1999 Billecart-Salmon “Cuvee Elisabeth Salmon”, Billecart-Salmon Brut Rosé Champagne NV & one other wine

The bottle of Cuvee Elisabeth was of unknown provenance, but likely was a longtime resident of a retail shelf. It dropped into my hands a while back and in the event that it might surprise and delight us, I put it aside to open on our next anniversary, which was today. We had some other Champagne / Sparkling wines ready as backup (including the NV Billecart-Salmon Brut Rosé) if needed or for additional drinking pleasure. The celebration was brought inside from the back porch to the kitchen table, due to the unseasonably cool and somewhat dreary weather. Very cozy inside. In attendance were the two long-and-happily-married ones along with our son who paid us a surprise visit.

1999 Billecart-Salmon “Cuvee Elisabeth Salmon” Brut Rosé Champagne
The Cuvee Elisabeth uncorked with a shout, and the cork took off in flight, flew across our backyard from the porch, and landed in the bushes thirty feet away. Almost as if it were relieved to be finally released from the bottle! I took this as an encouraging sign and a surprise. We poured the wine and waited on the possible delight. On the deep side of salmon colored, the wine showed a lot of energy in the glass with some nice bubbling action, though a fleeting mouse. The bubbles lasted for a good couple of minutes after pouring into the glass which I thought worthy of a “Bravo!”. The first taste was a bit fruity, dry, but with a lot finesse. I do not often encounter finesse in the wines that I drink, but I think I am up to recognizing it. Just a beautiful sense of calm balance, as if the wine was saying: “I know who I am, I don’t need you to tell me.” Very nice indeed.
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Billecart-Salmon Brut Rosé Champagne NV
This is a wine that gets a lot of love here on WB. The uncorking was actually a bit less energetic than the 1999 Cuvee Elisabeth, but that may have been due in part to the strange changes in the cork of the latter. The wine showed some nice bubbles and mousse. A lighter salmon color. The first taste was pleasant, but also a little disappointing after the Cuvee Elisabeth. This actually reinforced to us how good the Cuvee Elisabeth had actually been. We were enjoying the NV by the time we poured the second glass. Flavorful fruit, a lot of energy, Everything that one wants in a Rosé Champagne most of the time (although maybe not after a 1999 Cuvee Elisabeth).
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corks of Brut Rose and Cuvee Elisabeth
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2019 Saracco Moscato d’Asti
We finished the celebration with a glass of this effervescent fruit filled Moscato d’Asti which went just fine with the fruit tart.
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Very nice Jim and congratulations on your anniversary. Obviously, I read your notes on the 99` with interest in how it showed at age 21 which is in my wheelhouse for aged bubbly and am happy you had a good bottle.

I`m one of those here that likes the NV Rose although I was more of a fan of its former more elegant profile with more red raspberry and strawberry fruit than the more prevalent red cherry I find now. To that point, what was the fruit profile like for you?

BTW, you may want to edit the NV Rose notes to replace the duplicate listing of the Cuvee Elizabeth Salmon.

Thanks for the note, Blake. I actually intended to pay particular attention to the fruit profile of the NV, especially relating to black cherry vs strawberry/raspberry as you have mentioned in previous posts. But in the enjoyment of conversation I lost my intent, and the NV wine became very enjoyable background “music”. We have some of the NV left from last night and I WILL focus on my next glass and give you my opinion. I want to ask your opinion on something. This is our first champagne with significant age and I was puzzled by the shape that the bottom of the cork had taken (in the picture). Do you sometimes see this yourself with older champagnes? It was not an issue as far as quality of the seal because the wine was quite energetic still. Cheers. (and also thanks for your edit catch).
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Jim as to the cork size and shape, I defer to Brad and others who have way more exposure and knowledge than I do but I have noticed the older corks are more symmetrical like the one you show and the newer ones are more like the Brut Rose which I would think ensures a tighter, stronger seal than the other. The corks for the recent opening of the 85 Cristal Rose and the 86 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Rose were exactly like the Cuvee Elizabeth Salmon cork including the tight seal which surprised me when I discovered the contents were severely compromised.

Re the BC Brut Rose, I get more RED cherry than BLACK cherry in addition to the previous inclusion of red raspberry and strawberry.

The edit catch probably has more to do with others catching my lack of editing that happens more often than I prefer.

Cheers,
Blake

Jim,

Happy Anniversary. What a wonderful way to celebrate your love together. Sometime around 2010 I fell hard for the 2000 Cuvee Elisabeth Salmon. It sounds like you had a very special bottle for the '99 and it’s always interesting to see how these bottles unfold over time. I hope this finds you & those you love, safe & healthy.

I apologize if this seems nitpicky, but when you write “1999 Billecart-Salmon Brut Rosé Champagne NV,” is this an NV that you’ve had since 1999, or which is made from the 1999 vintage, or did you put 1999 in there by accident?

I love the Cuvee Elisabeth Salmon. One of the greatest Champagnes for my tastes. The Nicolas Francois is superb as well.

Chris, this nit(wit) warrants being picky around. I do need watching over sometimes and I am glad you and Blake are helping me out. I think ( [scratch.gif] ) I finally have it straight now.
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the 1999 “Cuvee Elisabeth Salmon” Brut Rosé

the NV Brut Rosé

Blake, I wanted to give the fruit profile of the BS NV Rose some attention. Smell is not my strong suit on any wine, so we’ll move along. The first taste impressions that I get are of a mixture of slightly tart ripe-ish red berries. Difficult to separate out, but I sense raspberry, cherry and (less so) strawberry. As the taste moves along to the middle and after, there develops a growing and lingering “fruit chalk” (there has to be a better and more attractive word for this) at the back of the roof of my mouth. I associate this lingering aftertaste with cherries. For me, there is a continuum from initial mixed fruit taste with cherry present, to something more reminiscent of cherry as the taste travels backward and afterward that brings the focus to cherry. I’ll add that the fruit profile was also a bit reminiscent of Pinot Meunier, which I have enjoyed in 100% form as both Champagne and still wine. The spiciness is toned down, but the fruit profile does connect somewhat to Pinot Meunier for my palate.

FWIW, as always, and a longtime favorite play-on-words French saying might also be appropriate here: On fait ce q’uon peut, mais on peut peu!

Cheers, -Jim

Good work Jim. First, I love the color of the 99`. It matches your notes. As to the fruit profile on the Brut Rose, I think it really comes down to our individual palate which can differ from time to time anyway, but I understand what you got and your reference to Meunier. If we were to drink this together, we could dissect it even more specifically and remark as to that particular bottles profile, etc. Meanwhile, here’s to more great bubbly.