit and patisserie, it is remarkable just how little citrus and herb there is on the front end of this staggeringly impressive wine. It is more layered and exotic than any current release Champagne I can think of"
97/100 James Suckling - April 2023Lovely precision and drive to this with aromas of lemon curd, brioche, praline, apricots, pomelos, mandarin zest and salted caramel. It’s held together by a sharp, citrusy backbone of acidity, balanced with a fine, silky mousse. Both structure and softness here. Citrus fruit brightness on a beautifully elegant and seamless finish.
96/100 Vinous - April 2023 96/100 Robert Parker - The wine Advocate April 2023Grape Varieties & Blend
- • Dosage: 2.9 g/l
- • 17% vinified in oak barrels
- • Partial malolactic fermentation
- • Ageing potential: more than 150 months
- • Available formats: bottle and magnum
- • Ageing on lees: 10 years
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Vintage mapping
Each cuvée that arrives in your hands is always ready to be tasted at its best, thanks in particular to a long ageing process in our cellars. However, conscious that everyone enjoys their wines at different stages of development, we wanted to highlight five stages of evolution to better guide you. None is superior to the other, however, depending on your tastes, this cartography will allow you to appreciate a vintage of our house as close as possible to your aspirations and thus have the best possible tasting experience.
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