Winemaker Notes
A radiant yellow crystalline appearance with golden glints brought to life by a luminous bead of persistent fine bubbles. There is an olfactory impact due to the richness of harmonious expressions (dry fruits, fresh citrus, and white fruits) coupled with finely buttered seductive notes. A defined aromatic undertone which expresses the mature complexity linked to the vinification in oak barrels.
The caressing and refreshing texture enhances the creamy sensation, dominated by a beautiful bracing vivacity. A burst of flavors (notes of grilled brioche, toffee) thanks to the distinguished power and maturity which is a mark of the great wines of Champagne.
Blend: 43% Chardonnay, 29% Pinot Meunier, 28% Pinot Noir
Professional Ratings
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Australian Wine Companion
The complex bouquet reflects the primary fermentation in oak casks; the palate no less so thanks to the quality of the premier and grand cru reserves, also matured in oak. But it’s all a question of degree; there’s a core of citrussy acidity underwriting the freshness and length of the wine.
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Jeb Dunnuck
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.
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James Suckling
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.
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Wine Enthusiast
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.
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Wine & Spirits
This is equal parts chardonnay from the Côte des Blancs, pinot noir from Aÿ and Mareuil-sur-Aÿ, and pinot meunier from the Marne Valley, all fermented and aged in oak casks, without undergoing malolactic conversion. Onethird of the blend is reserve wines, married over the course of six years on the lees in bottle. The latest release buzzes with limestone freshness and the pale herbal richness of chamomile flowers. A stylish blend with earthiness that powers through it.
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Wine Spectator
Fragrant, with hints of graphite, cherry blossoms and spices, revealing a firm frame of vivid acidity that's tightly meshed with flavors of blackberry tart, lemon granita and salted Marcona almond. Shows a raw silk–textured mousse that carries a chalky note on the finish. Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The Champagne Billecart-Salmon Brut Sou Bois is bright, active, and complex. TASTING NOTES: This wine exhibits aromas and flavors of tart citrus and a hint of creaminess. Enjoy it with grilled abalone steaks in a white wine and mushroom sauce. (Tasted: May 11, 2023, San Francisco, CA)
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
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.
A term typically reserved for Champagne and Sparkling Wines, non-vintage or simply “NV” on a label indicates a blend of finished wines from different vintages (years of harvest). To make non-vintage Champagne, typically the current year’s harvest (in other words, the current vintage) forms the base of the blend. Finished wines from previous years, called “vins de reserve” are blended in at approximately 10-50% of the total volume in order to achieve the flavor, complexity, body and acidity for the desired house style. A tiny proportion of Champagnes are made from a single vintage.
There are also some very large production still wines that may not claim one particular vintage. This would be at the discretion of the winemaker’s goals for character of the final wine.
Associated with luxury, celebration, and romance, the region, Champagne, is home to the world’s most prized sparkling wine. In order to bear the label, ‘Champagne’, a sparkling wine must originate from this northeastern region of France—called Champagne—and adhere to strict quality standards. Made up of the three towns Reims, Épernay, and Aÿ, it was here that the traditional method of sparkling wine production was both invented and perfected, birthing a winemaking technique as well as a flavor profile that is now emulated worldwide.
Well-drained, limestone and chalky soil defines much of the region, which lend a mineral component to its wines. Champagne’s cold, continental climate promotes ample acidity in its grapes but weather differences from year to year can create significant variation between vintages. While vintage Champagnes are produced in exceptional years, non-vintage cuvées are produced annually from a blend of several years in order to produce Champagnes that maintain a consistent house style.
With nearly negligible exceptions, . These can be blended together or bottled as individual varietal Champagnes, depending on the final style of wine desired. Chardonnay, the only white variety, contributes freshness, elegance, lively acidity and notes of citrus, orchard fruit and white flowers. Pinot Noir and its relative Pinot Meunier, provide the backbone to many blends, adding structure, body and supple red fruit flavors. Wines with a large proportion of Pinot Meunier will be ready to drink earlier, while Pinot Noir contributes to longevity. Whether it is white or rosé, most Champagne is made from a blend of red and white grapes—and uniquely, rosé is often produce by blending together red and white wine. A Champagne made exclusively from Chardonnay will be labeled as ‘blanc de blancs,’ while ones comprised of only red grapes are called ‘blanc de noirs.’