As I sit here drinking a bottle I’m slightly disappointed. This is my first ever Billecart Salmon offering and although it’s good wine (90.5 pts i.m.o.) I was expecting more. I have to say it is better than many houses’ NV offerings but at $50+ a pop, where’s the value? What say you?
I think this is an example of jumping on the trendy Extra Brut bandwagon without putting the raw materials into it that are necessary to really make the style work. Even with small growers and more expensive wines, I have found this category to be really variable because it seems so hard to get it right. But when it’s right (for me), I love it.
More simply put, I agree.
What are you eating with it? Extra bruts NEED food…
Maybe I’m being unfair to some of these wines, but I don’t think any wine should need food. I say that as someone who loves a lot of acid in wine and can generally really enjoy such wines on their own. Several of my disappointments with Extra Brut and the like have been tried with food, though, usually some sort of seafood with butter and maybe a pan sauce.
You’d rather have a Barolo by itself than with a Piemontese feast? A great Bordeaux is better WITHOUT a nice lamb dish?
I wasn’t saying I would rather, but I enjoy a good Barolo or Bordeaux quite a bit without food.
Back to the subject at hand, many Extra / Ultra Bruts show a lot better when they have something to grind that sharp acidity and minerality on, like some sushi or grilled scallops or even some bacon.
I think Billecart’s Extra Brut is good, but nowhere near special enough for me to buy at the price (normally between 40 and 50 EUR where I buy). Actually, I can buy lots of stuff at half the price that I find more interesting. The only Billecart that still tempts me, and that I occasionally buy, is the NV Brut Rose’: always a beautiful wine in a beautiful style, although not quite worth the extra EUR over a number of competitors that are just as good, but cheaper.
Totally with Roberto. You can also cellar for 5-10 years and quality NV Extra/Ultra/Zero fills out nicely.