2008 Billecart-Salmon Nicolas Francois | Michelin Wine At A Favorable Price

“Make sure you buy wines from Billecart-Salmon before they become as expensive as Krug’s!”

The above quote comes from one of the world's leading Champagne experts, Richard Juhlin. And with the 2008 Krug Vintage currently costing more than three times the price of the 2008 Billecart-Salmon Nicolas Francois, the investment potential is almost already validated.

The fact is that this is a prestige cuvée from a rare family-owned Champagne house at a price that does not seem to reflect its reputation and quality. And here you get the "2008" label, already a legendary Champagne vintage that will undoubtedly become one of the treasures of the future.

2008 Billecart-Salmon Nicolas Francois is the latest release, and it is available for investment. It has already been adopted by a three-star Michelin chef. Read much more about its potential below.

Les Grandes Marques: A Rare Family-Owned Gem

The term 'Les Grandes Marques' represents Champagne houses that have great international brand awareness, an unrivalled reputation and massive customer loyalty, and today there are only 24 houses that are considered Les Grandes Marques. Billecart-Salmon is one of them - along with prominent houses such as Salon, Piper-Heidsieck, Louis Roederer, Krug, Bollinger and Veuve-Clicquot.

Billecart-Salmon is also one of the few Champagne houses that has been 100 percent family-owned for over 200 years, which is becoming increasingly rare as large multinationals increasingly acquire the houses.

Located in the Grand Cru village of Mareuil-sur-Aÿ, the majority of the house's grapes come from Billecart-Salmon's own vineyards right here. Billecart-Salmon is known for their elegant and sophisticated Champagnes, and one of their most notable cuvées is Nicolas François. The Champagne is aged for a period of more than 12 years, which is why this 2008 release is also the latest, unlike several houses that have already released both 2014 and 2015 vintages.

Created in 1964 as a tribute to the founder of the house, this cuvée is known for its complex and balanced flavour. It is made from grapes from Grand Cru vineyards in Côte des Blancs (Chardonnay) and Montagne de Reims (Pinot Noir) and vinified partially in traditional oak barrels to add depth and richness.

The house currently produces around 1.8 million bottles of Champagne, but only a very small amount of this is represented by the prestige cuvée Billecart-Salmon Nicolas Francois. Only the house itself knows the exact figure, but external sources report a production of between 35,000 and 100,000 bottles. And even if the figure is 100,000, it is a very small production in Champagne.

The Finest French Restaurants Want Billecart-Salmon

This is probably the first time you have heard of a wine having a godfather, but that is exactly the case with 2008 Nicolas Francois. The godfather's name is Mauro Colagreco and he is the chef at the three-star Michelin-starred French restaurant Mirazur. About Billecart-Salmon, Mauro says:

“I have been lucky enough to work in some of the finest French gastronomic houses, where I have always found Billecart-Salmon on their wine lists. Billecart was immediately one of my favourite champagnes! Nicolas François 2008 is a truly exceptional wine […] The ideal place to taste this wine? It's obviously my restaurant Le Mirazur in Menton!”

The 2008 Cuvée Nicolas Francois is being highly acclaimed, and this is certainly not the first time this cuvée has received a lot of attention.

Billecart–Salmon Cuvée Nicolas Francois | Champagne Of The Milennium

In 1999, a committee organised a blind tasting of 150 vintages from the most famous Champagne producers. The 1959 Cuvée Nicolas Francois was awarded the title of "Champagne of the Millennium" - and the 1961 Cuvée Nicolas Francois was awarded second place.

Stealing the limelight from all the greats really just confirms that the family-owned Champagne house delivers Champagne of the highest quality - represented by the prestige cuvee Nicolas Francois.

2008 Billecart-Salmon Nicolas Francois | Great Champagne Despite Disagreements

The latest Nicolas Francois release gets 92 points from Richard Juhlin, 96 points from Wine Advocate and 96 points from Vinous. It also gets 97 points from James Suckling, although his rating is not included in the table below as it deviates from our usual methodology when it comes to Champagne.

Across the three critics, the 2008 Billecart-Salmon Nicolas Francois receives an overall score of 94.7 points, putting it neither at the bottom nor the top of the last seven releases. And as the chart shows, there is little to separate the last four releases. 

Performance On Previous Investment Tips And Favorable Investment Price

Only on three previous occasions have we offered Billecart-Salmon Nicolas Francois for investment - and that on the three previous vintages 2002, 2006 and 2007. Across these three releases, they have averaged a return of 39% since the date of the investment tip, corresponding to an average annual return of 9%.

These have performed solidly - even if the prices have not yet become as expensive as seen with Krug, cf. Juhlin's quote at the beginning of this article. Right now, you also have the opportunity to invest in the latest release at a favorable price. The cheapest offer for 2008 Billecart-Salmon Nicolas Francois on wine-searcher.com is currently € 147^*. Your price is 130^*.

*ex. customs, VAT, and tax. In full cases and perfect condition.

RareWine Invest's Opinion

2008 Champagnes are a coveted commodity - they always have been and there is no indication that this is going to change. The last three investment tips we have compiled on Billecart-Salmon Nicolas Francois have performed well despite not even being able to capitalise on the demand for the 2008 predicate.

We therefore expect great interest in this one. Especially because it is a limited-edition prestige cuvée at a price that does not seem to reflect its quality. Yet. And according to Juhlin, Billecart-Salmon may match Krug in terms of price - this is for Juhlin's own account, but from our perspective, less would certainly make a very attractive investment. 

Of course, investment recommendations cannot be made based on a single statement. But the prices of Billecart-Salmon have not seen the big recovery that many cuvées experienced during the Corona pandemic. The recovery is still a long time coming. Until the demand for Champagne starts to rise again. Top French restaurants are already asking for Billecart-Salmon - Champagne of the millennium.