READ · COMPARE · EXPLAIN
Billecart-Salmon: barrel fermentation in old wood and bottle maturation
A Champagne house based in Mareuil-sur-Aÿ. At Le Sous Bois, they ferment the base wines of all three varieties in old wooden barrels, combining them with multi-vintage reserves.
I will explain the raw materials, barrel fermentation, and lees aging of Le Sous-Bois, in the correct process order.
Questions for this course
Does 'barrel-aged' mean a long period in new oak?
Before you start reading, briefly jot down your thoughts. You will rephrase them at the end.
To applied practice using the material ↓
To explanation task notes ↓Billecart-Salmon / Learn from Producers
France / Champagne / Mareuil-sur-Aÿ
Synonym/Label: Billecart-Salmon / Billecart-Salmon
Update date: 2026-09-24
Low-temperature vinification in old casks.
Le Sous-Bois is described as being fermented at low temperatures in old oak barrels. The use of barrels should not be automatically interpreted as imparting strong new oak aromas. When reading, you must consider not just the material but also whether the barrels are new or used.
Base vintage and reserve
In explanations based on 2017, it is Chardonnay 43%, Pinot Noir 28%, and Meunier 29%. The reserve includes components dating back to 2006. Do not interpret the base year as the year when all raw material for the bottle was harvested.
Five years on the lees is a different stretch of time
The same source says that the wine matures 5 years on lees in the cellar and is finished as Extra Brut. Describing this 5 years as barrel maturation mixes up processes. Separate barrel fermentation from in-bottle maturation on lees in your explanation.
What to align and what to compare.
Barrel
- Conditions to standardize
- Billecart-Salmon
- Conditions for comparison.
- Low-temperature winemaking in old barrels
- Additional points to confirm
- Do not treat as identical to new barrels
2017 Base
- Conditions to standardize
- Billecart-Salmon
- Conditions for comparison.
- Three varieties: 43%, 28%, 29% / reserve wine also used
- Additional points to confirm
- This does not mean single vintage.
Aging
- Conditions to standardize
- Billecart-Salmon
- Conditions for comparison.
- 5 years on the lees in the cellar.
- Additional points to confirm
- Separate from the time spent in barrels for maturation.
Order of reading and key points to consider in each article
0 / 3 articles completed
Next article →Progress is recorded as the completion of reading articles. This does not include completion of explanatory assignments.
READ · HYPOTHESIZE · RECONSIDER
Reading Billecart-Salmon’s materials: barrel fermentation in old wood and bottle maturation
Compare the stated conditions in the documentation. Numbers specifying vintages should be treated as information for that specific year.
This summarizes materials published by producers, regional groups, and importers. Each source includes the publisher and the date the material was checked.
| Comparison items | What can be determined from the materials | Ability to distinguish by reading |
|---|---|---|
| Barrel | Low-temperature winemaking in old barrels | Do not treat as identical to new barrels |
| 2017 Base | Three varieties: 43%, 28%, 29% / reserve wine also used | This does not mean single vintage. |
| Aging | 5 years on the lees in the cellar. | Separate from the time spent in barrels for maturation. |
Each hypothesis or reflection can be up to 2,000 characters. You can save your answers even if you only select an option.
Manually save to this browser. When you reopen, you can continue from where you left off. This is a separate record from the course explanation task notes. If you save with all fields unselected or blank, this exercise record will be deleted.
Read the explanation for each question
By answering in the selection field, you can compare your answers and explanations using the top button. Freeform responses will not be automatically graded.
Description of the barrels used?
Read the containers including both new and used ones.
What does “2017 base” mean?
The documentation also mentions reserve wines dating back to 2006.
What process does the reference to 5 years describe?
Different stages require different amounts of time. Old barrels describe the vessel used for vinifying the base wine; five years refers to the time spent in the cellar on lees. These durations cannot both be summed up as barrel aging. Match the name of the vessel with the specific step where it’s used.
Basis and sources for the exercise
Practice exercises in comparison
Please explain differences in raw materials and winemaking by reading the table and sources.
Read examples of organizing comparisons
| Conditions for Comparison | Comparison items | What can be determined from the materials | Ability to distinguish by reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barrel | Low-temperature winemaking in old barrels | Do not treat as identical to new barrels | |
| 2017 Base | Three varieties: 43%, 28%, 29% / reserve wine also used | This does not mean single vintage. | |
| Aging | 5 years on the lees in the cellar. | Separate from the time spent in barrels for maturation. |
Sources of materials used for comparison are listed in the text and exercises.
Explain in your own words
Please explain the raw materials, barrel fermentation, and lees aging of Le Sous-Bois, in the correct process order.
Check after writing
- Did you specify the label, vintage, and scope of materials to be compared?
- Did you distinguish and explain the three items in the table?
- Did you separate verified facts from points to check further with additional references or tasting?
Save response to explanation task
Compare your initial thoughts with how they have changed after reading the article.
Maximum 5,000 characters. This is stored within this browser. Press "Save" to record your note. Saving a blank will delete this note.
View saved notes →