Billecart-Salmon | |
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Location | Mareuil-sur-Aÿ, Marne, France |
Appellation | Champagne |
Founded | 1818 |
Key people |
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Champagne Billecart-Salmon is a medium-sized champagne house in Mareuil-sur-Aÿ, France. Founded in 1818 with the marriage of Nicolas François Billecart and Elisabeth Salmon, [1] it is one of the few to remain family owned.
The Cuvée Nicolas-Francois Billecart 1959 won first place in the Champagne of the Millennium 1999, out of 150 of the finest 20th century Champagnes. [2] A magnum of the winning champagne later sold for £3,300. [3]
Billecart-Salmon was ranked tenth among major Champagne houses by Antoine Gerbelle writing for La Revue du vin de France. [4] La Revue du vin de France's Guide Vert awards Billecart-Salmon two stars out of three. [5] Billecart-Salmon Brut Reserve are aged in the cellars for 36 months before release.
Billecart-Salmon champagnes have been reviewed favourably by wine writer Jancis Robinson. [6]
The current President is, since 2019, Martin Solibakke-Billecart who represents the family’s seventh generation. [7] ."
Champagne is a sparkling wine originated and produced in the Champagne wine region of France under the rules of the appellation, which demand specific vineyard practices, sourcing of grapes exclusively from designated places within it, specific grape-pressing methods and secondary fermentation of the wine in the bottle to cause carbonation.
The wine region within the historical province of Champagne in the northeast of France is best known for the production of champagne, the sparkling white wine that bears the region's name. EU law and the laws of most countries reserve the term "champagne" exclusively for wines that come from this region located about 160 kilometres (100 miles) east of Paris. The viticultural boundaries of Champagne are legally defined and split into five wine-producing districts within the historical province: Aube, Côte des Blancs, Côte de Sézanne, Montagne de Reims, and Vallée de la Marne. The city of Reims and the town of Épernay are the commercial centers of the area. Reims is famous for its cathedral, the venue of the coronation of the French kings and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
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