MILLÉSIME 2009
Rarity and Complexity
This unique Blanc de Noirs cuvée is named after the patron saint of Mareuil-sur-Aÿ. This one-hectare Clos satisfies strict standards: a single, enclosed, continuous parcel, with its own complete winemaking facilities on site. The vines, planted and nurtured since 1964, express all the characteristics of the finest crus. Made exclusively from Pinot Noir and vinified in barrels, this remarkably typical single-cru wine 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 age-old skill, results in a sublime golden yellow hue, enhanced by intensey brilliant glints. The elegant effervescence of the finest bubbles is mellowed by the patina of meticulous ageing.
PALATE
A full-bodied with subtle exotic notes of honeyed citrus zest (chocolate-coated orange peel, liquorice stick, and cedarwood), on a bed of many-layered flavours (blueberry jelly, apricotin and lemon liqueur). The wine is borne upon a charm at once bewitching and expressive, 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, freshly baked pastries, and tangerine flesh). The resonance of a sparkling concentration, showcasing a ripe and intense fruit (roasted coffee beans, toasted bread, vanilla pod and light tobacco).
TASTING
A unique tasting experience, where each great rare vintage results in a very limited number of bottles (4,500 bottles). Served at cellar temperature (12-14°C), this micro cuvée makes a glorious pairing with wild ikejime turbot with Burmese coffee or a delicate roasted porcini tartlet.
From Florent NYS, Billecart-Salmon’ chief winemaker.
In Perfect Harmony with Nicolas Beaumann
Chef at Maison Rostang**, Paris
“ ”
Grape Varieties & Blend
- • Vinified entirely in oak casks
- • Aged on lees / in the cellar: for 177 months
- • Dosage: 1.9 g/l
- • Formats available: bottle and magnum
- • Ageing potential: more than 10 years
DOWNLOAD THE TECHNICAL SHEET