2003 Billecart-Salmon Le Clos Saint-Hilaire Blanc de Noirs Brut Mareuil-Sur-Ay 750 ml

As renowned as Krug’s Clos d’Ambonnay or Bollinger’s Vieilles Vignes Française, this tête de cuvée also hails from one of the most prized Pinot Noir parcels of Champagne.  In 2003, the house released only 1,000 bottles worldwide made from the old-vine plot in Mareuil-Sur-Aÿ and all bottles are individually numbered. 

Adjacent to the winery, the one-hectare vineyard was planted in 1964. The parcel is named after the patron saint of the church in Mareuil-sur-Aÿ. Today it is meticulously farmed in a traditional manner—horse and all! The wine is fermented in oak at the on-site winery where it next spends another 14 years resting.

First made in 1995 into a single tête de cuvée, this blanc de noirs is only produced in the best years. The 2003 iteration of this wine was just released, and we have no doubt it will woo the critics yet again, so we'd recommend getting in on this release before scores drive the price up, and the remaining bottles disappear into restaurant cellars. 

The 2003 vintage was characterized by warm weather, giving Pinot Noir grapes an inimitable edge which yielded particularly rich, ripe wines.  Matched with the focused house style of Billecart-Salmon, early picking and low dosage, this wine sings! On the palate, this Clos Saint-Hilaire is toasty and rich with lots of marzipan, and the signature tart cherry aroma that we find across the Billecart-Salmon Champagne portfolio. After nearly a decade and a half on the lees, the wine is ready to enjoy now.