Billecart Salmon Cuvee Nicolas Francois Billecart 2000 (750ML)

The 2000 Brut Cuvee Nicolas Francois Billecart impresses for its sheer purity and focus. Nothing is out of place in this beautifully delineated, precise wine. Cool, minty notes add lift, yet the 2000 is rather reticent at this stage and appears to need further bottle age. Still, its textural finesse is impossible to miss....94 WA 11/11

Bright, focused acidity drives lightly smoked flavors of candied currant and blackberry and patisserie apple, with hints of ground espresso, cumin and crystallized honey. A mineral note threads through the refined texture and lingers on the rich finish....93 WS 12/11

"""A wine that strikes a great balance between its intense fruitiness and a pure steely character. It makes it a dry Champagne, with the richness of a great wine. It has weight, intensity and several years more aging...95"" WE 12/11"

A blend of 60 percent pinot noir and 40 percent chardonnay, this has become increasingly richer and more powerful since it was released. This bottle, disgorged in February of 2011, has spent nearly ten years on its lees, and here the wine is dense and concentrated in aroma, with bold, fragrant notes of dried pear, redcurrant and cassis. It shows plenty of finesse to complement its weight, and it feels open and inviting now, just beginning to develop some truffle-like hints under the fruit flavors. It's a warm, autumnal style, true to the vintage, and while it's delicious to drink now, it has room to develop further, driven by its vivacious structure...2 of 3 Stars Peter Liem Champagneguide.net 01/12

Intensely perfumed scents of dried pear, nectarine, peach skin and musky flowers, with a bright mineral overtone. Deep in orchard fruit and citrus flavors but there's a weightless quality to this Champagne that's really intriguing. Very pure and precise on the finish, with the peach and floral qualities echoing. This would be superb with simple fish preparations....93 IWC 10/10