1998 Billecart-Salmon Le Clos Saint-Hilaire

1998 Billecart-Salmon Le Clos Saint-Hilaire Champagne, case of three bottles.

A rare and complex Champagne.

The Billecart-Salmon house was born in 1818 with the marriage of Nicolas François Billecart and Elisabeth Salmon. Remaining a family business today, the house strives to build upon the legend of Champagne with a philosophy of finesse, balance and elegance. With grapes sourced from a surface of 170 hectares, the majority come from the region of Epernay, home to the greatest vintages of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier grapes. Billecart-Salmon combines modern technology with nearly two centuries of tradition and the savoir-faire of their staff, forever striving for excellence.

This new unique Blanc de Noirs cuvée bears the name of the patron saint of Mareuil-sur-Aÿ. The one hectare vineyard has always belonged to the family and responds to the most stringent norms: a single, unbroken and enclosed plot with a complete vinification installation in situ. Its vines, planted and pampered since 1964, have developed all the qualities of the best crus.

The magic of the soil added to human skills has produced an exceptionally pure wine sourced exclusively from Pinot Noir. To enable this great wine to mature in typical single cru style, the House chooses to add very little dosage.

This cuvée, hallmarked by chalk and its alluvial soil, stands out for the complexity of its aromas combined with a surprising freshness in a great wine. Pale yellow in colour with notes of gold and aromas of fresh bread, brioche, butter, mature apple and peach fruit, with some notes of citrus, it will mature wonderfully over the next 20 years. Serve with seafood and smoked salmon.

For each vintage, there will be a limited release of between 3,500 to 7,500 individually numbered bottles, reserved for those very special moments.