Champagne Billecart Salmon Cuvee Nicolas Francois 1999
The 1999 Champagne Billecart-Salmon Cuvée Nicolas François is a white champagne from the Champagne region, crafted by Billecart-Salmon. This cuvée blends 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay. James Suckling awards it 96/100, describing a complex, fresh champagne with mineral accents, pear, apple, nuts, and bread dough, driven by a vibrant palate and a clean finish. Ready to drink now, according to James Suckling.
La bouteille proposée
- Size
- Bottle (75cl)
- Packaging
- Loose
- Label Condition
- Perfect
- Fill Level
- Perfect
- Capsule Condition
- Perfect
Identité du vin
- Couleur
- Sparkling White
- Pays
- France
- Région
- Champagne
- Producteur / Domaine
- Billecart Salmon
- Cuvée
- Cuvée Nicolas François
- Millésime
- 1999
Cépage et assemblage
- Grape Variety
- 60% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay
Billecart Salmon
Billecart-Salmon is a Champagne house based in Mareuil-sur-Aÿ, founded in 1818 by Nicolas François Billecart and Élisabeth Salmon, together with Louis Salmon. The house, which remains family-run, operates a 100-hectare vineyard and also sources grapes from partner winegrowers. Mathieu Roland-Billecart, representing the seventh generation of the family, chairs the board of directors; Florent Nys is the cellar master.
- Owner
- Famille Billecart (majoritaire) et famille Frey
- Maître de chais
- Florent Nys
- Surface (ha)
- 100.00 ha
- Production (average bottles per vintage)
- environ 2 000 000 bouteilles/an
Histoire du domaine
The Billecart-Salmon house was founded in Mareuil-sur-Aÿ in 1818 by Nicolas François Billecart and Élisabeth Salmon. Nicolas François Billecart took charge of the commercial side of the business, whilst Louis Salmon, Élisabeth’s brother, devoted himself to winemaking. Their son, Charles Billecart, continued to develop the business during the 19th century. In 1900, the house took part in the Paris World Exhibition and supported the Palais du Champagne. At the end of the First World War, Charles Roland-Billecart inherited a house whose cellars contained only around 75,000 bottles; he turned the business round, and by 1936 it was selling more than 217,000 bottles. In 1958, Jean Roland-Billecart initiated a shift in the house’s winemaking methods. A barrel cellar was opened in 2010, followed by a cask cellar in 2018. In the same year, Billecart-Salmon celebrated two centuries of existence and seven generations of family ownership. The company is now led by Mathieu Roland-Billecart, whilst Florent Nys, who has been trained within the house since 2005, serves as cellar master. The majority of the share capital remains held by the Billecart family, alongside the Frey family, who acquired a stake in 2005.
Cuvée Nicolas François
A vintage prestige cuvée primarily combining Pinot Noir from the Montagne de Reims and the Vallée de la Marne with Chardonnay from the Côte des Blancs. Part of the wines is vinified in traditional oak casks. It is distinguished by its balance of tension, amplitude, finesse, and aging potential.
- Origin of the cuvée name
- Created as a tribute to Nicolas François Billecart, founder of Maison Billecart-Salmon.
- Cuvée creation year
- 1964
- Style of the cuvée
- An ample, generous, and structured champagne that retains the freshness, tension, and finesse characteristic of the House. Its balance, progressive maturity, and significant aging potential define its overall style.
- Position within the range
- A vintage prestige cuvée, positioned among the House's most ambitious and age-worthy expressions.
Histoire de la cuvée
Maison Billecart-Salmon states that the cuvée was created in 1964 as a tribute to its eponymous founder. Produced only in selected vintages, it represents one of the historic expressions of the House's blending expertise. The 1959 vintage of Cuvée Nicolas François Billecart was named 'Millennium Champagne' in 1999 during a blind tasting in Stockholm.
