2007 Billecart-Salmon 'Le Clos Saint Hilaire' Blanc de Noirs Extra Brut Champagne

Winemaker Notes:  The Clos Saint-Hilaire is a single parcel where the vines, soil and subsoil are carefully tended with respect for the environment. Several years ago, Billecart-Salmon decided to return to ancestral champagne-making methods in the Clos Saint-Hilaire by using work horses and sheep. This method of maintaining the soil and tending the vines increases porosity and biodiversity: the roots grow deep and the minerals they draw from the soil foster the growth of smaller, more concentrated grapes, revealing the terroir's typical flavour. The Clos Saint-Hilaire has created an exceptional champagne which is named after the patron saint of Mareuil-sur-Aÿ. Made exclusively from Pinot Noir vinified in oak casks, it develops an outstanding purity. For each vintage, there is a limited release of between 3,500 to 5,500 individually numbered bottles.

CRITICAL ACCLAIM


James Suckling - "Beautifully complex and mineral with notes of chalk, blanched almonds, dried raspberries, rose petals, pink grapefruit, nutmeg and pink peppercorns. Complex, tight and structured, with a medium to full body, plenty of strength yet elegant. Tight bubbles. Long, firm and savory. Single parcel pinot noir, 100% vinified in oak barrels. No malo. Disgorged May 2023. 3.8g/L dosage. Drink or hold."


Vinous - "The 2007 Extra Brut Le Clos Saint-Hilaire is shockingly accessible for a young vintage of this wine. Silky and plush, with terrific depth, the 2007 is already quite accessible. Kirsch, plum, dried flowers, chamomile and dried herbs build, filling out the layers effortlessly. I can't remember tasting a Clos Saint-Hilaire that is this wine-like. White flowers, chalk, mint and white pepper open with air, adding palpable freshness to a core of chiseled Pinot fruit. In a word: dazzling. Dosage is 2 grams per liter. Disgorged: second trimester 2023." Tasted 03/24."


Robert Parker's Wine Advocate - "Disgorged in the second quarter of 2023, the 2007 Brut Le Clos Saint-Hilaire displays its charm, evoking a refined and pure bouquet of ripe orchard fruits, mint, white pepper, licorice and jasmine. Medium-bodied and taut, the palate is marked by crystalline precision and a vinous, delicate texture that segues into a saline, subtly bitter finish that complements its gastronomic profile. This vintage beautifully expresses the distinguished calcareous terroir of Mareuil-sur-Aÿ, making it a refined and appealing Champagne with a dosage of two grams per liter. This is 100% Pinot Noir. Score: 96+. Tasted 10/24."