2007 Billecart Salmon Brut Champagne

(94 points) Chef de cave Florent Nys calls 2007 'the www vintage: wind, warmth and water'. The balance of all three was just right to ensure top-quality fruit at harvest. This is a blend of 75% Pinot Noir and 25% Chardonnay with 4g/l dosage. So although this is an extra brut style, the 5% vinification in oak casks, 10 years on its lees, and partial malolactic fermentation gives a creamy, toasty edge to the focussed palate. With flavours of hazelnut praline, lifted florals and real purity of peachy citrus, this is a complex, vinous Champagne that needs time to shine. (TG) (5/2018) Decanter