2009 Billecart Salmon Brut Champagne Le Clos St Hilaire

(95 Points) Sourced from a walled 0.97-hectare vineyard planted in 1964 and vinified entirely in oak, the 2009 Le Clos Saint-Hilaire remains true to its lineage, offering maturity and richness—more so than most other parcels in Mareuil-sur-Aÿ. Released ahead of the 2008 vintage and disgorged in January 2024 with a dosage of two grams per liter, it unfurls from the glass with a deep, concentrated bouquet of ripe orchard fruits, dried apricot, toasted nuts and exotic spices mingling with orange zest. On the palate, it is full-bodied and concentrated, textural and multidimensional, exuding richness and a more muscular personality than any other wine in Billecart’s portfolio. Underpinned by succulent yet racy acidity—enhanced by blocked malolactic fermentation—it concludes with a long finish.  Robert Parker's Wine Advocate