Highlights: Champagne Billecart Salmon Elizabeth Salmon Rosé 2008

Champagne Billecart-Salmon Elizabeth Salmon Brut Rosé 2008 France
12.5% alcohol. This is 76% Grands Crus and 24% Premiers Crus; 55% Pinot Noir from the Mo Montagne de Reims and the Grande Vallée de la Marne; 45% Chardonnay from the Côte des Blancs. 9% of the base wine is red wine from Valofroy in Mareuil-sur-Aÿ. 17% of the blend is fermented in old oak (this is the first time for this cuvée). Dosage 7 g/l. Full orange pink in colour. Powerful and lively with a core of dense citrus (lemons and orange peel), nice structure and lovely purity. There’s some structure here as well as finely balanced dosage that works perfectly, resulting in a long, tapering, juicy finish. The red fruit component is more cranberry and raspberry than anything else, and it meshes really well with a fine toastiness and a touch of creaminess, to create a seamless whole. Just the faintest hint of sappy green from the Pinot Noir wine component, with lovely balance between the sweet fruit and the more savoury, structural elements. 94/100 (UK retail £165)

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