Henri Billiot Rosé Champagne NV, Reims France  

Champagne BILLIOT has existed since 1937, owned by Mr. Louis Billiot who then separated it between his descendants, brothers and sisters of Henri Billiot. But it was 1960 that the Champagne H Billiot & Fils was established by Henri himself, who invested and created the cellars at 1 place de la Fontaine and was later on managed by Mr. Serge Billiot who developed the reputation of their wines and diversified the range and imagined their Special Cuvées. Today, it is now managed by Laetitia Billot, proud to be the 5th Generation who is in charge of the management of the exploitation, production and development of their wines after 18 years of family work. The Billiot cellars dominate the main square of Ambonnay, one of the grand cru villages of the Montagne de Reims, a region famous for its Pinot Noir, the dominant grape of the Billiot wines. The wines are fermented in enamel-lined steel vats, aged in old oak barrels. Malolactic fermentation is blocked, as the wines are already quite rich due to the maturity of the vines. The wines are neither fined nor filtered.

Vinous 93 Points: “The NV Brut Rosé is a knock-out. A Champagne of notable intensity, Billiot’s Rosé possesses tremendous richness and power. Sweet red berry fruit, kirsch, rose petal and mind infuse this deeply-colored Rosé with tons of flavor. This is an especially heady, vinous style built on serious texture, with Pinot Noir very much front and center.”

Wine Spectator 93 Points: “Rich and mouthwatering, with fragrant grilled nut and lime blossom on the nose layered with notes of pureed raspberry, kumquat, ground cardamom and graphite. There’s opulence here, but it’s well-checked and balanced by a firm spine of acidity and a salty streak of mineral that shows on the finish. Disgorged June 2020. Drink now through 2025.”