The NV Extra Brut Sous Bois (base 2018) is a major step up from the 2017. Then again, this vintage was much more favorable. Aromatic, bright and sculpted, the 2018 is so complete. Silky contours and well-judged oak give the 2018 a great deal of finesse to compliment dried orchard fruit and floral nuances. In this release, the Sous Bois is 63% 2018 and 37% -- Antonio Galloni

Baked apples, peaches, cloves, honeycomb and freshly baked croissants on the nose. It’s creamy and lightly honeyed on the palate, with richness yet brightness and layered, very fine bubbles. Silky finish. 43% grand cru chardonnay, 29% meunier, 28% premier and grand cru pinot noir, based on the 2017 vintage, with a third of reserve wines from a perpetual reserve dating back to 2006. Vinified in barrels. Five years on the lees. 5 g/L dosage. Drink now.

With 40% of older reserve wines in the blend, this Champagne was fermented in wood. Its aroma brings out toastiness, while on the palate, the richness of the wine suggests maturity. It is a finely balanced wine, ready to drink now. — Roger Voss

Fermented and aged over winter in second-hand small barrels and barrels seasoned in-house (although future editions will include wine from larger casks). Rich and inviting apricot and kernel notes, brown butter and nutty honey. Some soft strawberry and an appetising, tangy apple length, highly expressive but really rather polished and rounded out. One third each Pinot Noir, Meunier and Chardonnay.

Crafted around the 2018 vintage, the NV Champagne Le Sous Bois is a blend of 33% Meunier, 39% Chardonnay, and the remainder Pinot Noir, with 37% reserve wine, the oldest part from 2006. A copper straw color, entirely barrel-fermented in cask, it reveals notes of smoky wet stones, toasted croissant, orange citrus, baked peach, almond, frangipane, and salty earth. Full-bodied yet savory, it offers a mouthwatering and brothy character while remaining fresh and youthful, without transitioning into oxidation. It’s very appealing now but should have no problem showing its best over the coming 10 years. 3 grams per liter dosage.

The Brut Sous Bois NV is 100% barrel fermented which is a departure from the Billecart-Salmon signature practice of stainless-steel cold fermentation, yet the result does not compromise freshness. A blend of 40% Chardonnay and 30% each of Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier based on the 2015 vintage with 40% of reserve wines, the oldest of which is from 2006, this was cellared for prolonged aging, disgorged in the third quarter of 2022 and finished Extra Brut with a 4.9 gram per liter dosage. Opening with rich, toasty notes of apple tart, lemon zest, marzipan, butter pastry, and Manuka honey, the medium-bodied palate imbues vigor and a lovely acid buoyancy to a richly fruited mid-palate and the fresh, honeyed finish. For those who enjoy an oaked style of champagne, the Brut Sous Bois offers a contemplative nose and gives a lot to talk about in the mouth. Enjoyable. - Sarah Mayo

The base wine for this blend is fermented and aged in old, neutral oak barrels, the wine aged on the lees for more than six years in bottle. Those factors contribute to its toasty richness, and add potency to its earthy savor. It’s a firmly structured wine built for oysters roasted in a wood oven.

Heavily based on the 2017 vintage (with 34% reserve wines dating back to 2006), fermented at low temperatures and entirely vinified in oak, the NV Le Sous Bois blends fruit from vast areas of Montagne de Reims, Vallée de la Marne and Côte des Blancs (notably Oger, Chouilly and Cramant). Disgorged with a dosage of five grams per liter in spring 2023, after five years of lees aging, it reveals aromas of green apple, vanilla, peach and toasted nuts, mingling with hints of caramelized sugar. On the palate, it is medium to full-bodied, precise and fine-boned, featuring a youthful fruit core supported by vibrant acidity, with subtle bitter phenolics asserting themselves on the finish. Given the challenges of the growing season, it incorporates a higher proportion of Chardonnay than usual. - Kristaps Karklins

Rich flavors of chopped cherry, raspberry, roasted hazelnut, orange curd and brioche are animated by a firm spine of citrusy acidity in this tightly meshed Champagne, with a creamy mousse. Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier and Pinot Noir. Disgorged Spring-Summer 2023. Drink now. - AN