The latest vintage from one of Champagne’s rare walled vineyards, Le Clos St-Hilaire, has been released after more than 15 years ageing in the cellars. Champagne Billecart-Salmon has been making 100% Pinot Noir wines from this one-hectare plot, formerly the family garden behind the house in Mareuil-sur-Aÿ until it was planted with vines in 1964, since 1995, during which time nine vintages have been released.
Le Clos St-Hilaire, always fermented in 15-20-year-old oak barrels and afforded extended ageing on lees, has long had a reputation for its powerful, gastronomic style. The 2007, though, presents a different accent to the previous two releases (2006 and 2005) for cellar master Florent Nys, who was working for the house when this vintage was being made 16 years ago. ‘The fruit was ripe, but also punchy,’ says Nys, ‘you can make a parallel with the 2008 in acidity, even though 2008 has a bolder structure’. On release both the 2006 and 2005 showed higher natural alcohol levels and lower acidities.
‘2007 is a great vintage at Billecart,’ says Nys, ‘we made all four of our founder’s cuvées [which include cuvées Nicolas François, Elisabeth Salmon, Louis Salmon and Le Clos St-Hilaire], and there aren’t many years where this happens’.
The 2007 vintage is not remembered especially fondly by many in Champagne, mostly thanks to summer rains which provoked outbreaks of downy mildew. ‘The leaves were damaged by the mildew…it was very difficult to reach 10 degrees [of potential alcohol] in 2007. We had to wait 10 days after the official start of the harvest, and we had a very small yield’. Nys says that the yield of the Clos is often around 6,000kg, which is roughly half the average yield in Champagne.
‘It’s a very energetic style, with a lot of freshness,’ says Nys.
As is often the case in Champagne, tough years can yield some of the most rewarding wines for those that make it through unscathed. Billecart-Salmon is certainly telling a different story about 2007 than most of the major houses, many of which chose not to make their prestige cuvées (there was no 2007 for Dom Pérignon, for example, which missed only two vintages between 2002 and 2013). The story continues into the more accessible vintage release, though, with an impressive 2016 that makes the very best of another vintage with a somewhat mixed reputation.
‘2016 is bolder than some of the vintages we have made before, with a creamy mousse, but a lot of freshness too,’ Nys says. He is keen to point out that harvest was later than people remember, running until 7 October for some Chardonnay.
Assembled from grand cru Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, the 2016 is remarkable for its nimble, dry finish, which is the result of Nys’ decision to dose it at just 1.9g/L.
The quality of the ingredients shines through in this edition, perhaps because ‘we did not make Cuvée Nicolas François this year,’ says Nys, indicating that the crus that would normally make up Nicolas François may have ended up in this vintage bottling.
Tom Hewson’s ratings: Billecart-Salmon 2016 and Le Clos St-Hilaire 2007
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