Named in honor of Louis Salmon, brother of co-founder Elisabeth Salmon and the estate's very first chief winemaker, this prestige cuvée represents the pinnacle of Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs from Billecart-Salmon. Sourced exclusively from legendary Grand Cru villages in the Côte des Blancs (principally Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, Chouilly, and Cramant), the 2013 harvest yielded an exceptional expression defined by crystalline chalk purity, long cellaring potential, and vibrant natural tension.

Uniquely, Billecart-Salmon ages approximately 25-30% of the base wine in neutral oak barrels to build texture and complexity, while preserving the pristine minerality of the limestone terroir. Resting on its lees in the estate's 17th-century chalk cellars for nearly a decade prior to disgorgement with a low Extra Brut dosage, the 2013 "Cuvée Louis Salmon" is a study in finesse: lemon confit, toasted hazelnuts, white floral scents, fresh brioche, and a chalky, saline mineral drive.

Critical Acclaim:

97 points, Vinous Media:

 " ... an exceptional follow-up to the 2012. Naturally, the 2013 offers a bit more tension, cut and drive, all signatures of this late-ripening vintage. Chalk, slate, crushed rocks, citrus confit and hazelnut all race across the palate as the 2013 sizzles with tension from start to finish. This is still a baby. Give it time. Dosage is 4 grams per liter. Disgorged: January 2024."

96+ points, Wine Advocate: 

" ... stands as the most characterful wine of the new lineup, expressing itself from the glass with aromas of early-blooming white flowers, lemon oil, nashi pear and almond paste mingled with cardamom, oyster shell and freshly baked bread. On the palate, it is medium- to full-bodied and elegantly muscular, with a tensile core of crystalline purity, racy acids and ample chalky extract. Harvested in October, it derives from the communes of Cramant, Chouilly, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger and Oiry and was vinified entirely in stainless steel with full malolactic fermentation in pursuit of greater harmony in a cool-profile vintage such as this.

Why You'll Love It

• The ultimate Blanc de Blancs prestige cuvée from Billecart-Salmon, sourced from premier Grand Cru sites in the Côte des Blancs.
• Partial oak cask aging endows the wine with a silky mid-palate texture and autolytic depth without masking chalk purity.
• A decade of slow lees maturation produces a seamless balance of fresh citrus, brioche, and salty minerality.
• Built with incredible structural precision and razor-sharp acidity that will allow it to age gracefully for decades.

How To Serve It

• Serve chilled between 48°F and 52°F to allow its complex, multi-layered bouquet to open up.
• No decanting necessary; pour directly and allow the fine mousse to unfold in the glass over 20 minutes.
• Use all-purpose white wine stems to gather its high-toned floral and mineral aromatics.
• An ideal match for raw oysters, sea scallop carpaccio, turbot in champagne sauce, or aged Comté.

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