This is very vinous with aromas of iron, strawberries, old roses and geraniums. So aromatic. Full-bodied, really intense and layered with super dryness and depth. Lots of saline and spicy character at the end, such as clove and pepper, as well as hints of flowers and melted butter. Strawberry tart at the end. 17% in aged oak casks. Blend of 55% pinot noir from six villages (Mareuil sur Ay, Ay, Bouzy, Ambonnay, Verzenay and Verzy) and 45% chardonnay from three Grand Crus (Mesnil sur Oger, Cramant and Chouilly). 9% of the blend is red wine from a parcel in the village of Mareuil sur Ay. Bottled June 2009 and disgorged July 2019. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 98 JSThe 2008 Brut Rosé Cuvée Elisabeth Salmon explodes from the glass with a mesmerizing array of aromas, flavors and textures. Blood orange, cinnamon, mint and dried flowers. The 2008 is incredibly young, but it is also incredibly tempting. Patience will be rewarded. In the meantime, readers might enjoy adding a few bottles of the stellar 2007 to their cellars, as the nervy, taut 2008 needs time. The 2008 is 55% Pinot Noir (from Aÿ, Verzy, Verzenay and Mareuil) and 45% Chardonnay (from Chouilly, Avize and Cramant), with 9% still wine from Mareuil. It is the first vintage that includes a portion of wines (17%) done in barrel and the first vintage in which the magnums were aged on the cork rather than on crown seal. Dosage is 7 grams per liter.Antonio Galloni | 97+ AGDisgorged with seven grams per liter dosage, the 2008 Brut Rosé Cuvée Elisabeth Salmon is one of the finest wines I've tasted from Billecart in recent years. Unwinding in the glass with aromas of peach, mandarin oil, warm bread, red berries and petals, it's full-bodied, deep and vinous, with lovely mid-palate amplitude, terrific concentration and bright girdling acids. In what is quite a tightly wound vintage and from a house whose style is rather understated, this is a dramatic, fleshy wine that concludes with a long, flavorful finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97+ RP<p>Ripe berries on the nose with red apple, peach and tangerine notes over hazelnut and pastry nuances. Fresh and compact on the palate with zesty acidity, showing finesse. Nominated by Charlotte Hale.</p> (Drink between 2022-2045)Decanter | 97 DECAlthough a small part of this Champagne was vinified in wood, it is the rich fruit that shows the wine's quality. Touches of toast indicate the approach of maturity, and the wine is now perfectly poised and ready to drink.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEThis crackles with acidity, a fine china-like frame for the ripe and aromatic nectarine and raspberry fruit flavors on display in this expressive sparkling rosé. Hints of red licorice, tar-tinged smoke, star anise and orange peel accent the rich fruit profile, riding the chalky mousse and lingering on the mouthwatering finish. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Disgorged July 2019. Drink now through 2030.Wine Spectator | 94 WS
