21 Jul Please The Palate Wine of the Week: Champagne Billecart-Salmon Cuvee Elisabeth Salmon Brut Rosé 2008
The summer of 2021 marks the 10 year anniversary of Please The Palate and this week marks the one year anniversary of Crush On This. To celebrate both milestones, I opened a bottle of Champagne Billecart-Salmon Cuvee Elisabeth Salmon Brut Rosé 2008! Nothing says “celebration” more than a bottle of sparkling wine and Champagne is the queen of the bubbles. But what makes my heart swoon is Rosé Champagne! I love the elegant color of pink sparkling wine, as well as the aromas, flavors, and texture. Champagne Billecart-Salmon Cuvee Elisabeth Salmon Brut Rosé 2008 was all of this and more and that is why it is the Please The Palate wine of the week.
Billecart-Salmon is the oldest continuously family-owned and operated house in Champagne. It was founded in 1818, more than 200 years ago, by Nicolas François Billecart and his wife Elisabeth Salmon, and today is managed by the family’s seventh generation, brothers François and Antoine Roland-Billecart.
Billecart-Salmon is known for finesse and elegance and it is a cult darling among sommeliers. When I was first learning about wine, I had the pleasure to taste a Billecart-Salmon Rosé Champagne that left a lasting impression on me. It was the wine that made me fall in love with Rosé Champagne.
The Billecart Salmon Cuvee Elisabeth Salmon 2008 is a very special Rosé Champagne. The cuvee was created in 1998 as a tribute to Elisabeth Salmon. It is a blend of the top Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, with 76% coming from Grands Crus vineyards and 24% coming from Premiers Crus vineyards. The Pinot Noir, which is 55% of the blend, is sourced from the Montagne de Reims and the Grande Valle de La Marne. The Chardonnay, which is 45% of the blend, is sourced from the Cotes des Blancs. 9% of the Pinot Noir is vinified as red wine and 17% of the wine is fermented and matured in 15 year old barrels. The final dosage is 7 grams per liter.
The Billecart-Salmon Cuvee Elisabeth Salmon Brut Rosé 2008 is a deep salmon pink hue with shimmering copper tones. The wine has notes of citrus peels, strawberry, raspberry, peach, and minerality that carry through on the palate. The wine is delicate and I love the texture of the wine. The wine is elegant and yet has body that can stand up to chicken and fish dishes.
Nothing makes me smile more than pink bubbles and as I celebrate two anniversaries, the Billecart-Salmon Cuvee Elisabeth Salmon Brut Rosé 2008, which retails for $200, is everything I want in a sparkling wine.