BILLECART-SALMON
CHAMPAGNE, FRANCE 2018
We fell in love with this extraordinary anniversary cuvée at a recent tasting, and couldn't wait to bring it to you.
The Robb Report has called 2018 a Champagne vintage “you should be stocking up on,” and if any one bottle deserves to be hoarded, it’s this one.
It stands, easily, among the greatest bottles we've ever tasted from this celebrated master.
It just so happens to be a double commemoration of two milestone anniversaries — the 200th year of Billecart-Salmon and the 250th anniversary of the U.S. — and you can well imagine that the pressure on this venerable house to deliver something grand and magical must have been immense.
Well, the house came through and then some.
Made from Pinot Noir sourced exclusively from Premier Cru and Grand Cru vineyards in the Montagne de Reims with Grand Cru Chardonnay from the Côte des Blancs, it was fermented in stainless steel to attain a chiseled precision, then aged on the lees for more than five years to build complexity.
The result gallops out of the glass like a horse from its gate, the nose hitting you with yellow peach and red berry fruit right from the first sip. The palate is layered and rich, calling forth associations of shortbread and honeysuckle and edging, almost, into a kind of creaminess, before modulating into an intensely chalky but crystalline finish.
Cellar it if you must — and rest assured that if you do, it will keep for years and years — but this is so finessed and fine that it’s hard to resist popping the cork on it right now.
That finesse — it’s the key to everything about this great house, and has been since 1818, when Nicolas François Billecart and Élisabeth Salmon established their property in Mareuil-sur-Aÿ.
The m.o. was established straightaway: elegance and lift over brute strength. Over the years, as others in the region have gone in for power, the house has never wavered, remaining firm in their founding principles.
And right now, they’re having a moment. A glorious moment. Antonio Galloni wrote recently that the house has "never been better.”
Hear, hear …
And this Anniversary Cuvée is, surely, the best of that never-been-better.
We’ve often said that some Champagnes are meant for special occasions, and some — the great ones, like this one — make any occasion special.
Don’t miss this chance to secure a taste of greatness for your collection.
And remember, we only buy and source directly from the estate to ensure that your wines arrive as they should, and as you deserve: with pristine provenance guaranteed.
Order yours today!
*Offer NOT valid in-store. This offer is made pre-arrival, with wines estimated to be delivered to your preferred store in Fall 2026. With the supply chain issues that we are seeing globally, there may be some unforeseen delays which could affect the ETA. All sale prices are the lowest available at Total Wine & More and ONLY valid through Concierge Sales. No further discounts or coupons may be applied. Offer not valid in IL, KS, MI, NY, OK, TN, or WI. This offer will expire on Tuesday, May 5th, 2026.