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

JS98 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.
VIN97 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.
JD97 A deeper golden hue, the 2007 Champagne Le Clos Saint Hillaire comes from a difficult year, but Billecart-Salmon made all their top wines in this vintage. Offering a good bit of power and elegance, the wine has ripe red fruit notes of raspberry liqueur, black cherries, crystalized ginger, caramel, orange peel, and very distinctive and intense mineral aromatics. Medium to full-bodied, it has fantastic energy and none of the greenness that can be found in 2007 sometimes. Long and persistent on the palate, with a peppery mousse and a lightly warming finish, it’s a very successful wine in this difficult vintage. Drink 2024-2040.