Even though 2012 has become one of Champagne’s most celebrated recent vintages, ‘the beginning of the season was horrible,’ says Billecart-Salmon’s president Mathieu Roland-Billecart, ‘frost, hail, mildew, sunburn – we had the lot.’
Yet Roland-Billecart says there was a glimmer of hope: ‘we pulled out a great vintage because, as we say here, “août fait le moût”, or in other words, “August makes the must”.’
The weather in August made good on the early summer chaos, producing small yields of grapes that were unusually concentrated in sugars, aromas and acidity.
Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for Billecart-Salmon’s new 2012 releases
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"}
Billecart-Salmon’s 2012 releases tasted and rated:
{}
{"wineId":"81745","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"81746","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"81747","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"81748","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"21590","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"31892","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{}
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