Vanessa

9.5

Prior notes continue to apply…

When we visited Billecart-Salmon in October of 2021, we received a tour of the stunning estate. Along the way, our guide, Jerome, paused near a traditional “Clos” (a single vineyard, enclosed by a wall) on the property. 

We could see a beautiful stone wall, surrounding a tiny 1 hectare parcel of “Clos Saint-Hilaire,” named after the Patron Saint & local church in Mareuil-sur-Aÿ, where Billecart-Salmon is located. 

Although we didn’t go into the Clos, we learned about how special this parcel is to the family; how it’s exclusively planted to Pinot Noir with vines dating back to 1964; how work in the vineyard is performed by hand and horse-drawn plows; how this parcel is farmed according to an age-old savoir-faire, adhering to principles of sustainable viticulture.

The wine is pale gold with a prominent bouquet of yellow apple, Anjou pear, raspberry, lemon curd, white peach, white blossom, desiccated white rose, wet stones, biscuit, brioche, almond paste, marzipan, crusty croissant, pie crust, toast, creamy texture and persistent, fine-beaded mousse and long elegant finish.

This is a 2005 “Blanc de Noirs” Champagne, comprised of 100% Pinot Noir, all coming from Le Clos Saint Hilaire, vinified entirely in oak casks to lend texture and body, and aged over 13 years sur lie prior to its recent release.  Due to the vineyard’s small size, production is very limited, and wine only produced in the best vintages.

Cheers to beautiful wines expressing a singularity of time and place!

Billecart-Salmon Le Clos Saint-Hilaire (2005).  — a month ago

with Deked1

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.1

1975 vintage. Decanted with oodles of sed. Ambitious, older Graves nose. Medium (still) bodied. Frontal and mid palates satisfied but finish/end palate hit a wall and flatlined. Still, fairly nice showing with a decent amount of fruit kicking about. 9.21.23. — 2 years ago

Tree Kilpatrick

9.5

Dark purple. Tastes wonderful. Complex and dynamic. Zinfully delicious, — 4 years ago

Dale Garrison

9.2

Very smooth and nicely balanced. WOM — 2 months ago

Joe Fischer

9.8

Don’t know if this is the last 96 bottle in existence, but it is wonderful! Ruby with a bit of brown tinge. Aromas of green pepper, plum, cherry, stewed fruits, and spice notes. On the bud, it’s rich with a long finish. Wish I had another bottle! — 4 months ago

Daniel M

9.2

Opened yesterday, drank over 2 days.
The nose is very fruity and intense with dark cherry touches, earthy notes, some raspberry and blackberry scents too. I could even smell some peony notes too. This is really inviting. The palate is wide and long and quite complex. A good acid drive, some dark cherry notes all along, some very soft and easy going mouthfeel that is changing in mid palate with a great tannic wall, which adds a layer of dust over an otherwise quite juicy and fruity finish. In the back-end though, there is a tiny savoury note that pops along with a subtle bitterness. This is really my kind of cab franc. Really good stuff! — a year ago

Kapyrick Wine

9.0

v14. Delicious! Dried herb nose. Rich, deep, black cherry and plum fruit. Velvety smooth, long, slightly tight, mocha and leather finish. — 3 years ago

Daniel M

9.1

This some great barolo right there. Rose petals, tar, cherry, almond, a bit of heat too. This is super inviting. The palate is long, acid driven, with lovely cherry notes all along and a lively mouthfeel. There are some almond and earthy notes too. Then comes the excitement, a gigantic drying tannic wall that comes in and disrupts completely a mouthfeel that will now show fruit, umami and that drying layer all over a long, long,long finish. — 3 months ago

Michael Walker

9.5

Second K Laz tasting - don’t love this one - has a plasticity to it - smells like a Merlot, and a bit sour on the palate - very surprising given the pedigree (Thomas RB etc) — 10 months ago

Bob McDonald

9.3

Brief notes. Family dinner at my brothers house - sister and her hubby visiting from England. This selection from Mike’s Wall of Wendouree “. This was more black fruit plummy opulence than usual for Wendouree. Rich and intense which is par for the course with this producer. Consumed a little young at only 14 years of age. This is the Cabernet Malbec not the Shiraz Mataro. — 2 years ago