2007 Billecart Salmon Clos Saint Hilaire

Disgorged in May 2023 with a dosage of two grams per liter, Billecart-Salmon’s 2007 Le Clos Saint-Hilaire continues to perform admirably. It unfurls in the glass with an expressive bouquet of pear, mirabelle plum and cherry, mingled with notes of lemon oil and a subtle accent of timut pepper. Medium- to full-bodied, elegantly muscular and vinous, the wine is both concentrated and ample, underpinned by incisive acidity. The palate culminates in a long, citrus-inflected finish that underscores the cuvée’s non-malolactic style. One should anticipate a profile more tightly knit than that of the warmer-vintage 2006 and 2009. As ever, it is sourced from a walled 0.97-hectare vineyard in Mareuil-sur-Aÿ that was planted in 1964, and it was vinified entirely in oak; in 2007, the fruit was harvested on September 8.

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.

From the one-hectare plot of old Pinot Noir vines planted in 1964 in effectively the back yard of the Billecart-Salmon HQ in Mareuil-sur-Aÿ. Officially certified organic in 2022 and biodynamically managed since spring 2023. The Blanc de Noirs was vinified in oak casks aged between 15 and 20 years. Very pale amber. Extremely fine bead. Nose of minerals and very ripe, round greengage fruit. Already a well-married drink even if not the most ample finish but this is likely to be the finest 2007 Blanc de Noirs you’ll encounter. (JR)