Billecart-Salmon, Champagne "Nicolas Francois", 2012

Name: Billecart-Salmon, Champagne "Nicolas Francois", 2012
Brand: Billecart-Salmon
SKU: NYC-4-TED-`FR107-12`-060525-9
Price: 239.99 USD
Availability: InStock

Sparkling Wine from Champagne, France

by Billecart-Salmon

$239.99

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Cuvée Nicolas François is Billecart-Salmon’s prestige vintage bottling, first created in 1964 and named after the house’s founder. Sourced from a selection of Grand and Premier Cru vineyards, this wine reflects both the power of Pinot Noir and the finesse of Chardonnay—typically in a 60/40 blend, and always aged long on the lees.

The 2012 vintage comes from a growing season marked by extremes—frost, hail, then a dry, sunny finish—resulting in a low-yield, high-quality harvest. The wine was vinified partially in old oak barrels (around 20%), with the rest in stainless steel, followed by more than 10 years of aging on the lees before disgorgement. It was finished with a Brut-level dosage of around 6 g/L.

In the glass, the 2012 shows layers of baked apple, toasted brioche, lemon curd, and almond, framed by a chalky backbone and a long, savory finish. It is a Champagne of depth, balance, and longevity, suited to serious collectors and celebratory tables alike.

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Professional Reviews

Antonio Galloni

AG 95

"The 2012 Brut Cuvée Nicolas François Billecart shows all the natural radiance of the year. There's gorgeous resonance and texture here. Apricot, spice, tangerine oil and lightly honeyed notes infuse the palate with notable depth and persistence. This rich, expansive Champage has a ton to offer. This release was disgorged nearly two years ago, which also adds to its complexity. Dosage is 3.8 grams per liter. Disgorged: May 2023." -Antonio Galloni

Robert Parker

RP 96

"Billecart-Salmon’s 2012 Nicolas François marks the first release since 2008 and stands as another success. The fundamentals remain unchanged: settling and fermentation at low temperatures, a small proportion vinified in oak barrels and partial malolactic fermentation (20% was blocked in 2012). This vintage was characterized by a prolonged flowering period, significant rainfall and mildew pressure, resulting in a small crop. The harvest of fruit, which contributed to this cuvée, took place between September 17 and 22. "It was crucial to select only the ripest fruit, as maturation varied significantly between plots," explains Billecart’s head winemaker, Florent Nys. But what of the wine itself? Disgorged in May 2023 with a dosage of 3.8 grams per liter, it exudes aromas of candied lemon, honeysuckle and ripe peach, mingling with nuances of beeswax and orange zest. On the palate, it is full-bodied, ample and enveloping, boasting a layered, concentrated core, a chalky structure and mouthwatering acidity, despite the warm vintage. It concludes with a persistent, saline finish." -Kristaps Karklins

Details

Grape Variety

Chardonnay , Pinot Noir
Vintage

Champagne , 2012
Size

750ml
Farming Practice

Sustainable
Style

Elegant , Minerally , Rich
Sweetness

Dry
Body

Medium Bodied

Champagne

Champagne boasts some of the world’s greatest luxury brands with Krug, Cristal and, of course, Dom Perignon. But it’s also home to hundreds of small dynamic producers—farmers who grow their own grapes (often organically) and make (often with natural methods) tiny amounts of pure and absolutely delicious wine that reflect the individual personalities of their villages and terroirs. Toast with these wines, for sure. But also treat them like the great wines they are: taste, drink, explore!

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