Billecart-Salmon’s Cuvée Elisabeth Salmon Rosé 2013 is the house’s prestige vintage rosé, first created in 1988 as a tribute to co-founder Elisabeth Salmon. The 2013 is a Brut Rosé Champagne built on a near-even blend—53% Pinot Noir and 47% Chardonnay—drawn entirely from Grand Cru and Premier Cru villages. Pinot Noir comes from Aÿ, Mareuil-sur-Aÿ and Bouzy, while Chardonnay is sourced from Oger, Cramant and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger. The wine was aged a notably long 115 months on lees and released after a January 2024 disgorgement, with low dosage around 4.4 g/L. Production details cited by reviewers include a largely stainless-steel vinification, with about 5% barrel work.

In the glass, it shows a rosé profile that leans copper-salmon rather than pale pink. Audrey Frick (Jeb Dunnuck) notes a “deeper copper/salmon color…with more orange undertones,” and describes “smoky wet stone, pithy grapefruit, and licorice,” plus “verticality and a fluffy mousse.” The aromatic range runs from orchard and pastry notes to more vinous fruit. Claire Nesbitt (JamesSuckling.com) highlights “wildflower honey, citrus, sliced apple, nutmeg and pastry,” praising its “fantastic concentration, but in a delicate, silky way,” finishing “long, elegant and chalky.”

The strongest reviews mark it as a top-tier rendition of the cuvée. Antonio Galloni (Vinous) awards an excellent 97 points, calling the 2013 “much more exuberant than the 2012,” with “rose petal, blood orange, spice and kirsch” and an “ample, substantial finish.” He attributes the wine’s generosity to choices “to soften the natural austerity of the year.”

Not every critic reads it purely as modern and sleek: Kristaps Karklins (Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, 94+ points) calls it “giving” and “generous,” with “dried apricot, dark cherry and grapefruit,” while also suggesting it may “improve considerably with additional time on cork.” Overall, it’s a tightly built, long-aged rosé Champagne that balances fruit richness with saline, chalky drive and clear capacity to develop further.