"Billecart Salmon sources grapes from 40 villages. This is to secure the diversity of grapes and find the perfect balance for champagne. In particular, Chardonnay is harvested only from four grand cru villages."
The French champagne house Billecart Salmon emphasized its quality philosophy while unveiling the Le series in the Korean market. Thibault Casoli, the export manager of Billecart Salmon, noted during a press briefing held at NARA CELLAR in Gangnam, Seoul, on the 21st of last month, "We secure grapes from a total of 300 hectares of vineyards," adding, "Of these, 100 hectares are directly owned by the family, another 100 hectares are from partner vineyards with long-term contracts, where Billecart Salmon sends personnel to be deeply involved in the management. The remaining 100 hectares allow us to purchase excellent grapes through transactions depending on vintage and conditions."
Even for the same grape variety, the flavors highlighted by fruits and minerals differ according to climate and soil, which is why this unique method is utilized to achieve a rich taste in champagne.
Billecart Salmon was founded in 1818 by Nicolas François Billecart and his wife Élisabeth Salmon. Nicolas was a wine trader, while Élisabeth owned vineyards. Élisabeth's brother, Louis Salmon, was a winemaker. Currently, Jean Roland Billecart, the fifth generation at 102 years old, resides at the winery, and François and Antoine, the sixth generation, alongside François' son Matthieu, lead the winery.
Manager Casoli said, "For over 200 years, the winery has been family-owned and directly managed. All decisions and operations are sustained by the family," and added, "We have formed a committee of 8 members, 4 of whom are from the Billecart family, who are deeply involved in the process. They regularly meet to taste over 700 to 800 samples and make decisions related to champagne quality."
He described the characteristics of Billecart Salmon champagne as "having balance while being fresh, elegant, and structured." These features of Billecart Salmon champagne are achieved through ▲cold fermentation ▲long aging period ▲barrel aging ▲low sugar content.
Billecart Salmon is known as the pioneer of the cold fermentation method. After pressing the grapes, they undergo a stabilization process at a low temperature of 7 degrees Celsius for 48 hours. Once the lees settle at the bottom of the tank, pure grape juice is filtered out. Fermentation occurs in steel tanks at 13 degrees Celsius.
Manager Casoli noted, "There are claims that yeast does not act at such a low temperature, but we introduce specialized yeast that works at this temperature," adding, "Cold fermentation helps preserve acidity along with the fruit and floral aromas." He further noted, "This process is an important technology for Billecart Salmon, devised 40 years ago by Jean Roland Billecart of the fifth generation," stating, "The idea was inspired by the low-temperature fermentation method used in beer-making, and it has continued to this day."
He also said, "Because we conduct cold fermentation, the acidity is high and allows for long aging. This is the most focused aspect since Matthieu, the seventh generation, took over as CEO," adding, "Non-vintage champagne, made by blending grapes from several years, is aged for 15 months, while vintage champagne is aged for more than 36 months. However, Billecart Salmon ages its products for 3 to 4 times longer than the legally required period." He further explained that non-vintage champagne is aged for a minimum of 3 years and up to 6 to 7 years.
Some champagnes are fermented in barrels to bring out oxidative flavors. Using new barrels results in a strong tannin presence, so they reportedly use barrels that are over 15 years old on average. Manager Casoli stated, "We are using 400 steel tanks and 400 barrels," adding, "The grape juice produced from small parcels of the vineyard is stored in 800 containers before being blended later, to fully express the characteristics of the grapes."
Billecart Salmon has rebranded its non-vintage champagne as the Le series and introduced it to the Korean market. The series includes Le Reserve, Le Rosé, Le Blanc de Blanc, and Le Sous Bois, totaling four types. Non-vintage champagne is made by blending base wine from one year with wines aged over several years, and Billecart Salmon mixes 15 vintages from 2006 to 2019 with the 2020 vintage.
Another feature is the significantly reduced sugar content. After secondary fermentation and aging, removing the yeast sediment left in the bottle reduces the wine volume, and this process is called dosage. The amount of sugar added during this time influences the style and sweetness of the final champagne. The Le series adds less than 1 to 6 grams of sugar per liter, whereas previously it was over 8 grams.
Manager Casoli said, "We created the My Origin website during the rebranding," explaining, "By entering the six-digit number on the back of the bottle label into My Origin, you can access detailed information regarding the blending ratios, the proportions of vintages used, and the aging periods."