Billecart Salmon Brut Sous Bois

94 pts James Suckling

A dense Champagne with a tight and linear structure. Compressed and very pretty. Hints of nuts and cream with some pie crust. Some nougat, too. Very long and flavorful. It’s one for a meal. One third of pinot meunier, pinot noir and chardonnay. Fermented and aged in barrel for about six months. Disgorged July 19, 2020. It’s aged six years on lees. Drink or hold.

93 pts Wine Spectator

A rich Champagne, with a smoky overtone of toasted brioche and grilled nut notes deftly reined in by firm, focusing acidity. The finely detailed mousse carries additional flavors of poached pear, black cherry and Mandarin orange peel, and the racy finish shows a lasting tang of salinity. Feels like white Burgundy with bubbles. Drink now through 2027.

92 pts Wine Advocate

The latest release of Billecart's NV Brut Sous Bois offers up aromas of green apple, pear and dried fruits framed by a classy patina of buttery pastry and blanched almonds. Medium to full-bodied, elegantly fleshy and nicely concentrated, it's generous and textural, with fine-boned structure, racy acids and a delicate mousse. As usual, this is a blend of equal parts Pinot Meunier, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, made with vins clairs fermented at low temperature in used oak barrels.

92 pts Vinous

Bright yellow. Pungent orchard fruit and lemon curd scents are complemented by suggestions of vanilla, anise and smoky minerals. Toasty and silky in texture, offering juicy pear and tangerine flavors plus a deeper suggestion of candied fig on the back half. Closes sappy, focused and long, with repeating smokiness and strong mineral cut.