Billecart-Salmon Extra Brut Champagne 2016

93 points Tom Hewson (Decanter): "Billecart-Salmon's 2016 vintage continues the house's drive to creatively lower dosage levels, coming in with just 1.9g/L in this year of extreme weather. The 2016 will be at its best from mid-2024 but is already showing a mature clementine and juicy apricot fruitiness, warmed up with ground nuts and fragrant raspberry. Neat and slightly reticent on release, there is a subtle insistency here, and it will lengthen and unfurl with more time on cork. The most impressive of Billecart's recent vintage releases. Made with 100% grand cru fruit, 25% of which was vinified in small and large oak. Drinking Window: 2024-2030. (1/30/24)"

Producer notes: "66% Pinot Noir, 34% Chardonnay. Aged 64 months on lees. 100% Grand Crus. A rose-gold hue with glinting flecks of soft green, naturally enhanced by a fine, abundant and dynamic effervescence. Deliciously fruity intensity with elegant notes of nuts and stone fruits (greengage and crunchy cherries). Prolonged and nuanced development of exquisite notes of baked goods (crepe dough and puffed cereals). A superlative aroma, with a refreshing and sophisticated purity. A charming mouthfeel with notes of fresh pineapple and sudachi zest, amplified by a creamy and delicate texture. A persistent finish with a chiseled structure. A noble and distinctive vintage with excellent depth. Alcohol 12%."