Billecart-Salmon Brut Réserve NV Champagne Magnum

Exceptional non-vintage Champagne. The House style is wonderfully light, elegant and flavoursome with complexity and strength all in beautiful balance. The trademark of this House is the unusually long fermentation. The aroma is of fresh scented apples, soft bready yeast with a hint of toast and finesse absent from some of the larger houses. – FWC

Its complexity comes from 40% pinot meunier, 30% each of pinot noir and chardonnay. The reserve components are 45% of the total, the outcome brioche and spicy/toasty nuances at one extreme, red berry, citrus and bright acidity at the other, all displayed on an unbroken stream from start to finish. Rating: 94 points. – James Halliday’s Top 100, The Weekend Australian Magazine, 4-5 November 2017