2002 Cuvée Nicolas François Billecart, Billecart-Salmon

The 2002 Cuvée Nicolas François Billecart is outrageously beautiful. The ripeness of the Chardonnay is front and center in a Champagne that delivers the goods, big-time. An infusion of apricot, orange peel, crème brûlée, chamomile, hazelnut and honey give the 2002 its racy, exotic personality. I enjoy it most with bottle age, but the 2002 is undeniably beautiful right now. The 2002 is a stunning NFB. The blend is 60% Pinot Noir from the Montagne de Reims and the Vallée de la Marne and 40% Chardonnay from the Côte des Blancs, done partially in oak (20%). Dosage is 4 grams per liter

The 2002 Brut Cuvée Nicolas François was disgorged in January 2015 with four grams per liter dosage, and it's showing superbly, wafting from the glass with a complex bouquet that mingles confit citrus, peach and dried papaya with nuances of iodine, brioche and honeycomb. On the palate, it's full-bodied, broad and vinous, with a rich and layered core that's underpinned by serious structure and tension, concluding with a long and precise finish. This is one of the finest wines Billecart has released in the last decade, and it is well worth seeking out.

Nicolas François is not a late-disgorged release but, launched at the same time as Bollinger’s RD, it could be. Exhilaratingly honed, breathtakingly precise and monumentally mineral, the exuberance and energy of the great 2002 vintage will sustain it for decades yet.

This has a super-composed nose with gently spiced pastry and bright strawberry and cherry fruits, as well as some spiced brulée custard and praline. There's a lot of deep-set complexity here. The palate has a bright, crunchy, and assertive burst of peach and lemon flavor on entry, while the pinot takes the mid-palate with fleshy white cherries and smooth phenolics that hold through to the finish with gently nutty mushroom and cherry-pip flavors to close. Great balance and power. Drink now through to 2025+. This vintage is a 60/40 split between pinot noir and chardonnay.