Billecart-Salmon Blanc de Noirs Champagne Le Clos Saint-Hilaire 2007

98 points James Suckling: "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. (11/21/23)"

97 points Antonio Galloni (Vinous): "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. Drink: 2024-2037. (Mar 2024)"

96+ points Yohan Castaing (Wine Advocate): "Disgorged in the second quarter of 2023, the 2007 Brut Le Clos Saint-Hilaire displays its charm, evoking a refined and pure bouquet of ripe orchard fruits, mint, white pepper, licorice and jasmine. Medium-bodied and taut, the palate is marked by crystalline precision and a vinous, delicate texture that segues into a saline, subtly bitter finish that complements its gastronomic profile. This vintage beautifully expresses the distinguished calcareous terroir of Mareuil-sur-Aÿ, making it a refined and appealing Champagne with a dosage of two grams per liter. This is 100% Pinot Noir. Drink: 2024-2044. (10/24/24)"

94-95 points Essi Avellan, MW: "(100% Pinot Noir). The 2007 is the ninth iteration of Le Clos Saint-Hilaire following the 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2002, 2003, 2005 and 2006. Mere 4800 numbered bottles were produced on this year, more recognized for its Chardonnays. Deep peach toned colour expressive of the wine’s ripe Pinot Noir soul. The soft and amply fruity nose is lined by gentle spicy and vanilla laden notes deriving from fermentation in oak. Sweet apple pie, persimmon, peach compote, orange blossom and an underlying freshly ground coffee note. The palate brings an attractive contrast to the sweet-scented nose with its impeccable freshness, deriving both from the year’s conditions and blocking of the malolactic fermentation. The brisk acidity enhances the sensations of salinity and vibrancy, carrying the wine to a long, full-of-fruit finish. Mouth-filling, creamy and supple, there is no feeling of heaviness despite all the concetration. (Feb 2024)"

94 points Tom Hewson (Decanter): "2007 presents a rather different version of Le Clos St-Hilaire from the previous two releases (2006 and 2005). The hallmarks of the wine are very much there, with plenty of signs of maturity in the apricot kernel, chestnut honey and dark, tangy roasted apple fruit, with a welcome jolt of pink grapefruit-like acidity squeezing hard with some of the firmness and tension of the vintage. Despite this physical brightness, it is already in a nicely aligned spot to drink, with its autumnal ageing profile a little more present (at least in the bottle tasted) than was the case on release of the 2006 or 2005. Made with Pinot Noir from the family's historic walled garden in the village of Mareuil-sur-Aÿ, 100% vinified in oak and aged on lees for 14 years. Drinking Window: 2024-2030. (1/30/24)"