Billecart-Salmon Brut Sous Bois is a non-vintage Champagne built around barrel fermentation, a deliberate throwback to older house methods. Billecart-Salmon, founded in 1818 and still family-run, sources the blend from across Champagne, including the Côte des Blancs, Montagne de Reims and Vallée de la Marne, and vinifies the base wines entirely in oak (“sous bois”). Depending on the release and critic sampled, the base year is reported as 2017 or 2018, backed by substantial reserve wines reaching to 2006.
The oak regimen is a consistent theme in both aroma and texture. Wine Enthusiast notes that the wine “was fermented in wood,” with toastiness on the nose and “richness…[that] suggests maturity,” calling it “finely balanced…ready to drink now” (Roger Voss, 93). Decanter likewise highlights a “rich and inviting” profile with “apricot and kernel notes, brown butter and nutty honey,” plus “an appetising, tangy apple length” (Decanter, 92).
Several reviews are excellent, led by Vinous at 95 points, calling it “aromatic, bright and sculpted,” with “silky contours” and “well-judged oak” that brings “a great deal of finesse” (Antonio Galloni). James Suckling also rates it highly at 94, citing “baked apples, peaches, cloves, honeycomb and freshly baked croissants,” alongside “layered, very fine bubbles” and a “silky finish” (James Suckling, 94). Those notes align with Wine Spectator’s take on a “tightly meshed Champagne” with “roasted hazelnut…orange curd and brioche…with a creamy mousse” and a “firm spine of citrusy acidity” (Wine Spectator, 91).
Technical details are unusually well documented: reviewers cite five years on lees, spring 2023 disgorgement, and low dosage (as reported, 3–5 g/L). Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate describes it as “medium to full-bodied, precise and fine-boned,” with “green apple, vanilla, peach and toasted nuts,” finishing with “subtle bitter phenolics” (Kristaps Karklins, 91). Jeb Dunnuck adds that it stays “fresh and youthful, without transitioning into oxidation,” and suggests it will drink well for up to a decade (Jeb Dunnuck, 92).
