BRUT MILLÉSIME 2007
Rare and complex
This unique Blanc de Noirs cuvée is named after the Patron Saint of Mareuil-sur-Aÿ. This one-hectare Clos meets strict standards: a single enclosed, unbroken parcel, with its own complete wine-making facilities on site.
This remarkably typical mono cru encapsulates an entire world in a great, profound and singular wine with wonderful ageing potential.
A Legend is Born
"In the 1950s my grandmother set aside this park-like space next to our house in Mareuil-sur-Aÿ with vines, flowers and fruit trees, for our enjoyment. Realising this outstanding terroir's potential, my family decided to plant the first Pinot Noir vines here in 1964. We tried using the Pinot Noir to make white wine in small Burgundy barrels: an outstanding champagne was about to be born. After several years of painstakingly tending the vines, the 1995 harvest, the first year of this unique cuvée, was remarkable. We called it Le Clos Saint-Hilaire after the patron saint of the church in Mareuil-sur-Aÿ. No more than 3,500 to 7,500 bottles are produced each year and each is individually numbered."
François Roland-Billecart, 6th Generation
The Parcel
The one-hectare Clos Saint-Hilaire meets the strictest guidelines: a single enclosed, contiguous parcel with complete winemaking facilities on site. The terroir's magic combined with the wine maker's skills make this wine exceptional.
Made only from Pinot Noir vinified in casks, it develops an outstanding purity. Billecart-Salmon decided to add very little liqueur, or dosage, after disgorgement in order to let the typicality of the single grape used to make this great wine evolve.
An indulged terroir
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.
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.
APPEARANCE
The magic of the terroir, along with ancestral savoir-faire, results in a sublime golden yellow hue, enhanced by intense glints of coppery pink. The elegant effervescence of the finest bubbles is mellowed by a meticulous ageing process.
PALATE
A full-bodied texture with hints of freshly candied citrus, ripened white- and yellow-fleshed fruits (chocolate-coated orange peel, dried apples and rhubarb) on a bed of many-layered flavours (quince paste, apricot and almond biscuits and beeswax). The wine is characterized by a bewitching yet expressive charm, in which its generosity carries the finish towards a deliciously mineral chalkiness.
AROMA
Noble, pedigree expression, intensely sensual with the olfactory impact of great elegant winey complexity (malted cereals, floral aromas of acacia, broom and orange blossom). The resonance of a mineral setting highlighting the sparkling concentration of intense ripe fruit (roast coffee, toast, mild spices and blond tobacco).
TASTING
A unique length in which each great rare vintage results in a very limited number of bottles (4 800 bottles). Served at cellar temperature (12-14°C), this micro cuvée is a glorious accompaniment to wild ikejime turbot with Burmese coffee.
From Florent NYS, Billecart-Salmon’ chief winemaker.
In Perfect Harmony with Daniel Manetti
Wine Director - The Connaught, London
“ My first encounter with Clos St Hilaire was with the vintage 1999, I had the pleasure to taste it in the middle of the Clos and that was a completely fully immersive experience. Totally fascinating! Since the first time I tasted it I really loved the ample texture, the fullness of the fruit, the tension it shows across the vintages. The Clos St Hilaire 2006 lends to an ample aroma, predominantly small red fruits, candied citrus fruit, crushed hazelnuts and almonds and well integrated oaky characteristics. Try this wonderful Champagne with aged cheeses. An aged Comté or Parmesan work very well with the saltiness and nuttiness of these cheeses are balanced with the richness of the Champagne. But, just to push a bit the usual boundaries, pair it with a nice Wagyu tartare with black truffle shavings on top. The compact structure of Clos St Hilaire withstand perfectly with the tartare while the earthy characteristics of the champagne work well with truffle. As it is a champagne very particular, it deserves meditation and attention. In this season (winter) I would like to enjoy while in a countryside lodge in front of the fire while outside it’s snowing. ”
Grape Varieties & Blend
- • Dosage: 1.9g/l 100% vinified in oak casks Ageing on lees: 177 months Available formats: Bottle Only 4 800 individually numbered bottles available Ageing potential: more than 10 years