BILLECART-SALMON 'Cuvee Nicolas Francois Billecart' 2012 Bottle

Description

This exceptional cuvée, created in 1964 in tribute to the House’s founder, is the result of a blend of the best terroirs from the Montagne de Reims (Pinot Noir) and the Côte des Blancs vineyards (Chardonnay). Its vinification, partly in traditional oak casks, underpins the generous character of this fine, elegant and rich wine.

Exceptional vintage with a flavourful, long finish, offering a unique and generous gustatory experience. This cuvée conveys the finesse of Billecart-Salmon’s signature champagne styles with significant ageing potential. Served at cellar temperature (11°C to 12°C), the cuvée will bring out the round flavours of sole in lemon butter or a milk-fed veal chop with chanterelle mushrooms.

The balance of a tension, enveloped by the wine’s fullness (honeyed biscuits and lemon pulp), and symbolised by noble and pastry flavours (pear clafoutis, Bourbon vanilla, and lime leaf). A texture with a strong personality, with its limestone imprint and an incredible intensity, curbed by its fully integrated low dosage. The elegant finish evolves into notes of cigar boxes and sweet spices (cinnamon and white pepper).

JAMES SUCKLIG 97 points
This complex Champagne has delicious aromas of waffle cones, vanilla beans, apricots and pastry with touches of white chocolate and salted caramel. It’s electric on the palate, which is creamy yet structured and focused, with a fine bead of bubbles and a zesty, tangy backbone of acidity. Long and tense finish. 60% pinot noir and 40% chardonnay (all premier and grand cru), 10% of wines are vinified in oak casks. 10 years on lees. 3.8 g/L dosage. Disgorged in the second half of 2024. Drink or hold. - Claire Nesbitt

THE WINE ADVOCATE 96 points
Reviewed by: Kristaps Karklins
Drink Date: 2026 - 2047
Billecart-Salmon’s 2012 Nicolas François marks the first release since 2008 and stands as another success. The fundamentals remain unchanged: settling and fermentation at low temperatures, a small proportion vinified in oak barrels and partial malolactic fermentation (20% was blocked in 2012). This vintage was characterized by a prolonged flowering period, significant rainfall and mildew pressure, resulting in a small crop. The harvest of fruit, which contributed to this cuvée, took place between September 17 and 22. "It was crucial to select only the ripest fruit, as maturation varied significantly between plots," explains Billecart’s head winemaker, Florent Nys. But what of the wine itself? Disgorged in May 2023 with a dosage of 3.8 grams per liter, it exudes aromas of candied lemon, honeysuckle and ripe peach, mingling with nuances of beeswax and orange zest. On the palate, it is full-bodied, ample and enveloping, boasting a layered, concentrated core, a chalky structure and mouthwatering acidity, despite the warm vintage. It concludes with a persistent, saline finish, hinting at the savory complexity that has emerged with such notable bottle age. Compared to the 2008, which remains tightly coiled, the 2012 is broader-shouldered and more demonstrative.

VINOUS 95 points
The 2012 Brut Cuvée Nicolas François Billecart shows all the natural radiance of the year. There's gorgeous resonance and texture here. Apricot, spice, tangerine oil and lightly honeyed notes infuse the palate with notable depth and persistence. This rich, expansive Champage has a ton to offer. This release was disgorged nearly two years ago, which also adds to its complexity. Dosage is 3.8 grams per liter. Disgorged: May 2023. - Antonio Galloni

DECANTER 95 points
Tasted by: Tom Hewson (at 01/06/2025, Invalid DateTime) Part of Champagne releases for spring & summer 2025
Drinking Window: 2025 - 2035
After the taut 2008 – a wine that leant heavily on the austerity of the year – the 2012 Nicolas François maintains an admirably frank and fat-free take on this intensely ripe, bright and concentrated vintage, further intensified by the recent move to lower dosage at the house. With its aromas of raspberry, pear and candied orange, the maturity of the year is certainly evident, although the wine carries a real squeeze of dried lemon-like maturing Chardonnay, feeling tight and racy right through to the close. Already showing some nutty maturity and brown pastry richness, it's a cuvée which has proven itself to age with aplomb over the last two decades. With a slightly finer natural balance and harmony than the 2008, the 2012 looks well set.

JANCIS ROBINSON 17.5 points
Seductive cooked dairy notes, a soufflé sort of complexity, and similarly light frothiness, too. Tart apple still has a remarkable youthfulness. Note of cooking spices gives complexity on the length. Still blossoming, plenty more to come. (RH)