Billiot Brut Champagne Cuvée Laetitia NV

95 points Anne Krebiehl (The World of Fine Wine): "Pale golden color. Wonderfully expansive notes of ripe Golden Pearmain apple have an almost frivolous hint of flintiness. The fine but lively mousse gives freshness and a counterpoint to the beautifully pure apple fruit. This walks a subtle line between a celebration of ripeness and utter precision, acknowledging both of these alluring elements and attesting their value. This is a joy."

94 points Audrey Frick (JebDunnuck.com): "Pinot Noir takes a slight edge over Chardonnay in the NV Champagne Cuvée Laetitia Brut (60% of the blend), and it has a softer approach aromatically, with a bit more refined sophistication. Here things come into focus with pristine clarity, with pure chalky texture, vibrant fruit, and refreshing energy. After the Essence, this is my next favorite wine in the lineup. (11/7/22)"

94 points Antonio Galloni (Vinous): "The NV Brut Cuvée Laetitia, a blend of 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay, vintages 2016 to 1983, is another gorgeous wine in this range from Billiot. The greater presence of Chardonnay vis-à-vis most of the other wines in the range adds lift and brilliance. The balance of energy and breadth is so appealing here. I would give this a good bit of air, as it really opens up beautifully. Dosage is 8 grams per liter. Disgorged: March 3, 2022. Drink: 2022-2027. (May 2022)"

93 points William Kelley (Wine Advocate): "Disgorged in October 2019, the latest rendition of Billiot's NV Brut Cuvée Laetitia is showing nicely, offering up aromas of crisp orchard and stone fruit mingled with hints of walnuts, honeycomb, dried white flowers and orange oil. Medium to full-bodied, deep and layered, it's seamless and incisive, with a delicate mousse, tangy acids and a long, delicately nutty finish. As readers may remember, this bottling is drawn from a perpetual reserve dating back to 1983. Drink: 2021-2033. (Mar 2021)"

93 points Allen Meadows (Burghound): "This is remarkably fresh for it to have such a large proportion of aged stock in it and while the nose is mature, there are absolutely no oxidative elements in it. In fact, I deliberately revisited this 24 hours after first opening it to see how the nose had evolved and I can report that there was very little discernable evolution. As I say, while fully mature, the mildly yeasty nose displays notes of baked apple, roasted nut and a dried rose petal nuance that also characterizes the rich, full and utterly delicious flavors that are also fresh and vibrant with plenty of energy and finishing punch. Often Champagnes with high percentages of reserves in them lack the same effervescence but that is certainly not the case here. This is a lovely effort that could be drunk now with pleasure or held for years to come. Drink: now+."

93 points Wine Spectator: "[$103 list] Fragrant apple blossom and exotic spice notes on the nose gain momentum on the creamy palate, accenting flavors of dried papaya, black cherry coulis, candied ginger and salted Marcona almond. The lush profile is reined in and enlivened by a firm spine of citrusy acidity and a minerally underpinning that extends on the finish. Disgorged December 2018. Drink now through 2025. (8/19/20)"

92 points John Gilman (View From the Cellar): "The new offering of the Cuvée Laetitia bottling from Henri Billiot Fils is from the base year of 2015 and includes reserve wines all the way back to 1983, with fully eighty-five percent of the blend made from these reserves! The wine was aged sur latte for five and a half years prior to disgorgement in October of 2021 and finished with a dosage of nine grams per liter. The wine offers up a lovely, complex nose of apple, pain grillé, a touch of passion fruit, hazelnut, a complex base of soil tones and plenty of upper register smokiness. On the palate the wine is full-bodied and nicely brisk, with a fine core of fruit, excellent soil undertow, frothy mousse and a long, complex and well-balanced finish. As this is a non-malo wine, it is still nicely youthful in profile, with a fine spine of acidity and the potential to continue to age beautifully for decades to come. Impressive! 2022-2050. (Jul/Aug 2022)"