Champagne and Sparkling

Famously delicate and sexy pink At the March 2022 Taste Champagne (300 wines) I have to say this stood out as one of the most delicious "drinking Champagnes" on show - and there were some very Showy wines on show that day. A huge success for us, easy to forget just how gorgeous it is - firstly it is so very savoury, forget the cherry fruits, it's more like Xmas cake, rhubarb, forest floor, nettle and nutmeg. When the glass is empty the aromas persist. This is Grand stuff, the stuff of deluxe cuvee, truly epic. And a dinner wine too. A cunning counsel for you - don't serve it too cold, err on the cellar-temperature side. March 2022. Of course the whole Billecart range is exceptional and impressive but the 'basic NV is a STEAL! Seriously, super-tight with Silex and citrus, grippy and bracing. On best-ever form.

A Pinot-dominated special edition from our old friends Autreau, a family firm since 1670 in Premier Cru village of Champillon just north of Epernay

Slight copper hue, spicy, ripe fruit, crème brulée, full-flavoured but delicate & charming. Fine persistent mousse. Totally enjoyable and quite typical of the black-grape dominated Montagne de Reims style.

Classically made Champagne with grapes sourced from Premier Cru vineyards in the Marne Valley, a blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from the Côtes des Blanc. This wine spends 3 years ageing prior to disgorgement. Top quality Premier Cru Champagne with full flavoured intense developed citrus and floral aromas.

green-apple crisp, serious Grand Cru

Mature and complex NV The nose has maturity with a touch of floral freshness for this cuvée, which expresses aromas of fresh fruit and ripe pears. A full and precise flavour followed by a fine freshness and a rich bouquet bear witness to the ageing of this cuvée in the House’s traditional cellars.

Famously delicate and sexy pink In a convenient half-bottle size.

Properly serious food wine, a Michelin-star classic! Parker 92 Aromas of almond paste, green orchard fruit, citrus oil and pastry cream introduce the latest example of Billecart's NV Brut Sous Bois, a bottling that's based on the 2009 vintage. The oak influence is much less pronounced than was the case with some of the early renditions of this cuvée, and it's really going from strength to strength, revealing a medium to full-bodied palate that's broad-shoulder and structured, with lively underpinning acids. Jancis 17/20 This new cuvee is all vinified in oak but hasn't a hint of obvious oak on the nose. Lovely quality of fizz. Brooding and intense. There is marked density here and excellent balance and persistence. As usual, we are not told on the back label how old this blend may be, just that it is 'respectfully composed' of the three Champagne varieties. But it's impressive wine and I suspect it will not be cheap. Recommended. Edge of green on the nose here. Steady bead. Really quite rich and intense. Quite a meaty nose – but then food smells are coming in from the 67 Pall Mall kitchen! Mathieu Billecart suggests Tete des Moines or Comté as a food match or mushroom risotto ‘but the mushrooms have to be in season’. Lots of impact. I agree with Alistair Cooper MW, as below. "baby brother to Clos St-Hilaire" (only £300 cheaper!!!). I've always loved Sous Bois but the current release sees it "on fine mid-season form" as Bertie Wooster might say. Tasting it recently (March 2022) was like a flashback to a recent tasting at Krug. This is a wine certainly head and shoulders above its status and price. Billecart launched it with ambition, and they have over-delivered. Utterly charming. jancisrobonson.com 17+ "A baby brother to Clos St-Hilaire, 100% barrel-fermented. One-third of each variety from selected parcels – older, lower-yielding parcels tend to be chosen for the Sous Bois. 52% grand cru grapes, 16% premier cru (across the whole portfolio; their Meunier isn’t grand or premier cru). One-third reserve wine. Malo blocked. Long lees-ageing (6–7 years). Slightly oxidative style – the most oxidative they make. A richer mouthfeel as well as real bite. A savoury and yeasty note on the nose – almost slight Marmite (yeast extract). The oak is very well integrated and just frames the wine – the subtle note of spice comes in on the finish – slightly cedary note? (AC)"

Special Cuvée is composed of over 85% Grand and Premier crus of the three main Champagne varieties: 60% Pinot Noir, 25% Chardonnay and 15% Meunier. It is cellar aged for twice as long as required by appellation regulations with only a moderately dosage or between 7 and 8 grams per litre, to keep it as taught and crisp as possible. A golden colour with very fine bubbles. There is a beautiful aromatic complexity with ripe fruit and spicy aromas; hints of roasted apples, compote and peaches. A subtle combination of structure, length and vivacity; bubbles like velvet; pear, brioche and spicy aromas, notes of fresh walnut.

Entirely handpicked in the morning, cooled and directly pressed and fermented separately in stainless steel. Pinot Noir macerated briefly to give light salmon color.Second fermentation in bottle for 18 months in temperature controlled cellars.

The Montenisa Estate is based around the village of Calino, in the heart of Franciacorta. It was bought by the Antinori family in 1999, and is run by Piero Antinori’s daughter Alessia. All the fruit for this wine is sourced from the estate’s own vineyards: sixty perfectly sited hectares on the hill of Santo Stefano. The first fermentation took place in stainless steel vats and the second in bottle, with subsequent contact on the yeasts for twenty-four months before disgorgement. Fragrant and expressive on the nose, with fruity and floral notes which recall apples and white peaches. The palate offers a creamy mousse and lively, fresh flavours with a fine balance and perceptible finesse.

This cuvée was named in tribute to Louis, Elisabeth Salmon?s brother, who was passionate about oenology and highly involved in winemaking from the earliest creation of the House. Originating from the best parcels of the Côte des Blancs, the Blanc de Blancs vintage is endowed with purity and minerality. Its appearance is crystal-clear pale-gold colour with delicate glints marked by shades of yellow and green. A persistent and sparkling effervescence. On the nose the first expression is distinctive for its elegant patina that?s nutty and complex, with flesh and pulp of citrus fruits (mandarin, yuzu, and pear in syrup). An aromatic profile of distinguished and sophisticated purity and a chalky, balanced and crystalline character (fresh honey and raw butter). An undeniable floral charm. On the palette, A creamy sensation in the mouth with a beautifully chiselled finesse. Beautiful and refreshing balance of natural flavours(marzipan, flaky brioche, white fruits and white pepper). This powerful, soaring winewith majestic typicity prolongs its finish towards an aromatic persistence of incredible length (cardamom, fresh mango and lemon caviar).

Absolutlely divine pet nat from Gramiller. So fine, fruity and fresh. Elegant. 95% Clairette Brut, sown with 5% Syrah which gives it aromas of small red fruits and so much more. An outstanding effort.

Traditional method sparkling wine made from Macabeo, Xarel·lo and Parellada grapes aged for 15 months before disgorgement. Rich, fruity, and balanced.

Intense, concentrated bouquet of yellow fruit (white peach, mirabelle plum) combined with a delicious concentrated toastiness in the form of roasted hazelnut and almond aromas. Almond, wheat and sweet pollen notes from the Chardonnay with the juicy red fruit of the Pinot noir. Concentrated, energetic and vibrant on the palate with soft flavors of candied citrus and iodised spices. The salivating finish is underpinned by slightly oaky, sappy and saline notes. 2015 is remembered for its classic growth cycle. The particularly mild winter gave way to a varied spring with a period of freezing temperatures followed by intense heat. The vines reached full bloom at the usual times, during a sunny and dry month of June. It was a glorious summer with plenty of sunshine and little rain. The ripening of the Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays was given a boost at the end of August by some long-awaited rainfall. The crops were harvested in mid-September under the cool autumnal skies, giving rise to elegant, fresh and fruity wines, worthy of labelling as true “classics”.

THE NOSE The nose is full and varied, mingling flowers with fruit, and the vegetal with the mineral. The bouquet is tactile, subtly enticing us along a trail of powdery white flowers and nectareous apricot, followed by the freshness of rhubarb and mint and the minerality of ash. White pepper. THE PALATE Energy dominates on the palate. After a welcoming opening, the wine quickly becomes vibrant and then literally explodes with a surge of effervescence and tonicity. Focused by acidic and bitter notes, the finish brings a penetrating tautness marked by ginger, tobacco and toasted accents.

Jancis Robinson MW 18.5/20 "Electrically reverberant... Very complex and uncompromising...Dense and savoury. Intellectual wine! " Wine Advocate 97/100 showing superbly, wafting from the glass with a complex bouquet that mingles confit citrus, peach and dried papaya with nuances of iodine, brioche and honeycomb. On the palate, it's full-bodied, broad and vinous, with a rich and layered core that's underpinned by serious structure and tension, concluding with a long and precise finish. This is one of the finest wines Billecart has released in the last decade, and it is well worth seeking out.

One of the best Prosecco producers, as voted for by the brotherhood of Prosecco growers at their annual taste off and charity auction. Forget the mass produced stuff, this is what made Prosecco famous in the first place.

AN ELEGANT WINE OF COMPLEXITY AND DELICACY Light gold hue and a fine, delicate mousse. Aromas of lemon sherbet and honeysuckle lead into fresh pastry and vanilla characters. The palate is rounded and soft, offering generous yet elegant notes of green apple, lemon zest, orange blossom, and chamomile, with a touch of baked hazelnut. A subtle minerality accentuates the fresh, crisp acidity, leading to a long and complex finish.

The 2013 vintage is one that will go down as one of the greats; the wines have precision, steeliness and feel as if they have been chiselled out of chalk. Whilst the 2012 was initially more broad and alluring, the debate will go on for decades as to which vintage is better, though this is seems impossible to state as both wines are so unique and starkly different in style.

Precision, pleasure & elegance is what I always associate with Billecart Salmon. And in a vintage as fabled as 2008, these hallmark traits are revealed in greater detail. The Billecart Vintage 2008 is pure joy, tiny, steady bubbles stream through wild gold in the glass. The nose is filled with baked russet apples, waxy lemons and the golden crumb of cherry crumble, all supported by the noble Pinot vinosity of Grand Cru terroir. The palate is a roasted medley of peach, Red Macintosh and white cherry, very seductive, very classy. Pinot noir leads the mid palate, earthy and richly textured, with the hallmark tension of the vintage extending the palate with an electric Cotes des Blancs, mouth-watering tang. The mousse is silky and seamless, the finish is tart tartin with saffron flecked Chantilly cream. The wine has benefitted from time in bottle, drinking beautifully now and is fit for a Royal Christmas table.

A classic rich traditional style Chardonnay and Pinot Noir Blend from Argentina, with raisin and biscuit notes. Where fresh air and crisp spring water reign king, give the wine a refined character hard to recreate in other regions!

The bouquet is open and rich yet also wonderfully fresh. It offers an explosion of ripe, delicate fruit with intense notes of mirabelle plum from the Pinot noir, complemented by sweet lemon meringue pie and delicate notes of jasmine from the Chardonnay. The nose opens up to reveal autolytic characters and evolves towards smoky, roasted notes and freshly baked pastries. The palate is deep and dense with a big, well-structured backbone. The texture is simply mesmerising with its fleshy mouthfeel from the Pinot noir that coats the palate before giving way to an incredible saline freshness with a pleasant hint of bitterness. This wine combines the strength, intensity and power of the delectably ripe Pinot noirs which are balanced to perfection by the chalky freshness and density from the Chardonnay which forms the majority of the blend. Collection has all its warmth and generosity thanks to the perfect ripeness of the fruit harvested in the 2018 vintage, yet it is the freshness, energy and complexity of the ‘Réserve Perpétuelle’ created in 2012, as well as the texture imparted by the oak ageing, that extend and elongate the wines’ body resulting in unrivalled finesse and persistence.

Rich in colour, structured, and versatile. Greath depth of character. Rathfinny 2018 Rosé is the fourth vintage of our expressive Sussex Sparkling, with a red-fruit style that beautifully showcases the increased presence of Pinot Noir within the blend. “Rathfinny English sparklers rank among the best; their new release 2018 rosé is subtle and complex – look out for red apple, raspberry, red cherry, crème anglaise, orange peel and white pepper.” Susy Atkins, Stella Magazine, The Sunday Telegraph