Where has this been all our lives? We have been selling Billecart Salmon wines for a very long time but never got a whiff of this one until several months ago. One curiosity was that this was coming through a different wholesale source than the folks that have been Billecart’s market representative for well over a decade. Still, the prospect of a Champagne this good for the kind of price we were going to be able to sell it for with a connection to an elite and well-respected house was an exciting development. You can imagine our disappointment when the anticipated rollout of this wine didn’t happen because there were only a couple of cases at the wholesaler that vaporized instantly at kickoff time.
We never forgot about it though, and the first load of Champagne Charles Le Bel “Inspiration 1818” has finally arrived. The story is that this is the ‘second label’ of Billecart Salmon Brut Reserve NV. Billecart-Salmon vinifies base wines from a greater number of parcels than it actually needs for the production of its core cuvees. The winery has very specific ideas about the style and consistency of the sparklers that bear their label. The tasting committee tastes each of these base wines and selects only the ones that match the house palate to go into the Billecart bottlings. Those cuvees that don’t make the Billecart cut are then eligible for second wine. Bear in mind that they were grown and produced to Billecart’s standards, so this is not second tier juice.
Again according to testimony (we couldn’t find any mention of Charles Le Bec on the Billecart website though 1818 was the year that Billecart was founded) the vinification is done at Billecart’s facility in Mareuil-sur-Aÿ. The grapes come from vineyards with younger vines. The entire operation from start to finish takes place in the Billecart-Salmon cellars. That makes it a surety with respect to originality and character. The cepage is 37% Chardonnay, 33% Pinot Noir and 30% Pinot Meunier with 70% of the blend originating from reserve wines.
Of course, it’s ultimately about the juice and the Charles Le Bel Inspiration “1818” Brut NV is a delicious, classic Champagne with fine bead, aromas of baked bread, almond skins, apples, berries and pears. It is clear the winemaking aspect was done by talented cellar masters, with a refined, creamy palate feel, round mid-palate and a crisp but metered finish with touches of minerality and citrus. It’s arrival is perfect timing as, in a market where a number of Champagne producers are pushing up prices even as the euro is at a historic low, we are presenting a new value Champagne option from an unimpeachable source at a great price.