99 points James Suckling: "Baked raspberries, salted yellow plums, figs, walnuts, orange zest, mahogany and some toasted vanilla on the nose. Medium-to full-bodied with beautifully integrated, very fine bubbles. Dry, with exciting and unique white-pepper and sea-salt notes. Seamless. So harmonious. Salty and spicy clove notes evolving at the end. Amazing precision. Single parcel pinot noir, 100% vinified in oak barrels. No malo. 2g/l dosage. Disgorged November 2020. 6,750 bottles. Drink or hold. (7/18/22)"
98 points Antonio Galloni (Vinous): "The 2006 Le Clos Saint-Hilaire is fabulous. In this radiant year, the Clos Saint-Hilaire has a touch more mid-palate sweetness and generosity, but that’s a good thing, as it balances some of the more austere leanings that can make young vintages hard to appreciate upon release. Apricot, lemon confit, ginger, graphite, spice and crushed rocks are strands in a gorgeous, captivating tapestry that dazzles right out of the gate. The precision here is just mind-blowing. Billecart's 2006 Clos Saint-Hilaire is a very special Champagne, that much is very clear. Drink: 2024-2036. (May 2022)"
97 points Anne Krebiehl (Falstaff): "An incredibly fragrant nose shines with ripe, red-cheeked Mirabelle plum and even has an overtone of Kirsch. The palate is creamy and has a wonderful spine of freshness that only helps to underscore the generosity and roundness. The mousse is superfine, the autolysis is restrained yet profound, there is a textured mid-palate of concentrated red apple fruit with an edge of candlewax and a delicious reverberation of pepper. Exquisite. Alcohol 12.5%. (8/8/21)"
95+ points William Kelley (Wine Advocate): "Disgorged in November 2020 with two grams per liter dosage, Billecart-Salmon's newly released 2006 Brut Le Clos Saint-Hilaire is showing well, unwinding in the glass with aromas of pear, mirabelle plum, dried fruits, walnuts, bee pollen and spices. Full-bodied, layered and vinous, it's a concentrated, muscular young wine, allying maturing flavors with broad structural shoulders and racy acids and concluding with a long, resonant and slightly mordant finish. From a parcel planted in 1964 and vinified entirely in oak, this is a powerful Champagne of considerable presence that needs some more time on cork to unwind and round out. Drink: 2023-2036. (Aug 2022)"
95 points Wine Spectator: "[$550 list] This chiseled Champagne is defined by rapierlike acidity, with fine, tightly meshed flavors of plumped white cherry, poached apricot, marzipan, espresso crema, smoked nut and Gran Marnier liqueur that open slowly on a lively, lacy mousse. This shows remarkable freshness for its 16 years. Disgorged November 2020. Drink now through 2036. (2022)"
95 points Tom Hewson (TimAtkin.com): "The generosity of the 2006 is certainly on display in the 2006 Clos Saint Hilaire, BillecartSalmon's extremely limited cuvée from old Pinot Noir vines in Mareuil-Sur-Aÿ. However, despite the ripeness, the depth of the oak influence and the startling concentration, this edition manages to marry in enough cut and thrust on the palate to stop short of heaviness. There is some exotic papaya and orange fruit alongside more classical amaretto richness, melting into spiced brown butter and maple/toasted nut generosity. All malolactic fermentation is blocked, and whilst this can sometimes lead to a certain detached hardness on the palate, here the acidity feels unified and resonant. A wine that trades effectively on huge fruit, intensity and spice rather than creaminess, it can be enjoyed now for a fresher aspect, but I suspect there will be an interesting sweet-spot at between 5-10 further years on cork. One of the top wines of 2006. (Dec 2022)"
98 points Antonio Galloni (Vinous): "The 2006 Le Clos Saint-Hilaire is fabulous. In this radiant year, the Clos Saint-Hilaire has a touch more mid-palate sweetness and generosity, but that’s a good thing, as it balances some of the more austere leanings that can make young vintages hard to appreciate upon release. Apricot, lemon confit, ginger, graphite, spice and crushed rocks are strands in a gorgeous, captivating tapestry that dazzles right out of the gate. The precision here is just mind-blowing. Billecart's 2006 Clos Saint-Hilaire is a very special Champagne, that much is very clear. Drink: 2024-2036. (May 2022)"
97 points Anne Krebiehl (Falstaff): "An incredibly fragrant nose shines with ripe, red-cheeked Mirabelle plum and even has an overtone of Kirsch. The palate is creamy and has a wonderful spine of freshness that only helps to underscore the generosity and roundness. The mousse is superfine, the autolysis is restrained yet profound, there is a textured mid-palate of concentrated red apple fruit with an edge of candlewax and a delicious reverberation of pepper. Exquisite. Alcohol 12.5%. (8/8/21)"
95+ points William Kelley (Wine Advocate): "Disgorged in November 2020 with two grams per liter dosage, Billecart-Salmon's newly released 2006 Brut Le Clos Saint-Hilaire is showing well, unwinding in the glass with aromas of pear, mirabelle plum, dried fruits, walnuts, bee pollen and spices. Full-bodied, layered and vinous, it's a concentrated, muscular young wine, allying maturing flavors with broad structural shoulders and racy acids and concluding with a long, resonant and slightly mordant finish. From a parcel planted in 1964 and vinified entirely in oak, this is a powerful Champagne of considerable presence that needs some more time on cork to unwind and round out. Drink: 2023-2036. (Aug 2022)"
95 points Wine Spectator: "[$550 list] This chiseled Champagne is defined by rapierlike acidity, with fine, tightly meshed flavors of plumped white cherry, poached apricot, marzipan, espresso crema, smoked nut and Gran Marnier liqueur that open slowly on a lively, lacy mousse. This shows remarkable freshness for its 16 years. Disgorged November 2020. Drink now through 2036. (2022)"
95 points Tom Hewson (TimAtkin.com): "The generosity of the 2006 is certainly on display in the 2006 Clos Saint Hilaire, BillecartSalmon's extremely limited cuvée from old Pinot Noir vines in Mareuil-Sur-Aÿ. However, despite the ripeness, the depth of the oak influence and the startling concentration, this edition manages to marry in enough cut and thrust on the palate to stop short of heaviness. There is some exotic papaya and orange fruit alongside more classical amaretto richness, melting into spiced brown butter and maple/toasted nut generosity. All malolactic fermentation is blocked, and whilst this can sometimes lead to a certain detached hardness on the palate, here the acidity feels unified and resonant. A wine that trades effectively on huge fruit, intensity and spice rather than creaminess, it can be enjoyed now for a fresher aspect, but I suspect there will be an interesting sweet-spot at between 5-10 further years on cork. One of the top wines of 2006. (Dec 2022)"
| Product SKU | 341824 |
| Producer | Billecart-Salmon |
| Country | France |
| Region | Champagne |
| Varietal | Champagne / Sparkling Blend |
| Designation | Blanc de Noirs |
| Vintage | 2006 |
| Size | 750ml |
| Color | White |
| ABV | 12.5% |
| Ships To |
