BILLECART-SALMON Le Clos Saint-Hilaire Vintage Champagne 2005
- SKU:
- 4131846
- UPC:
- 2310060477871
98 points, “Richly complex nose of spiced yellow plums, brioche, toasted lemons, butterscotch, baked apples, strawberries, coffee cream, praline, earthy mushroom and truffle hints. It’s creamy, layered and generous, with soft bubbles. Complex toasty and spicy elements carry through to a long finish. Opulence and sophistication.” – James Suckling
Le Clos Saint-Hilaire is a super-prestige cuvée from Champagne Billecart-Salmon. It was named after the patron saint of the village of Mareuil-sur-Aÿ, which is home to Billecart-Salmon and the Clos itself. This single, unbroken and enclosed plot was first planted in 1964 and measures just one hectare in size. It contains only Pinot Noir vines, making this a rare, single-vineyard, Grand Cru Blanc de Noirs.
Only 5,100 bottles were made of the 2005 vintage, which was held back and released after the 2006. It was vinified entirely in oak casks and aged on the lees (the spent yeast that gives the finest sparkling wines their nutty, bready and yeasty notes) for over 14 years. Very little dosage was added after disgorgement to allow the terroir to shine. It pours a glimmering gold with a graceful effervescence and aromas of buttery shortbread, blossom, white truffle, mango, roasted nuts, mushroom, spices and mango. On the palate, it delivers poached pear, panettone, ripe citrus, iodine, lemon cheesecake, plum crumble and hints of liquorice. Textural, deep and velvety, this is sensational stuff. However, we were only able to get our hands on half a dozen bottles, so stock is extremely limited.
Billecart-Salmon – often referred to as “Billy” by those who drink it regularly – can be found in the village of Mareuil-sur-Aÿ, just outside Epernay and off on a limb slightly from the bigger Champagne houses. Despite the immense quality they produce, their location and medium size have kept them slightly under the radar. Rather than loading their Champagne into every shop and restaurant, they’ve drip fed them into expert retailers and the Michelin star restaurants of Paris, which gives them a sense of exclusivity and that this very much a brand for those in-the-know.
Created by the union of Elisabeth Salmon and Nicolas François Billecart in 1818, Billecart-Salmon remains under the ownership of the establishing family, which is a real rarity in the big business world of Champagne. Now in the hands of the seventh generation, they continue to focus on the family motto: “Give priority to quality, strive for excellence.” And they do it with aplomb, slowly fermenting at low temperatures to maintain the purity and aromatics of their wines. As Jancis Robinson says, “every Champagne enthusiast needs to be familiar with its wine… Billecart-Salmon is set apart as classy, elegant and understated, both the wine itself and the image the house cultivates.” But, be warned, Billecart-Salmon may not remain one of those hidden gems forever, especially as one of the wines was named “Champagne of the Millennium” by a committee of expert. Interestingly, they also took the second place in that same tasting, which comprised 150 of the finest Champagnes of the 20th Century. As a result, Champagne expert Richard Juhlin warns that this house is “very much in fashion at the moment” and goes as far as to say: “Make sure that you buy wines from Billecart-Salmon before they become as expensive as Krug!”
SKU No.: 4131846
Style No.: 952964
Region: Champagne
Grapes: Pinot Noir
Closure: Cork
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 12.5%
Volume: 750ml
Allergens: Sulphites
98 points, “Richly complex nose of spiced yellow plums, brioche, toasted lemons, butterscotch, baked apples, strawberries, coffee cream, praline, earthy mushroom and truffle hints. It’s creamy, layered and generous, with soft bubbles. Complex toasty and spicy elements carry through to a long finish. Opulence and sophistication.” – James Suckling
Le Clos Saint-Hilaire is a super-prestige cuvée from Champagne Billecart-Salmon. It was named after the patron saint of the village of Mareuil-sur-Aÿ, which is home to Billecart-Salmon and the Clos itself. This single, unbroken and enclosed plot was first planted in 1964 and measures just one hectare in size. It contains only Pinot Noir vines, making this a rare, single-vineyard, Grand Cru Blanc de Noirs.
Only 5,100 bottles were made of the 2005 vintage, which was held back and released after the 2006. It was vinified entirely in oak casks and aged on the lees (the spent yeast that gives the finest sparkling wines their nutty, bready and yeasty notes) for over 14 years. Very little dosage was added after disgorgement to allow the terroir to shine. It pours a glimmering gold with a graceful effervescence and aromas of buttery shortbread, blossom, white truffle, mango, roasted nuts, mushroom, spices and mango. On the palate, it delivers poached pear, panettone, ripe citrus, iodine, lemon cheesecake, plum crumble and hints of liquorice. Textural, deep and velvety, this is sensational stuff. However, we were only able to get our hands on half a dozen bottles, so stock is extremely limited.
Billecart-Salmon – often referred to as “Billy” by those who drink it regularly – can be found in the village of Mareuil-sur-Aÿ, just outside Epernay and off on a limb slightly from the bigger Champagne houses. Despite the immense quality they produce, their location and medium size have kept them slightly under the radar. Rather than loading their Champagne into every shop and restaurant, they’ve drip fed them into expert retailers and the Michelin star restaurants of Paris, which gives them a sense of exclusivity and that this very much a brand for those in-the-know.
Created by the union of Elisabeth Salmon and Nicolas François Billecart in 1818, Billecart-Salmon remains under the ownership of the establishing family, which is a real rarity in the big business world of Champagne. Now in the hands of the seventh generation, they continue to focus on the family motto: “Give priority to quality, strive for excellence.” And they do it with aplomb, slowly fermenting at low temperatures to maintain the purity and aromatics of their wines. As Jancis Robinson says, “every Champagne enthusiast needs to be familiar with its wine… Billecart-Salmon is set apart as classy, elegant and understated, both the wine itself and the image the house cultivates.” But, be warned, Billecart-Salmon may not remain one of those hidden gems forever, especially as one of the wines was named “Champagne of the Millennium” by a committee of expert. Interestingly, they also took the second place in that same tasting, which comprised 150 of the finest Champagnes of the 20th Century. As a result, Champagne expert Richard Juhlin warns that this house is “very much in fashion at the moment” and goes as far as to say: “Make sure that you buy wines from Billecart-Salmon before they become as expensive as Krug!”
SKU No.: 4131846
Style No.: 952964