This wine came in distinctly [link2post id=”1256″]silly packaging[/link2post], but after the successes of some recent 1996 fizz I thought it would be a suitably grand and celebratory wine to pop at midnight. All I can say is it is not worth the sponds.
Champagne Grande Cuvee 1996, Billecart-Salmon
Ripe apples, cold cocoa and hints of coffee on the nose, this smells indistinguishable from their 1487″]Cuvee Nicholas-Francois 1996. Still, it is quite complex and seems relatively open. The palate has frightening amounts of acidity, but loads of apple fruit. There is real complexity here, but no more so than the Cuvee N-F. This is certainly a very nice, complex and stylish drink, but just not worth over double the price of the Cuvee N-F. I have to say I feel let down by this wine, but sadly it is just too good to rate as ‘sub-interest’, no matter how inflated an amount I paid for it.
