Billecart-Salmon Brut Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru 1.5L Magnum

The prismatic nose on this stately beauty, aged on the lees for four to five years, emits by turn notes of lemon- lime, herbed shortbread, hazelnut skin, green pear, and a hint of green olive against a backdrop of chalky minerality, which also provides the framework for brushstrokes of yel- low plum, lime leaf, pomelo, young apricot, and blanched almond on the palate. The texture is supple, the acidity oh-so-pretty, and the finish salt-flecked. For the holiday season, the Billecart-Salmon Eco-friendly Champagne Bucket Gift Set, which includes a bottle of the wine, will be available exclusively at Wally's Wine & Spirits for $150.

Chardonnay from the Cote des Blancs lends itself to a Champagne that is finely textured and impressively fruity and structured. The wine has a steely edge that suggests this bottling is young but that also has beautiful fruit and minerality. This bottling will be even better from 2023.

Based on the 2015 vintage and dominated this year by Mesnil sur Oger, Billecart's NV Brut Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru was disgorged in July 2021 with seven grams per liter dosage. Exhibiting aromas of citrus oil, tart stone fruit, freshly baked bread and white flowers, it's medium to full-bodied, pillowy and layered, its sweet core of fruit framed by racy acids and chalky structure.

The current release of the NV Champagne Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Brut is based on the 2015 vintage and pours a pale straw color. The nose is clean and pure, with a sun-kissed ripeness, and reveals fresh aromatics of candied green apple, lime, and bread dough. The mousse is elegant, and the wine is ripe, with a rounded feel, and fresh with ripe green apple, lemon-lime, and chalk, followed by a balanced and fairly long finish. It is straightforward, approachable, and classic. Best after 2022.