Billecart-Salmon Blanc de Noirs Champagne Le Clos Saint-Hilaire 2005

98 points Antonio Galloni (Vinous): "The 2005 Brut Le Clos Saint-Hilaire is sublime. Silky and understated, the 2005 is a model of class. The mousse alone is utterly captivating. Dried pear, gentle hints of spice, dried flowers and mint are some of the many notes that grace the 2005. In this vintage, Le Clos Saint-Hilaire is quite soft and medium in body, a Champagne of refinement more than power. Orchard fruit, white flowers and bright saline undertones frame the long, very pure finish. Drink: 2023-2030. (May 2022)"

98 points James Suckling: "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. Single parcel pinot noir, 100% vinified in oak barrels. No malo. 1g/l dosage. Drink now or hold. (3/6/23)"

97 points Bettane & Desseauve Guide (2024).

96 points Sarah Mayo (The Wine Independent): "Le Clos St. Hilaire 2005 Brut Blanc de Noirs is only the 8th edition of this cuvée since 1995. 100% barrel fermented with prolonged aging sur latte, it was disgorged in the fourth quarter of 2020 and finished Extra Brut with one gram per liter dosage. Gracefully unfurling with toasty autolytic aromas intertwined with mixed berry cobbler, quince paste, cardamon butter cookies and acacia honey notes, the 2005 Le Clos St. Hilaire is full-bodied and vinous with shimmering, vivacious acidity and a lift of chalky minerality that brings the opulent palate to a refreshingly bright finish. Lot: L84657. Alcohol 12.5%. Drink: 2023-2035. (11/8/23)"

96 points/'Cellar Selection,' Wine Enthusiast: "This beautifully balanced single-vineyard Champagne is ripe with Pinot Noir and intense. Its richness shows in the yeasty character in the background of the wine's maturity. Drink now. Alcohol 12.5%. (Dec 2023)"

95 points Yohan Castaing (Wine Advocate): "Disgorged at the end of 2019 with a dosage of one gram per liter, Billecart-Salmon’s 2005 Brut Le Clos Saint-Hilaire is the eighth edition (the release sequence is 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2002, 2003, 2006 and 2005; Mathieu Roland-Billecart released this vintage after the 2006, to give it more time to mature in bottle.) This 100% Pinot Noir from the single vineyard in Mareuil-sur-Aÿ has a bright, vibrant, fresh nose of orchard fruits, dried fruits, nuts, pastry and spices. The palate is tense, delicate and medium-bodied and evokes notes of white pepper and chalk with a saline finish and a gently bitter aftertaste due to the vintage. It's a little more austere than the 2006 vintage but precise and crystalline. Drink: 2023-2045. (Apr 2023)"

95 points Wine Spectator: "[$580 list] A fragrant, appealing Champagne, with wafts of elderflower and medicinal herbs on the nose, followed by expressive flavors of dried white cherry, Marcona almond, white truffle, oyster shell and lemon peel. Fresh and focused, with a satiny mousse and a salty finish of oyster shell and chalk. Disgorged winter 2019. Drink now through 2033. (12/15/23)"