Alan Hunt: How have you found the transition from working as a Partner in the Big 4 to CEO of Billecart Salmon?
Mathieu Roland-Billecart: In one word, refreshing. Whilst my career in London was very intellectually challenging and I had the opportunity to work with some great people, I am glad I have had the opportunity to come home and work in a team of truly passionate people that are all focused on making exceptional wines every day. We have a very long term vision at Billecart-Salmon that you can’t find in the traditional business world and it is our family owned model that is at the core of us being able to produce exceptional champagnes.
AH: How do you see the wider luxury market changing over the coming years?
MRB: We see an increasing difference between the big groups that focus on creating value mainly through marketing, advertising, integrated distribution and the small focused players like us that focus on creating a top quality differentiated product. The good news is that both strategies can be successful and co-exist in a market but you have to be clear on which side you are on and not be in the middle.
We are confident that new markets will continue to open as global wealth remains on the rise but one has to be clear which path they follow and have the resources to deliver to increasingly discerning clients that have access to a lot of information, very quickly and therefore are more able to make informed decisions.
AH: How do Billecart-Salmon, as a family run business, ensure you remain competitive against the larger corporates in your market?
MRB: We made a decision a long time ago to remain relatively small and focus on quality instead of quantity and the marketing, advertising, economies of scale, etc.. that have to come with that and that big groups do better than us.
We have been successful with that strategy and have remained independent and family owned/run for 200 years as a result. The main reason is that we have access to the best grapes and the family ownership gives us the luxury to take our time in making the wines and build long term relationships with clients; it sounds easy and obvious but it is virtually impossible for large groups that have, on one side, shareholders to deal with asking for increased profits every year and, on the other side, have to deal with nature and wines. If we want to make an exceptional product in our world you have to take a very long term view and it is very hard for large corporates to do.
AH: Do you believe Billecart-Salmon will need to adopt new technology and processes in order to remain competitive?
MRB: Of course as we have always done. However, wine making is an industry that is over 3000 years old so we have to put innovation and technology in context… At Billecart-Salmon, we love technology but only if it contributes to us making even better wines or to get closer to our clients. Our clients tell us that they are loyal to Billecart-Salmon because it is one of the best Champagnes they can find and not because it is innovative so we simply have to remember that and challenge ourselves to answer this question everyday : How do you make even better wines? If innovation is part of the answer then great.
About the House
Billecart-Salmon is a unique House, recognised worldwide for the quality of its champagnes. It remains an independent family House after two centuries of unwavering passion living by the same motto: “Give priority to quality, strive for excellence.”
The history of Champagne Billecart-Salmon began in the early 19th century, in the village of Mareuil-sur-Aÿ, near Epernay. It was here in 1818 that husband and wife, Nicolas François Billecart and Elisabeth Salmon, founded their own Champagne House with Louis Salmon, Elisabeth’s brother.
Today, the 7th generation of the family, Mathieu Roland-Billecart, head the House with Antoine, Deputy General Manager in charge of export, with the support of Jean and François Roland-Billecart.
To maintain the quality of its champagnes, the House pays special attention to the selection of the very best grapes. The excellence of its champagnes rests, above all, on the knowledge of those who rigorously select from vineyards of more than 300 hectares divided between over 40 different Champagne crus. Grapes used for winemaking come from a radius of 20km around Epernay, where the great wines of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier from the Montagne de Reims, Côte des Blancs and the Vallée de la Marne are to be found.
Maison Billecart-Salmon has preserved ancestral vinification methods handed down from generation to generation which are constantly being perfected.
In the fifties, the House established the technique of cold settling combined with the use of stainless-steel tanks for a longer fermentation at a lower temperature. Our chai of more than 400 small casks allows the wines to be skilfully enhanced through vinification in oak. In a perpetual quest for excellence, the House has recently equipped itself with a chai containing 24 large casks. The bottles themselves are then laid to rest in the original chalk cellars dating back from the 17th and 19th centuries. The iconic Brut Rosé is at the heart of the House and is the cuvée which put Billecart-Salmon on the map. The secrets surrounding its creation and vinificationmethods date back to the origins of the House. A subtle and sensual blended rosé, this cuvée boasts attractive flavours of red fruit and citrus zest.
The House’s most exclusive cuvée is cultivated in the Clos Saint-Hilaire, with Pinot Noir grown from half a century of careful cultivation. This one hectare of precious land is sheltered by a stone wall and produces an exceptional champagne of rare complexity and stunning freshness harvest after harvest. After several years of painstakingly tending the vines the first limited release of this unique cuvée was the 1995 vintage.
"Champagne of the Millennium"
In June 1999, the Billecart-Salmon 1959 Vintage was chosen “Champagne of the Millennium” by a committee of experts at a blind tasting involving 150 vintages from the most illustrious champagne producers, organized in Stockholm by Richard Juhlin, a great champagne specialist. The 1961 Vintage, for its part, came second.
Overall, BILLECART-SALMON incarnates a style of champagne spirit. If described in three words they would be finesse, balance and elegance.
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Photos by Leif Carlsson