On New Year’s Eve, raise a glass of Billecart-Salmon Blanc de Blancs
Crafted from Grand Cru chardonnay and shaped by generations of expertise, this is a champagne made for midnight moments…
Every remarkable year begins the same way: with champagne. From coupe, flute or — heaven help us — straight from the bottle, it’s not a true New Year until the cork has popped and the bubbles sipped. But which bottle earns this honour? Which fizz deserves the first toast? Our answer, as ever, is Billecart-Salmon’s great white hope: the fine-flowing, year-turning Blanc de Blancs. And this December 31st will be no exception.
It’s our go-to for good reason. Delicate yet decadent, the cuvée is crafted from Chardonnay grapes sourced from across four Grand Cru sites — Avize, Chouilly, Cramant and Mesnil-sur-Oger — each parcel revealing a different facet of the Côte des Blancs. Founded in 1818 by Nicolas François Billecart and Elisabeth Salmon, the house remains one of champagne’s quiet power players, now in its seventh generation and still headquartered in Mareuil-sur-Aÿ, at the very heart of the region.
Few champagne houses are still family owned, but Billecart-Salmon's dedication shines through in every bottle, bubbling to the surface through various pioneering initiatives, such as the family's attaining the High Environmental Value certification almost a decade ago, and a commitment to being herbicide-free from 2020. This is champagne made right, so what better bottle to reach for as the clock ticks closer to midnight on New Year's Eve?
Pour the first flute and you’re met with an ultra-delicate effervescence: a rich mousse and fine, lively bubbles that — in a suitably celebratory manner — dance about the glass. Golden-green reflections catch the light; it’s a wine that insists on being raised, admired, shared.
On the nose, it’s an archetypal champagne. If you’re looking for the classic notes — of oven-baked brioche, rich butter or freshly plucked white flowers — it’s got it. But there’s a mineral intensity below that initial impression. This is a champagne of sparkling depth, with subtle undertones of white pepper and cardamom. There’s even a hint of citrus oil in there, and perhaps stone fruit.
Much of this comes down to the winemaking. The base wines are vinified at low temperatures in stainless steel to preserve the Chardonnay’s generous fruit profile, before a secondary fermentation in the bottle. Five years on the lees bring a toasty complexity that reveals itself slowly, sip by sip.
When the clock finally strikes midnight, the first taste of the New Year will be gloriously creamy. There’s a meringue-like texture — slightly chalky, yet full and assured — as flavours unfurl: sun-warmed almonds, lime zest, a whisper of tart lemon lingering in the background.
The nuttiness ultimately takes centre stage, fading gently — perhaps to the final, sanguine bars of Auld Lang Syne. It’s a soft finish, one tempered only by a brief tang of salinity. But even this is a neat segue into your canapés. Whether Osciètre caviar, carpaccio or ceviche, the Blanc de Blancs is a treat when served alongside seafood, and is at its best at precisely 10°C.
But such precision shouldn’t come as a surprise. Billecart-Salmon’s eight-strong tasting committee includes sixth-generation François and Antoine Roland-Billecart, alongside fifth-generation Jean Roland-Billecart, and every release is subjected to rigorous quality control.
Which is why we return to this bottle year after year. It is the ultimate celebration champagne — but also a masterclass in vinification. So, this December 31st, and for many more to come, let’s raise a glass to our favourite fizz. New Year; old favourite.
Want to learn more about the brand? Return to Billecart-Salmon's roots...
Become a Gentleman’s Journal member. Find out more here.