1996 Billecart-Salmon Vintage Blanc de Blancs

Anchored in Le Mesnil-sur-Oger and complemented by fruit from Cramant, Avize and Chouilly, Billecart’s 1996 Brut Blanc de Blancs—disgorged in 2005 with eight grams per liter of dosage—is showing superbly, offering aromas of candied pear, dried plum and lemon confit mingled with cacao nib, brioche, beeswax and oyster shell. On the palate, it is medium- to full-bodied, layered and incisive, propelled by formidable energy and racy acidity that frames a rich yet tensile core, animated by a pinpoint mousse. The wine concludes with a long, sapid finish. It represents a slightly leaner version of the cuvée; yet, while defined by the incisive spine so typical of the vintage, it remains harmonious and well integrated rather than austere or shrill. Originating from a late September harvest, the wine was vinified in enameled steel tanks and underwent full malolactic fermentation.